May 2026
For almost a century, Sir David Attenborough has shaped how generations of children see the natural world. At first, he taught us wonder. In later years, he taught us responsibility.
Four years ago I was nineteen and filming with him on Skomer Island for his series on British wildlife, Wild Isles.
I was two months into my first ‘proper job’ and didn’t know what media meant, nor how to identify any animal except a puffin. All I knew was that I wanted to save the world, and somehow I’d landed the coolest job imaginable.
The iconic Sir David Attenborough was there in front of me, with puffins hurrying around him, a teleprompter between us, and the sound technician passing me a headset.
All the years of geography lessons blurred into one as David’s great narration filled the still early summer air around us.
He said,
“Though rich in places, Britain as a whole is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Never has there been a more important time to invest in our own wildlife, to try and set an example for the rest of the world, and restore our once wild isles for future generations.”
This was the closing scene of episode 1, and I didn’t understand the depth of those carefully selected words.
That evening the world felt pure and perfect and magical. We couldn’t see the trawlers 50 miles out to sea, the corporations spraying the land with chemicals, or the politicians threatening to tear up every shred of environmental protection.
But David knew. His storytelling had changed. The films had become more urgent. David taught us about plastic pollution, collapsing biodiversity, climate breakdown, and disappearing species.
Each generation that hears him in their geography classroom will grow up holding at least a little bit of ‘save the world’ in them. The challenge is making sure that feeling survives adulthood.
As he celebrates his 100th birthday, we must hold onto the wonder of early Attenborough and keep marvelling at nature. But we must also cherish the wisdom of later Attenborough: seeing how much is at risk and refusing to look away.
Four years later, I finally understand David’s words. I work with policy. I try to change the world. I still can’t identify most birds.
I sometimes think about that 19-year-old version of myself: completely unqualified, overwhelmed, and somehow standing behind a camera beside the greatest storyteller in the world. Back then I thought conservation was about having all the answers.
But now I think it’s mostly about refusing to look away.
A century into David Attenborough’s life, the challenge he has spent decades documenting remains enormous.
But so does the possibility of restoring our wild isles for future generations.
From left to right: Lisa Morgan, Freya Johns, Madison Bowden-Parry, Sir David Attenborough, Gina Gavigan, Sarah Kessell. Credit: Alex Board / Silverback
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