What books or films inspired staff members to care about nature?

Emma Chaplin
, 06 February 2025
What books or films inspired staff members to care about nature?
Otter © Derek Middleton

Emma Chaplin

Communications Officer

Nature may be red in tooth and claw, but the destructive/careless actions of humans upon wildlife are far worse. Speaking personally, ever since a childhood growing up near Watership Down and realising what happened to several of the Rabbits (through listening to Art Garfunkel singing Bright Eyes), I've always been a bit wary of wildlife books and films, because the endings can be so devastatingly sad. 

I did love Tales of the Riverbank though - GP the Guinea Pig and Hammy the Hamster. Not your normal native river creatures, honestly. I also enjoyed Johnny Morris: Animal Magic.

I asked my colleagues which books, films or TV series that they watched or read as children that inspired them to care about nature.

Bee Orchid © Alex Worsley

Alex Worsley

Senior Ecologist

The Really Wild Show during the Terry Nutkins, Michaela Strachan and Chris Packham (with bleach blonde curtains) era. A really engaging show for kids.

And obviously, the Life... series with Sir David Attenborough, especially Private Life of Plants. First thing that got me interested in plant life!

Alice Oakley, Volunteer Coordinator RHNR

& Sarah Ward, Marine Conservation Officer

Various people and both of these women said 'It’s got to be The Animals of Farthing Wood!'

Alice

I remember watching the cartoon on TV and collecting the magazines each week with stickers and wildlife activities. As an adult I bought a job lot of the magazines on eBay for nostalgia/to show my kids. I also remember it being quite traumatising as well as informative as there was always a Stoat/Badger/Rabbit/Squirrel/Hedgehog in some form or other of mild peril.

Sarah

I don’t remember feeling compelled into activism at the time, but it must have had some kind of impact as here I am working in conservation and standing up for wildlife for a living (even though I now do marine rather than woodlands!).

Abi Weeden

Head of Wilder Learning

The film Fern Gully hit me hard as a child. Not least because Tim Curry played Hexxus, whose ultimate goal was to destroy nature for his pleasure. He fed off pollution and guided the chainsaw-wielding group through the Rainforest to destroy it and kill the inhabitants that lived there.

It taught me the destructive activities of humans and the impact that we have on the natural world. It made me see nature as living, magical and to be protected.

Words from it that stuck with me and may well have influenced my gardening:

‘Since the beginning of time, we have been the guardians and the healers of the forest. We have too long forgotten the magic powers of nature. The time has come to call on them again. Remember: all the magic of creation exists within a single tiny seed.’

Wonderful Earth by Nick Butterworth was a pop-up interactive book about how we need to take care of the Earth. One of the pages had a happy, healthy world full of trees and healthy rivers and you’d turn a tab to see all those things disappear thanks to humans and how sad the world became. The next page had a message of hope and that ‘there is something that could turn the Earth happy again’ you’d turn the page and there was a mirror and the message was that YOU had the power to make a difference.

Truly, the combination of that book and Fern Gully are almost entirely responsible for my route into conservation, and prior to joining the Trust; teaching my classes about global citizenship, leading eco and gardening clubs, school council eco committees and being an advocate for outdoor learning in all my teaching practice.

Fox © Oliver Wilks

Ella Garrud

Wilder Communities Officer

I remember going to my grandparent’s house and watching David Attenborough’s Life in the Freezer series on VHS, taped from the TV, every time we visited! Then of course the original Blue Planet series in 2001. I even got the accompanying book – I’m pretty sure this is where my obsession with the ocean solidified!

Weasel © Darin Smith

Zoe Boulton

Wilder Learning Officer

The Brambly Hedge book series was my inspiration. I loved the little characters and the antics they got up to, but especially the illustrations. They are so intricate and beautiful, clearly not an accurate depiction, but their creative use of all things natural and their immediate environment had me reading them time and time again. Still have them at home on the bookshelf.

Rabbit kit © Paul Lindley

Dav Bridger

Ranger

I grew up loving Watership Down (book, film and TV show). Though perhaps it's more nature-adjacent than being solely a wildlife series. Other books like Redwall and The Wind in the Willows are up there, too.

What probably radicalised me most towards a passion for nature was my Year Six English teacher showing us Princess Mononoke one day. Such a great film that so eloquently explores how delicate maintaining balance is, and how insatiable and destructive greed and industrialisation can be.

As for TV shows, Steve Backshall's Deadly 60 was a childhood staple and I love that man! His books are great, too.

Badgers © Darin Smith

Katie Parker

Wilder Learning Officer

The Wind in the Willows of course! I am now reading it again with my little one and although the language is slightly old style, the words evoke such a sense of place in the countryside and in nature.

Chryssa Brown

Species Recovery Officer

The Really Wild Show. It managed to capture that ‘essence’ of loving nature and wanting to protect it too. The emotional connection that I have realised is such a big part of connecting people with nature and nature with people – what conservation is all about.

Nikki Oliver

Project Support Officer – Susses Kelp Recovery Project

Books which got me into wildlife include: The Butterfly Ball, Where the Wild Things Are, and all the Secret Seven and Famous Fives.

TV programme - All Creatures Great and Small.

Heather Salisbury

Membership Officer

I remember being taken, age five, to see Ring of Bright Water, at the cinema. A totally beautiful film set in Scotland about an Otter, until the end. I was absolutely traumatised how cruel people could be but it made me care so much about nature and wildlife and feel really protective of those and all that we share a planet with.

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Comments

  • Martin Stirling:

    Thank you for this moving reminder of so many of the wonderful books, films and TV series that I’ve read and watched since my childhood… it’s been an emotional journey back over the decades for me. 🙏❤️

    03 Mar 2025 17:19:00

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