Sir David Attenborough needs no introduction. He is beloved around the world for bringing wildlife into people’s homes with his stunning, heartbreaking, breathtaking documentaries. Who can forget the devastating footage of bottom trawling in Ocean, the heart stopping moment marine iguanas sprinted away from racer snakes in Planet Earth II or his gentle interaction with a family of mountain gorillas in Life on Earth?  

Although Sir David has travelled to almost every corner of our wonderful world, his commitment to conservation here in the UK has been ever present. Behind the scenes and out of the spotlight he has turned up to applaud, champion and boost the day-to-day efforts of thousands of people making nature recovery happen for more than six decades. 

Across the UK, The Wildlife Trusts have greatly benefitted from his support. To name just a small number of moments made extra special thanks to David, this year marks the 60^th anniversary of his opening of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s Attenborough Nature Reserve, a reserve named after the nearby Attenborough village and an important refuge for winter wildfowl including shoveler and teal.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust – celebrating their own 100^th birthday this year – welcomed him to Cley Marshes in 2015; and in the 1980s he helped the British Wildlife Appeal raise over £16 million for nature. Just last year he shone a light on the beauty of urban wildlife with his Wild London series which was co-produced with London Wildlife Trust, and his championing of The Rothbury Estate Appeal led to donations of £1 million in the first few days alone.  

From 1965 to the present day, Sir David has shown a tireless commitment to our work to restore wildlife and connect people to the natural world. 

In the words of Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, he has been a “global treasure”. Through his storytelling he has helped people all over the world to understand the real impact of climate change and the loss of nature. Thanks to him issues such as bottom trawling have become impossible to ignore and, by showing just how necessary nature is to us all, he has inspired millions of people to care about the future of our planet.  

As we celebrate Sir David’s birthday today, I’d urge you to think about ways you can help wildlife in your own life. Whether it’s planting for pollinators, taking action for nature in your community, or creating a mini pond for wildlife, you can be an every day nature hero.  

On behalf of everyone at The Wildlife Trusts – thank you Sir David for everything you have done for nature, and we wish you a very happy birthday. 

Jim Cokill, Director of Durham Wildlife Trust, said: “Sir David Attenborough has influenced generations of people, worldwide, to understand and care about the world around them.

 “As a small, local charity, we were fortunate to receive his support when he helped to launch the ‘Durham Wildlife Appeal’ fundraising campaign back in the 1980s. Sir David gave a talk at the Sunderland Empire and was photographed at Joe’s Pond, one of the ten nature reserves looked after by the Trust at the time. Since then, the Trust has expanded significantly and now manages 53 nature reserves, stretching from Tees to Tyne, with nearly 9000 members supporting our work. Over that period public appreciation of nature and understanding of how important the natural world is to all our lives has grown. Sir David has played a central role in communicating those messages and encouraging people to support organisations like Durham Wildlife Trust. Thank you Sir David and a very happy 100th birthday.”