Landmark Essay Sir David Attenborough

investing so much time and finance for many charities. I could not imagine what the state of many currently protected nature reserves would look like now if it weren’t for those charities. David is loved worldwide and has been described as the Godfather of National History and the world’s Greatest Natural Historian.

Sir David Attenborough is Britain’s best-loved naturalist, he is easily recognised around the globe and admired by many. He currently has sixty years of broadcasting behind him, his main experience through the BBC Life series, by virtue of the Life series. He is also well known and respected globally as the world’s leading natural history programme maker. “David has affected the lives of people of people and wildlife for many years.

With his amazing amount of knowledge, his achievement is to recommend life, wildlife and human life to people of this earth” Bill Oddie David was one three children fathered by Frederick Attenborough who was principle of the University College, Leicester. David was born in Isleworth west London but had spent his childhood growing up on campus. He spent his time collecting fossils, stones and other natural specimens. Attenborough was educated at a Grammar School in Leicester where he achieved a Scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge further achieving a degree in Natural Sciences.

He was then later called up for national service in 1947 spending two years stationed in North Wales. After leaving the navy he took a position editing science textbooks for children then later was offered a position in 1952 at the BBC, his association with Natural History programmes began when he produced and presented the three part

series The Pattern of Animals. It was here he had started his career in presenting natural sciences to the world. In 1952 Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel, he fathered two children Robert and Susan.

He loved his family very much and has been described as a great father and husband; he demonstrated his desire to stay close to his family when he was offered a position to join the BBC Natural History Unit when it was established in Bristol in 1957. He politely declined, as he wanted to stay with his young family. However this was not all bad for David, instead he formed his own department, The Travel and Exploration Unit, this allowed him to continue to present Zoo Quest as well as produce other documentaries, such as Life on Earth, The Trails of Life and many more.

Sadly during his television career when out filming Life of Birds in 1997 he received the tragic news that he beloved wife had past away due to a brain haemorrhage. Sir David has recently celebrated his 60th year in broadcasting, and he continues to work, stating he has no plans to retire, even now at age 86 he continues to amaze and bring new discoveries to out television. Creating awareness worldwide of our natural world. Attenborough's programmes have often included references to the impact of human society on the natural world.

This has help influence many in society to think of the consequences of humanities actions and the awareness of the negative impacts we have on many species across the globe. This being one of his main influences and one of many

reasons I have chosen him as a landmark. His services to television were recognised in 1985, and he was knighted to become Sir David Attenborough. Long before environmental issues were making daily headlines, he was a fervent eco campaigner both on and off screen.

He has supported such charities as World Land Trust since it was founded 1989; he also provides funding for a vast number of conservation and environmental charities he is vice-president of BTCV, Fauna and Flora International, president of Butterfly Conservation and president of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. In 2003 he launched an appeal to create a rainforest reserve in Ecuador he has done so much for many reserves across the globe. He is an inspiration charity supporter and has supported World Land Trust (WLT) since it was founded in 1989, and then became the charity’s official Patron in 2003.

David has not always been admired in the eyes of the press he was recently attack when he stated Humans are a plague on earth, he went on to quote. “I don't think whole populations are villainous, but Americans are just extraordinarily unaware of all kinds of things. If you live in the middle of that vast continent, with apparently everything your heart could wish for just because you were born there, then why worry? [... ] If people lose knowledge, sympathy and understanding of the natural world, they're going to mistreat it and will not ask their politicians to care for it. ”  ? David Attenborough

But as much as the Americans had something to scream and cry about, he was still adored and welcomed by his

loving Brits and to be quite frank I believe the above statement to be very true and somebody needs to educate the more ignorant countries around the globe, especially the larger states committing an obscene negative affect on the environment. Sir David is also an astounding academic By January 2013; Attenborough had collected thirty-one honorary degrees from British universities, more than any other person in the world. He has help influence millions across the globe lecturing in natural history and conservation and biodiversity.

He has inspired many scientists around the globe, this was evident when a straw poll set up by Upulie subsequently found that six out of every ten science respondents cited Sir David Attenborough as a significant influence on their decision to become a scientist including myself. David’s lifetime of great achievements were recently recognised when he was presented the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment towards the cause of biodiversity in 2010. Amongst this award his trophy cabinet has accumulated a total of 24 awards one of which was the Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public interest.

Overall I believe that Sir David Attenborough is a great Landmark figure because: Sir David has made us aware that conservation, if it is to be sustainable, has to be in the hands of local people and that without the natural world, mankind is doomed. He has explained to us that we as a species are dependent on the natural world for the very air we breathe and every particle of food we eat. Sir David has devoted his life to encouraging society to think deeply about what is important in

life and to consider the consequences of daily activities.

Warning us as human beings we are more urbanised than ever before, and we have become out of touch with the natural world, yet we are 100% dependent on its resources. He mainly request that we all rise to the challenge: to reduce our impact on the environment and vest any extra cash we have in saving what is left of the world’s wild spaces. He has strongly expressed this through his extensive charity and conservation work; overall he has made a great different to the decline of endangered species.

He has spent years focusing on preserving our most venerable Landmarks. Sir David’s influences throughout his broadcasting career has bought these issue’s to our very living rooms and without this many of us would not of been aware of the effects we have on the environment and the importance that we intervene sooner rather then later. I have never witness another person on the planet that has dedicated and given so much to our Natural world, I believe Sir David Attenborough one of our greatest Landmarks and this is why I have chosen him.