An Evening with Sir David Attenborough
30 Days Wild, day 17: This evening I attended Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's 70th anniversary celebration, with the legendary Sir David Attenborough. York University's Central Hall was packed to capacity (1100), to hear the great man speak, and were not disappointed. He may be 90 years old, but his mind is as sharp as ever. He speaks so naturally, just as if you were on the sofa in his living room.
He talked about the importance of an understanding of the natural world to all our lives. It is more important now than it has ever been. More people in the world today are urbanised and to some degree are cut off from the natural world. We depend on the natural world for every breath we breathe and for every mouthful we eat. We are part of the natural world. If we don't understand the natural world then we are in danger. The natural world is in greater danger today than it has ever been.
We have poured sewage into the seas, so that there is no place in the world's oceans with untainted water. We have polluted the atmosphere causing temperatures to rise. We have caused global changes to the environment. Unless we understand the natural world and look after it, we are in trouble. We have to support organisations that will take action on an international scale and that support starts with local people and organisations, such as YWT.
He then took a seat to answer questions previously sent in from members of the audience. He talked about filming elephants in Kenya, diving on a coral reef, his famous encounter with the gorillas in Rwanda, the importance of showing wildlife to young people, the changes in filming technology during his career, the place of zoos in conservation education, fossils in the Gobi desert, the anatomy of pterodactyls, species reintroductions, the importance of living in harmony with wildlife and getting politicians to address environmental issues. He got a standing ovation.
Attenborough gives his opening address
He talked about the importance of an understanding of the natural world to all our lives. It is more important now than it has ever been. More people in the world today are urbanised and to some degree are cut off from the natural world. We depend on the natural world for every breath we breathe and for every mouthful we eat. We are part of the natural world. If we don't understand the natural world then we are in danger. The natural world is in greater danger today than it has ever been.
We have poured sewage into the seas, so that there is no place in the world's oceans with untainted water. We have polluted the atmosphere causing temperatures to rise. We have caused global changes to the environment. Unless we understand the natural world and look after it, we are in trouble. We have to support organisations that will take action on an international scale and that support starts with local people and organisations, such as YWT.
"…the rhino lifted up the back of the vehicle and shook it…"
He then took a seat to answer questions previously sent in from members of the audience. He talked about filming elephants in Kenya, diving on a coral reef, his famous encounter with the gorillas in Rwanda, the importance of showing wildlife to young people, the changes in filming technology during his career, the place of zoos in conservation education, fossils in the Gobi desert, the anatomy of pterodactyls, species reintroductions, the importance of living in harmony with wildlife and getting politicians to address environmental issues. He got a standing ovation.
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