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Wildscreen's photograph of David Attenborough at ARKive's launch in Bristol, England © May 2003, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Who is Sir David Attenborough?
Sir David Attenborough is a 96-year-old man who’s inspiring millions of people around the world with his love of planet Earth and all the creatures who live on it. He travels to different corners of the world and, with the help of his team, captures beautiful images and videos of the natural world.
Attenborough and his team then turn these rare clips into movies that open up a whole new world of awe and wonder for us. He has been doing this work for the past 68 years.
Some of his best films that you can treat yourself to are ‘The Blue Planet,’ ‘Our Planet,’ ‘The Year The Earth Changed,’ etc.
How did Sir David Attenborough discover his passion for the natural world?
Sir David Attenborough fell in love with the natural world as a little boy, when he would go exploring his London neighbourhood looking for bugs and insects. Though he lived in a city, that didn’t stop him in his search for wildlife. He kept tanks of different species of fish in his home.
At age eleven, to earn some pocket money, he would capture [[newts::A small animal with a long tail and short legs that looks similar to a lizard. It can live on both land and water.]] from a pond and sell them to the local university where they would be studied.
Why did he receive the Champion of the Earth prize?
The Champions of the Earth award is the highest environmental award of the [[United Nations::An international organization where the world's nations gather together to discuss common problems and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity.]] (UN). It’s given to extraordinary people whose actions are helping save the environment.
Recently, the UN gave Sir David Attenborough the Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement award for the wonderful way he makes people fall in love with nature.
What does Sir David Attenborough want us to know?
Nowadays, Sir David Attenborough devotes most of his time to working as an [[environmental activist::Someone who works to create social and political changes that will protect the environment.]], raising awareness about the importance of protecting this precious planet we call home. You should know that Attenborough thinks that your generation is the greatest hope we have.
He believes that you all will grow up to do things differently than the adults who came before you. You will restore Earth to its original beauty.
Quick Revision
Sir David Attenborough is a 96-year-old filmmaker who inspires millions with his love for nature.
He’s been making nature documentaries for over 68 years.
Famous works: The Blue Planet, Our Planet, The Year The Earth Changed.
His passion began in childhood—he collected bugs, kept fish, and sold newts for study.
