In a career spanning over 50 years, Sir David Attenborough has become the respected face and voice of natural history programming. Since joining the BBC as a trainee in 1952, Sir David has written, produced and presented several landmark BBC series, including Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), The Private Life of Plants (1995), Life of Birds (1998), Life of Mammals (2002), Life in the Undergrowth (2005) and Life in Cold Blood (2008).
In the course of his career, Sir David has received 29 honorary degrees from British universities. In 2005, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Association of British Science Writers for outstanding services to science journalism, in recognition of his 'distinguished broadcasting career and outstanding contribution to the clear, effective and enthusiastic communication of science'.