Chris Packham

Early Life

Chris Packham was born on May 4, 1961, in England. He grew up loving nature and animals.

Career

Chris Packham is a naturalist, photographer, TV presenter, and author. He is best known for his TV work, especially the children’s nature show The Really Wild Show from 1986 to 1995. Since 2009, he has presented the BBC nature series Springwatch, as well as Autumnwatch and Winterwatch. Through his work, Packham helps people learn about and care for the natural world.

Early life

Chris Packham was born in Southampton, Hampshire, on 4 May 1961. He went to Bitterne Park Secondary School and Taunton's College. In 1979, he started studying Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton, where he earned a BSc in zoology. He later began a PhD but decided to leave to become a wildlife cameraman.

Television career

In 1983, Packham began working on television. He started as a camera assistant for a wildlife filmmaker. He worked on several shows for the BBC and Channel 4, like The Living Planet and Ourselves and Other Animals.

Packham became well-known in 1986 with a children's show called The Really Wild Show, which he presented until 1995. He has also presented other nature shows such as Wild Shots, The X Creatures, and Hands on Nature. Since 2009, he has co-presented popular BBC nature programmes like Springwatch, Autumnwatch, and Winterwatch. He has presented many documentaries, including Secrets of Our Living Planet, Inside the Animal Mind, and Animal Einsteins.

Packham has explored many topics on television, from wildlife and nature to the environment. He has also shared his personal experiences in programmes like Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me and Inside Our Autistic Minds.

Charity work and wildlife conservation

Chris Packham helps many groups that care for animals and nature. He leads important organizations like the Bat Conservation Trust, the RSPCA, and the RSPB. He also supports groups that work to protect birds, insects, and wild spaces.

In 2017, he began working with the National Autistic Society to help people with autism. In 2019, he helped start a group named Wild Justice to ensure UK laws protect wildlife well.

Honours and awards

Chris Packham has won many awards for his work. In 2011, he received the Dilys Breese Medal for helping people learn about science. In 2013, he became an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Southampton. In 2014, readers of Birdwatch magazine chose him as "Conservation Hero of the Year" for speaking up about protecting birds.

In 2016, he won a Wildscreen Panda Award. His book Fingers in the Sparkle Jar was voted the UK’s favourite nature book in 2018. In 2018, he also received an award for a nature documentary. In 2019, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his work in nature conservation.

Views

In 2009, Chris Packham said that saving giant pandas cost too much money. He thought the money should help protect other animals and their homes instead. He also spoke out when he saw a TV show treating animals badly.

Packham often talks about why it is important to protect wildlife. He has worked to tell people about problems like hunting and how birds are treated. In 2019, he chose to live as a vegan and changed his life to help the environment. Even though some people were very mean to him and even made threats, Packham keeps speaking up for animals.

Personal life

Chris Packham grew up in Hampshire and loved nature very much. School was hard for him because other kids often treated him unkindly. When he was a teenager, he took care of a bird called a kestrel, and its death made him very sad.

Later, Chris was diagnosed with a condition called Asperger syndrome. He has lived in different places, including the New Forest, where he enjoyed time with his pet dogs. Chris has a step-daughter named Megan McCubbin, who also works in nature shows with him. He has shared his home with a friend for many years, but they live in separate places.

Works

Chris Packham has written many books about nature and wildlife. Some of his popular books are The Flying Gourmet's Guide, Bird Brain of Britain, and Back Garden Nature Reserve. He has also written papers for nature magazines and made videos and documentaries about wildlife. One of his documentaries is called Aspergers And Me, and he has a YouTube series named 8 Out Of 10 Bats.