Famous television host and environmental naturalist Sir David Attenborough was born on May 8, 1926, in the city of London, England. David started his love for the environment at an early stage as he developed the interest at the age of seven. In 1936, he was inspired to pursue his interest in nature by Grey Owil, a famous naturalist. After he completed his high school studies, Attenborough followed an academic pass and applied for university education. The University of Cambridge granted Attenborough a scholarship to study natural sciences (Bienvenido 118). However, educational pursuits did not prevent him from a short military career. After graduating in 1947, Attenborough joined the Royal Navy where he served until 1949. David’s life turned when he returned to London and started working as an editor for an educational publisher for three years. Thereafter, he started training for a life-long career at a television station where he was the producer.

It was during this time as the producer of BBC that he got an opportunity to launch a Zoo Quest series that made him famous. This success made him expand and explore his career as a naturalist and environmentalist. Later on, he left BBC and produced various series and writings, one of which was a boom Life on Earth. In addition, he has produced and narrated various award-winning and nature-oriented programs about the preservation of wildlife (Bienvenido 118). Attenborough’s interest in nature shaped the career path that led him to become a documentary filmmaker.

Attenborough faced complex obstacles in life to become a famous producer, naturalist, television host, and director. As a child, he passed through a series of challenges that a normal youth could not even imagine. He persevered in his educational pursuits. Despite the lack of financial support and little knowledge of the risks associated with the nature of this work, he still managed to do his research on the environment. These events led him towards different directions, both good and bad, but he reached success. Additionally, he faced many problems while working at the BBC. Since the station was not fully equipped, it was such a difficult task to create his documentaries. He had little programming to run on natural sciences. Therefore, inadequate resources gave Attenborough a hard time managing his work.

Despite all these challenges and frustrations he encountered, he devoted his efforts and interests to make his destiny a success. David Attenborough’s distinguished himself as a writer, host, and producer of many a beloved nature documentary. Many people were first introduced to the world of animals through such films as Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and Life of Earth. In fact, by now he is more of a British institution than a man. His voice is instantly recognizable in any setting even by young children. Attenborough’s media career is possibly his greatest contribution to the preservation of wildlife and popularization of environmentalism.

Attenborough as a host and producer of various programs did quite a spontaneous job, allowing his viewers to have a positive outlook on animal development and their behavior. He also veered and explored the botanical world in a very magnificent way. These talents made him win many awards during his life journey (Burgess and Unwin 93-113). He has many honors as he is considered the most traveled person in history and the most trustworthy person in Britain in 2014. Attenborough’s achievements and commitment towards natural habitats promoted his ecological activism on both the screen and in life (Bienvenido 118). Attenborough, dedicated to preserving wildlife, became an outstanding public figure due to his tremendous achievements.

Environmental Advocacy

The scope of Attenborough’s environmental advocacy is remarkably extensive. Having studied and attained various degrees to become an environmental advocate, Attenborough supported World Land Trust (WLT) since the beginning when it was founded in 1989 (Bienvenido 171). By resigning from the BBC, he regained his passion and interests towards his childhood dream of preserving wildlife. This interest allowed him to write and produce various films that shaped his ideas about animal behavior and development. Such films include The Life of Birds in 1998 and The Private Life f Plants (1995). His lifetime commitment to airing and narrating his films made him catch the eye of many (Bienvenido 171). Such popularity drove Attenborough to become an ecological activist, making him the patron of organization Population Matters that deals with the natural world.

Attenborough’s Contribution to the Environment

During his interview with Prince William, Attenborough stated that humans have the power and authority to exterminate all ecosystems without even realizing it; therefore, he persuaded world leaders to treat the natural world with respect. Attenborough played various roles and committed his time to the betterment of the environment and preservation of wildlife (Watts). He also contributed to the environment by initiating various campaigns towards conservation and protection of nature. Moreover, he wrote many documentaries trying to explain the importance of creating a safe space for wildlife. These documentaries and films show that Attenborough traveled through the forests, mountains, and valleys to film the rare species that are always hard to come across. The films have also impacted and changed the way people look at wild animals. The series Life on Earth enabled many viewers to see rare animals and feel attached to the overall global ecology in a different way. Attenborough had a unique way of presenting his films, as he possessed skills and competencies that captured a broader scientific biology and ecology at the same time. His devotion pleased various environmental groups as he campaigned against man’s destruction of nature, making him an advocate of conservation (Burgess and Unwin 93-113). Thus, Attenborough gained his status as the most recognizable environmental advocate through outstanding media work.

The Changing Nature of Environmental Views

The BBC series State of the Planet is dedicated to the extinction of various species and exploitation of the wildlife. Such destruction made Sir David furious as he had strong feelings about the conservation of wildlife, including the rare species. He explained the importance of the natural world and insisted on how valuable and beautiful nature is. Attenborough’s environmental views have helped people all over the world think positively of the conservation of wildlife. According to the filmmaker, it is the responsibility of everyone to help protect nature (Watts). At a recent talk in Poland, Attenborough also raised the question of climate change and named it the greatest current threat to the environment and humanity’s survival (McGrath). Speaking at the opening ceremony of the United Nations climate talk, the environmentalist asserted that climate change could lead to extinction of many animals and plants (McGrath). The collapse of civilization is also likely to be witnessed if the issues of climate are not addressed. According to Attenborough, sophisticated approaches to climate change management must be implemented to protect the world and its inhabitants from extinction.

Conclusion

Attenborough has been an inspiration to many through his natural documentaries that viewers regard to be of great influence to their lives, Humanity depends on the environment in different ways. Therefore, people have a duty to conserve and retain the environment as their lives depend on it. Sir David Attenborough has done tremendous work and created films to help fight for nature. His films show his love for nature and the imporatnce of keeping these rare endangered species alive. He has managed to educate the whole world about the benefits that nature provides. Attenborough has left a legacy in environmentalism and motivated many students to pursue different courses in nature and conservation of the environment.