Celebrating Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday

Sir David Attenborough’s gift for storytelling has connected multiple generations of people to the natural world. On his 100th birthday, our Director Professor Joe Smith reflects on what makes him so special...

"For 70 years, Sir David Attenborough has been encouraging us all to pause and notice, and give value, to nature. This ‘careful noticing’ has become more important than ever as the flow of information — and disinformation — turns into a torrent.

"Sir David claims to have been lucky to be in the right place at the right time, but this modest view fails to recognise his relentless technological curiosity and appetite for innovation in media storytelling. Think of his insistence on budget for colour film stock for Zoo Quest, at a time when the BBC was only broadcasting in black and white. He knew the world would catch up eventually.

"His career also shows us that winning and sustaining trust and authority is just as important as winning attention, for anyone wanting to protect the natural world for the future. Over 70 years in wildlife filmmaking, Sir David has built up a vast reserve of public trust. This has been sparingly deployed often to the frustration of environmentalists yet he has consistently shown that great storytelling about the natural world undoubtedly helps to build awareness and concern."