Chris Packham
“Nature was there for us when we needed it most. It has helped us to heal – and now, it’s our turn. It’s our planet, our future, and it’s up to us to protect it.”
Who Am I?
Chris Packham is an environmentalist, TV presenter, author and photographer. He has presented many wildlife and nature programmes, including The Really Wild Show and Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch. Natural history was always his main interest growing up; he found school and other children difficult and experienced social exclusion and bullying. In his mid-40s, he was diagnosed with autism which helped him make sense of his experiences. In 2017, he made a TV programme called Asperger’s and Me, where he talked openly about his autism diagnosis and experiences.
What Am I Known For?
Chris is known for his many years of TV work encouraging people to take action on the environment. In 2014, he was voted ‘Conservation Hero of the Year’ by Birdwatch magazine. He has campaigned actively for many different species, including birds, butterflies and other creatures. He has written multiple books on nature and guides to birdwatching and understanding the nature on our doorsteps.
His book Back to Nature: How to Love Life – and Save It is full of facts and encouragement about ways to save the environment.
Chris is also an ambassador for the National Autistic Society and, with them, created a documentary called Inside our Autistic Minds.
How About You?
Chris Packham recommends that we all try to plant wildflowers at school or at home, in window boxes.
For primary teachers, we would recommend going to Earth Cubs for multiple free resources.
Emma, an Earth Cubs Young Climate Activist, has written a fantastic Conservation Changemakers’ Toolkit – take a look for inspiration.
Other Amazing People (you can find them on the website)
Rachel Carson was one of the first people to warn about environmental damage and you can read her story on our site.
Other Useful Resources (available on the website)
If you would like to learn more about Amazing Young Climate Activists or Amazing Autistic People, you can find these resources in our Diverse Voices collection. Subscribers can find these helpful resources by logging in and going to the Search page. If you are not a subscriber, you can access these resources, and many more, by starting a free trial.
Photo: Andy Mabbett, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons