Never in my wildest imagination did I think I’d have the chance to be involved in an Attenborough film. Growing up, Sir David Attenborough’s films captivated me and inspired me; the sense of wonder they brought has never left me.
Beyond his films, Sir David’s passion and dedication to the natural world, his respect for science, and his commitment to speaking up for what’s important, are things I respect so much. I remember the first time I saw him speak at an event in Brisbane. I was moved by his remarkable stories, his wit and humility.
In early 2020, in the heat of Black Summer, I had the incredible fortune of sharing my work on black-cockatoos for an upcoming Attenborough film that was to address issues like climate change and the biodiversity crisis.
Black Summer (Australia’s bushfire catastrophe of 2019/2020) was the most difficult thing I’ve had to face. I am yet to articulate what it all meant to me, and how it changed my view of the world. I spoke about some of it in an article for The Conversation.
In February 2020, about a month after the fires, I returned to my research sites on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The first day in the field - in particular, returning to one nesting area where I collected extensive data for my PhD research - was incredibly confronting. Seeing a place I knew so well in its post-fire state - burnt and dry and exposed and silent - flooded me with grief and anger, as well as an unexpected level of motivation.
That day, and all my rawness and grief, are now part of David Attenborough’s new film, Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet. The film is out on Netflix now.
Life is wild, strange and precious. How my obscure research landed a spot in this film, I still don’t understand. But I am so grateful.
Breaking Boundaries is an important film; it doesn’t hold back on the reality we face. It shows us how close we are to the edge of the boundaries that keep the planet stable, and what we need to urgently do to save the beautiful home we call Earth.