On a quiet summer night in 2025, Sir David Attenborough—arguably the world’s most beloved naturalist and television presenter—lay on his side in a London garden, quietly observing a hedgehog as it sniffed around. That simple moment, filled with the gentle enthusiasm and wisdom that have defined his 70-year career, captures the essence of Attenborough’s enduring relationship with nature and his home city. As he approaches his 100th birthday in 2026, Attenborough’s passion for wildlife, both near and far, remains undiminished—and it’s inspiring people across the globe.
In 2026, the BBC will broadcast a new documentary, Wild London, just months before Attenborough’s centenary. The film is a heartfelt ode to the city he has always called home. According to Gaby Bastira, executive producer at Passion Planet, "he could live anywhere in the world... but he always comes home to London." The documentary, co-produced by the London Wildlife Trust, explores the unexpected richness of urban wildlife in the British capital, a city of nearly nine million people. As David Mooney, director of the London Wildlife Trust, notes, "wild animals come into contact with us all the time." This isn’t just about pigeons on train lines or the occasional fox in a backyard—London is teeming with life, from colonies of snakes by the canal to fallow deer calves hiding in city parks.
But the film is more than a celebration of urban biodiversity; it’s also a call to notice and protect the nature that surrounds us, even in the busiest of places. In one touching scene, Attenborough gently holds a baby peregrine falcon in the British Parliament building as it’s fitted with an identification ring. As the bird looks up at him, Attenborough softly reassures it, "Now we can find you anywhere—yes, yes, exactly you." In another, he releases a pygmy mouse into a Greenford meadow, encouraging the hesitant creature: "Welcome to your new home—here you go." The mouse lingers in his hands, reluctant to leave the safety of his clasped palms, a moment that director Joe Loncrane describes as filled with "a certain warmth, and his enthusiasm for what was happening was infectious."
One project highlighted in Wild London particularly excites Attenborough: the beaver conservation initiative in Ealing, west London. Reflecting on the transformation, he remarks, "When I first moved here, if someone had told me that I would one day be watching wild beavers in London, I would have thought they were crazy. But, here they are, right behind me." For Attenborough, this is proof that urban spaces can be reclaimed for wildlife, ensuring "a brighter future for both animals and ourselves" in what he calls "the greenest major city in the world." Mooney echoes this sentiment, explaining that Attenborough’s message is simple but profound: "If they notice her, they will start to like her, and if they do, they will want to protect her. And if they protect it, we will be on the path to nature's recovery."
Yet Attenborough’s impact doesn’t stop at the city limits. In October 2025, he made a public appeal on behalf of The Wildlife Trusts and the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, urging support for a landmark campaign: raising £30 million to purchase the 15-square-mile (38.8-square-kilometer) Rothbury Estate in northern England. The land, owned by Lord Max Percy, the youngest son of the Duke of Northumberland, is the largest area to be put on sale in England in decades. The charities plan to boost wildlife, restore bogs, and promote nature-friendly farming on the estate.
Attenborough’s endorsement struck a chord well beyond Britain’s borders. By December 31, 2025, the campaign had already raised £10 million, with donations pouring in from around the world. Many supporters had never even set foot in Northumberland, yet felt compelled to contribute. Paradox Mercer, an 18-year-old from Indiana, USA, explained her motivation to BBC News: "I grew up watching him and I just decided to donate." She was so moved by Attenborough’s message that she delivered a "mini-speech" to her classmates, urging them, "If you have like five bucks to spare you should put your money towards [it] because, at the end of the day, conservation in one part of the world will help everyone."
Catherine Street, originally from the UK but now living in Newfoundland, Canada, read about Attenborough’s plea online and decided to donate despite never having visited the site. "The more I read, the more I thought I should donate," she said. For her, protecting the outdoors is a universal good: "Those of us who like being outside are happy to be outside wherever we are and if this makes the outside world available to more people... then that's the best thing."
Others, like Andrew St. Helier Bourke from New Zealand, have a more personal connection. A regular visitor to Northumberland, Bourke has spent time in Alnwick, Seahouses, and Bamburgh with friends. Now 78, he plans to return for his 80th birthday, hoping the land will belong to the charities by then. "I'm coming over to England again for my 80th birthday in 18 months' time to spend it with my friends and we hope to come up to that area again," he shared with the BBC.
Even those living closer to the Rothbury Estate, like Adrian O'Callaghan from Oxfordshire, have never visited, but feel a strong sense of responsibility. "[The land] sounds outstanding and it's ignored by most of us… so for me giving money would create a compunction to go and visit," O'Callaghan said. He believes this is "a rare opportunity to make a difference to the future ecological wealth of our country."
Attenborough’s influence is evident not just in the money raised, but in the way people around the world are thinking about conservation. His message, as delivered in Wild London and echoed in his advocacy for the Rothbury Estate, is that nature is not something distant or exotic. It’s right outside our doors, woven into the fabric of our cities and countryside alike. And if we take the time to notice it, cherish it, and protect it, we can help ensure a healthier, more vibrant world for generations to come.
As Attenborough approaches his 100th year, his voice—gentle yet urgent—continues to inspire both local and global action for the natural world. Whether it’s a hedgehog in a London garden or a vast stretch of moorland in Northumberland, his enduring message is clear: the future of nature depends on all of us paying attention, caring, and stepping up to protect what remains.
