Yes, please do!. Jadey. Cost-cutting might be part of the change in the spread of the programme, but I can't see any rationale behind the shift to post-watershed.
I agree, it's so sad that a lot of children don't know even common animals and plants, but then neither do a lot of adults. My poor kids have had it from day one - wallcharts of native species round the bedrooms, insect pooters for birthday presents, ditch-dipping parties etc. My older son knows four or five different types of scat (though I've told him not to broadcast this to his mates as they'll think he's a bit weird!
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After watching water voles, my number one favourite wildlife occupation is talking to/teaching people about nature, and I'm never happier than when I've a garden full of 8 year olds, all with their nets and old ice cream cartons and 'The Ladybird Book of Pond Life' between them. I used to spend a lot of time monitoring water voles fom a bridge in tne main town car park, and in that spot alone I must have spoken to a couple of hundred people about what voles need. Now I only have to linger on that spot a minute, and someone will call out 'Are they there?' or 'How are they doing?' It's something I'm reallty passionate about, because I know how much joy it can bring. And in these credit-crunch times, what better than a completely free hobby?