Sir David Attenborough at 100: Star's most powerful quotes that prove why he's a national treasure

When it comes to national treasure status, it's pretty safe to say that Sir David Attenborough tops the charts.

The British broadcaster, natural historian and writer was born on 8 May 1926, and after more than 70 years working in television, the conservationist has cultivated an impressive career that has touched and inspired countless lives – both human and animal alike.

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After developing an interest in the natural world from an early age, David joined the BBC in 1952 and has since become the face of a plethora of landmark shows and documentaries, including Life on Earth (1979), The Blue Planet (2001), Planet Earth (2006) and Frozen Planet (2011).

He boasts not one but two knighthoods – the first from Queen Elizabeth II in 1985 and the second from the then-Prince Charles in 2022 – and has even had numerous species of plants and animals named after him, including wasps, wildflowers, butterflies, grasshoppers, dinosaurs and ghost shrimp.

Whether observing polar bears in the Arctic, rain frogs in the jungle or admiring the humble butterfly in his latest series, Secret Garden, David has never failed to marvel at the wonders of the natural world.

As the legendary documentary-maker celebrates his centenary, we've taken a look back at 15 inspiring quotes that are sure to leave a lasting impression.

15 of the best David Attenborough quotes

• "It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living."
• "I just wish the world was twice as big and half of it was still unexplored."
• "It is vital that there is a narrator figure whom people believe. That's why I never do commercials. If I started saying that margarine was the same as motherhood, people would think I was a liar."

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• "I don't run a car, have never run a car. I could say that this is because I have this extremely tender environmentalist conscience, but the fact is I hate driving."
• "You have to steer a course between not appalling people, but at the same time not misleading them."
•  "I don't think we are going to become extinct. We're very clever and extremely resourceful – and we will find ways of preserving ourselves, of that I'm sure. But whether our lives will be as rich as they are now is another question."

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• "Our planet may be home to 30 million different kinds of animals and plants. Each individual locked in its own life-long fight for survival. Everywhere you look, on land or in the ocean, there are extraordinary examples of the lengths living things go to to stay alive."
• "A hundred years ago, there were one-and-a-half billion people on Earth. Now, over six billion crowd our fragile planet. But even so, there are still places barely touched by humanity."
• "Every breath of air we take, every mouthful of food that we take, comes from the natural world. And if we damage the natural world, we damage ourselves."
• "We need to work with nature, not against it."

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• "The best motto to think about is not to waste things. Don't waste electricity; don't waste paper; don't waste food. Live the way you want to live but just don't waste. Look after the natural world and the animals in it and the plants in it too. This is their planet as well as ours. Don't waste them."
• "Nature is our biggest ally and greatest inspiration."
• "The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it."

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• "When I first saw the sea as a young boy, it was thought of as a vast wilderness to be tamed and mastered for the benefit of humanity. Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true."
• "If working apart we are a force powerful to destabilise our planet, surely working together we are powerful enough to save it… in my lifetime I've witnessed a terrible decline. In yours, you could and should witness a wonderful recovery."