Happy 90th Sir David

Today seems a good day to pen my first blog post in a while, in order to mark the 90th birthday of the most effective natural history communicator we've even seen: Sir David Attenborough. His work in the area, since the early Zoo Quest series, has been marked by his trademark enthusiasm and his deep connection with the natural world. In addition to this sense of wonder, he also carries the gravitas of a man who really knows his subject and let's not forget that in addition to being best known for his TV and radio work on natural history he was also one of the most influential figures in British broadcasting history. The fact that he gave up senior roles at the BBC to return to his first love of documentary making speaks volumes about his passion for communication. His enthusiasm is not the manufactured kind seen in the majority of presenters we see on TV, but is totally genuine and infectious, and he finds interest in both the broad picture and in intricate detail. I've been privileged enough to see him at work, both in terms of his broadcasting and in terms of his charitable/corporate outreach, and to meet and correspond with him a few times, which has been nothing short of fulfilling a childhood dream.

As a nerdy, animal-obsessed kid growing up in suburban London I had few opportunities to interact with the natural world and his documentaries were something I looked forward to almost obsessively. They were, without doubt, some of the most formative influences on my early interests and helped to shape my future career path. Two of his TV series stand out in my earliest memories: Wildlife on One, which showcased a different species in its natural environment each week, and Life on Earth, the landmark series in which Sir David covered animal evolution, from the origin of life through to the origin of modern humans. Life on Earth, in particular, exerted a considerable influence on me and, to quote Darwin, really showcased the "grandeur in this view of Life". Even the title sequence, with it's eerie, amorphous forms hinting at change through time, and the haunting primeval music from the now defunct BBC Radiophonic Workshop (also responsible for the Dr Who theme tune), can still raise the same goosebumps I got as a kid. The series first aired when I was around 8 years old and I can still remember most of the key sequences. It's combination of broad picture thinking, highlighting major evolutionary transitions, and the amazing footage of the animals themselves was revelationary. I begged my parents for the book for Christmas: even though they thought it was "too old for me", as it was written for an adult audience, they bought it anyway and I devoured it again and again, enjoying not only the prose but the amazing photos. It's still on my bookshelf 30 years later.

My copy of Life on Earth: a long treasured 9th birthday present from my parents

So, thank you Sir David, on many levels. Thanks for introducing me to the wonder of the natural world and the joy of discovery. Thanks for showing me that it was possible to follow this path myself and to make a career that involved finding out more about the history of life on Earth. Thanks for your enthusiasm and support (I really enjoyed our conversations standing around Sophie!). And finally, thanks for using your influence to be a voice of reason and sage council in a world where many of these amazing organisms are now under threat.