Our Work

BDS Patron - Sir David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough OM CH FRS, Britain’s best-known natural history film-maker, became only the second BDS Patron (in 2008), following Dame Miriam Rothschild who sadly died in 2005.

His career as a naturalist and broadcaster has spanned five decades and there are few places on the planet he hasn’t visited. It was the Zoo Quest series of the mid-1950s to 60s that gave him his first opportunity to undertake expeditions to remote parts of the world, capturing intimate footage of rare species in their natural habitats. Sir David became Controller of BBC2 in 1965, then Director of Programmes for the BBC in 1969. He was responsible for bringing colour television to Britain, but in 1973 he decided to return to documentary-making and writing. He was soon standing knee-deep in bat droppings in a cave in Borneo; something he much preferred to administration work. Since that time he has brought many memorable series to our screens, including ‘Planet Earth’ documentaries.

BDS President - Mike Dilger

Mike is a well-known TV presenter as well as a qualified and skilled naturalist and writer. His enthusiasm for dragonflies and damselflies has seen him support BDS on many occasions in recent years and he has fulfilled the role of President since August 2016. Accepting the invitation, Mike said: “With new species recently reported to have begun breeding here, it’s an exciting time to be watching dragonflies and damselflies in Britain. These charismatic insects are not just utterly entrancing to observe and study in their own right, but their continued presence in many of our rivers, streams, pond and lakes also tells us a much bigger story about the health of our waterways up and down the country. I’m delighted to have been asked to become the new President of such a proactive charity, and look forward to ‘banging the Odonata drum’ at every available opportunity to ensure these wonderful creatures get the limelight they truly deserve.”