Speakers

About Chris Packham

Extraordinarily creative and prolific, Chris Packham has led a remarkable life. He’s gained recognition as a naturalist, television presenter, writer, photographer, conservationist, campaigner and filmmaker.

Broadcasting
Chris presents the BBC’s BAFTA award-winning long running series Springwatch and Winterwatch for which he is perhaps best known. He recently presented the multi award-winning series Inside our Autistic Minds for BBC Two and Channel 4’s Time to Break the Law.

He has also presented notable natural history series such as Earth, Nature’s Weirdest Events, World’s Weirdest Events, World’s Sneakiest Animals, Cats v Dogs, The Burrowers, Inside the Animal Mind, Operation Iceberg and Secrets of our Living Planet. 

Books
Chris’s autobiography, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar: A Memoir, received critical acclaim, reaching No 1 in The Sunday Times Bestsellers in just two weeks and was featured as a Radio 4 Book of the Week. He has also written Amazing Animal Journeys, telling the story of the annual migration of animals around the world, from butterflies to whales.

His first photography book, 100 Things That Caught My Eye, was published in 2014 – an eclectic collection of his photographs accompanied by his thoughts and insights as he captured each shot.

Campaigning
A leading campaigner, Chris has always been active and vocal about wildlife and conservation issues and injustice. He is a vociferous opponent of the badger cull and a leading campaigner in the call to ban driven grouse shooting. In September 2019 Chris organised the UK’s first march for wildlife – The People’s Walk for Wildlife, London.

Chris is an ambassador for numerous wildlife and environmental NGOs and organises his own independent campaigns and actions. He campaigns for just transitions towards positive environmental necessities – from fossil fuels to renewable energies, from industrial and intensive animal agriculture to plant-based alternatives, from chemical dependent to regenerative farming, and from declining biodiversity to nature recovery. He is a passionate and vocal vegan.

Awards
Chris has received numerous awards including the Dilys Breese British Trust for Ornithology Medal for “his outstanding work in promoting science to new audiences”, Conservation Hero of the Year at the Birders’ Choice Awards organised by Birdwatch magazine and was named Britain’s second most influential conservation heroes in The Wildlife Power List featured in BBC Wildlife magazine. He is also a recipient of The Christopher Parsons Award for Outstanding Achievement in recognition of his significant contribution to wildlife filmmaking, conservation and the public’s understanding of the environment.

He has been made an honorary Doctor of Science by the University of Southampton, his alma mater.

Chris was appointed a CBE in the 2019 New Year’s honours list for services to wildlife and nature conservation.