Chris Packham
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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (June 2009) |
| Chris Packham | |
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 Chris Packham in July 2007 |
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| Born | 4 May 1961 Southampton,[1] England |
| Occupation | Nature photographer, television presenter, author |
Christopher Gary Packham (born 4 May 1961, Southampton, Hampshire) is an English naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author.
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[edit] Education
Packham was educated at Bitterne Park Secondary School,[citation needed] and the University of Southampton School of Biological Sciences. He studied at the Zoology department of Southampton University.
He also frequented Southampton's Taunton's College from 1977 to 1979, where he studied Art, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics.[2]
[edit] Life and career
He is President of the Bat Conservation Trust[3] and vice-president of The Wildlife Trusts[4] and The Brent Lodge Bird & Wildlife Trust.[5]
[edit] Television
He is known for his television appearances, notably in the BAFTA-winning BBC1 children's programme The Really Wild Show[1] and nature photography series Wild Shots on Channel 4, as well as the BBC One series The X Creatures[1] and BBC Two's Hands on Nature and Nature's Calendar. He was until recently the lead presenter on the BBC South region's version of the BBC local television series Inside Out,[1] and also works on BBC South East Inside Out with Kaddy Lee-Preston.
In June 2009, he became a presenter on the BBC Two show Springwatch.[6] where he made a game of inserting the titles of songs by The Smiths into the script for each episode[7][8].
He formed the production company 'Head Over Heels' with producer Stuart Woodman, making wildlife programmes for Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC.
[edit] Controversy
Packham courted controversy in September 2009 when, during an interview with the UK TV guide Radio Times he suggested that the Giant Panda was too expensive to save, and that it should be left to become extinct so that funds could be redistributed to protecting other, less expensive animals and habitats.[9]
Packham commented that "It's time to give up on the cute and cuddly (giant panda) because we just can't afford it and we need to think of a much bigger picture," Packham argued the money should be invested in the conservation of environments with a diverse range of flora and fauna, such as rainforests. "Giant pandas cost too much to protect and should be allowed to become extinct." He made a similar comment in 2008: "I'd eat the last panda if I could have the money we've spent on panda conservation back on the table for me to do more sensible things with". [9][10]
Packham later added "I really upturned the apple cart with what I said and I'm sorry I upset people. But I am glad it has raised a debate and that was always my intention. I don't hate pandas, I love cuddly animals. I love all animals."[11]
In December 2009, Packham criticised reality TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! for mistreating animals accusing them of plugging up spiders' fangs, needlessly killing insects and tying crocodiles' mouths' shut. [12]
[edit] Trivia
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (September 2008) |
Chris has two black poodles, 'Itchy' & 'Scratchy', which he takes with him when out walking in the New Forest. They are named after the cat and mouse duo Itchy and Scratchy from The Simpsons.
Chris is a supporter and season ticket holder for Southampton F.C.[1]
November 2008 saw Chris turning on the Christmas lights in Coalville, Leicestershire.
Chris opened the new penguin pool at Paulton's Park in Hampshire.[1]
During 2009 and 2010 Chris is undertaking an tour of theatres and groups to present various photographic talks - Never Mind the Buzzards and 100 Things that have caught my eye.
[edit] Bibliography
(incomplete)
- Chris Packham's Back Garden Nature Reserve New Holland Publishers (2001) (Foreword by David Bellamy) ISBN 1-85974-520-2
- Back Garden Nature Reserve (2003) ISBN 1-85605-846-8
- Chris Packham's Wild Side of Town: Getting to Know the Wildlife in Our Towns and Cities New Holland Publishers, (2003) ISBN 1-84330-355-8
- Chris Packham's Wild Shots, Collins and Brown Publishers, (1993) ISBN 1-85585-200-4
[edit] Video
- Go Wild at Windsor Terry Nutkins and Chris Packham 1988.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f "BBC Inside Out - South: Presenter profile". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/south/presenter/. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ http://www.tauntons.ac.uk/contentThreeColumn.aspx?contentid=163
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/springwatch/2009/03/springwatch_2009_new_presenter.html
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/springwatch/2009/03/springwatch_2009_new_presenter.html
- ^ http://www.brentlodge.org/?link=2&item=88
- ^ Tim Scoones (2009-03-18). "Springwatch 2009 - new presenter team announced". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/springwatch/2009/03/springwatch_2009_new_presenter.html. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
- ^ "Well I Warbler! Packham reveals Smiths song-title lark in Springwatch". The Guardian. 2009-06-03. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2009/jun/03/springwatch-chris-packham-kate-humble. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ "Montage of Smiths references". 13 June 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT9hGAlt89o. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ^ a b "Autumnwatch's Chris Packham: 'Let pandas die'", September 22nd, 2009
- ^ "Abandon the Panda. TV expert: Let them Die", Daily Mirror, September 22nd 2009
- ^ TV Packham says sorry for 'ditch pandas' blast
- ^ [1]
[edit] External links
- ChrisPackham.co.uk Official Website
- Chris Packham at the Internet Movie Database
- BBC South presenter profile
- Presenter of Seven Man-made Wonders of the South
- Filming 'Nature's Calendar' at Woolston Eyes - West Midland Bird Club article about filming event with Packham.
- Chris Packham Original Message Board
