Expert brings the world of wildlife alive for Plymouth College pupils

Published: 12 November, 2010

Adventurer and TV presenter, Steve Backshall, gave Plymouth College pupils a fascinating insight into the weird and wonderful world of wildlife in his talk to Years 7 to 10.

Famed for CBBC programmes Live and Deadly, Deadly 60 and The Really Wild Show, Steve has just returned from an expedition to Bhutan where he was filming for the BBC's Lost Land of the Tiger, a series that also includes Lost Land of the Jaguar and Lost Land of the Volcano. 

During his presentation he showed clips from some of his challenging expeditions to places such as Alaska and Borneo and talked about getting 'up close and personal' with whales, crocodiles and snakes.  He also dispelled a few myths about which animals are the biggest threat to humans and why many have become endangered species.

Year 7 pupil, Toby Farley, 11, thought Steve was really inspirational.  "He told us to follow our dreams and learn as much as possible about the animals we fear most.  It was great to see him in real life - he was taller than he looks on the TV!" 

Another Year 7 pupil, Tia Simms-Lymn, 11, said: "I watch Deadly 60 and it was very exciting to see Steve Backshall in person.  I loved the clip he showed of him in a canoe surrounded by whales coming right out of the water."

Hamish Rose, also 11 and in Year 7, is a big fan and watches all of Steve's programmes.  "I've seen 'Deadly 60', 'Live and Deadly' and 'Lost Land of the Tiger' and think Steve Backshall is fantastic.  I was really excited that he came to school and enjoyed every moment of his talk."

The school's younger children also got to meet Steve when he visited Plymouth College Preparatory School the following morning.