In this page I hope to talk about some of my conservation heroes or champions that have shaped my views and opinions and inspired me.

Sir David Attenborough: He deserves a statue!

We have all grown up with this man and regardless of age we still watch his documentaries like wide eyed children. No one else has been able to teach us about the natural world quite like him, and perhaps no one will ever be able to. I am of course speaking of Sir David Attenborough, Britain’s best known natural history film maker and conservationist. He has been called “the great communicator”, “the peerless educator” and “the greatest broadcaster of our time”! His career has spanned nearly five decades and has taken him to pretty much every area of the globe!

He has produced some of the most visually stunning and remarkable nature documentary series, including; Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), The Private Life of Plants (1995), The Life of Mammals (2002), Life in the Undergrowth (2005) Planet Earth (2006) and Frozen Planet (2011). All his work uses the latest scientific evidence and interviews and works with the leading scientists and conservationists.

My (poor) photo of Sir David Attenborough!

Sir David Attenborough is without a doubt a living legend! If it was up to me he’d have a statue in Hyde Park or some over prestigious place! Whenever I watch a wildlife documentary as soon as the narrator starts and good as they maybe, I pretty much always have a small moment of disappointment if it isn’t Attenborough! I was lucky enough to meet him at a book signing at a local independent book shop. I must admit, I don’t usually get star struck, but I was lost for words (not a usual state of affairs!) when I was in front of the man himself! I did manage to thank him for his work, but I probably wasn’t as coherent as I would have liked. Still it was an honour to meet him.
The first step in wanting to care about the survival of a species or to protect a natural environment is knowing it exists! Sir David Attenborough has done more for making information about animals and the natural world in general available than probably anyone else!
So to summarise: Attenborough = Legend!

Johnny Kingdom: Enthusiasm! Enthusiasm! Enthusiasm!
Johnny Kingdom is an English filmmaker and a true countryman, described by some as the “wild man of the west country”, specialising in his home area of Exmoor in North Devon.

I first came across Jonny Kingdom in his 2006 series, ‘A Year on Exmoor’, which was shown on BBC2. I was instantly hooked! Johnny Kingdom comes across as a really interesting guy; his enthusiasm for the subject, especially his favourite Red Deer, and his genuine love of animals and the natural world in general are so transparent, making him truly a joy to watch. Whilst commentating in his series he can hardly contain his enthusiasm and excitement for what he is seeing. You can find more about Johnny Kingdom at his website. His approach can appear a bit ‘rough round the edges’ sometimes as my Nan would say, but I think this just adds to his charm and charisma, and makes his series such a great comparison with most other polished modern documentaries. Such a wildlife lover is Johnny Kingdom has now bought 55 acres of land in his beloved Exmoor and has devoted it to be a haven for wildlife. And of course, like me, he has a fantastic accent!
Whenever I watch Johnny Kingdom he makes me reminds how wonderful the wildlife of Britain is and how exhilarating viewing animals free and ‘doing their thing’ out in the wild can be!
Johnny Kingdom = Enthusiasm and Excitement!