Tuesday 15 July 2008

As well as helping to launch WWF in 1961, at the same time Lord Buxton was also responsible for Survival, ITV's groundbreaking natural history documentary series which frequently attracted audiences of 10 million.

"When Survival first appeared, nobody had ever heard of conservation," he recalled. "If you mentioned the word in those days, people would wonder what on earth you were talking about. But all that has now completely changed – and WWF's role in raising public awareness has been vital."

Today, Lord Buxton still farms some 500 acres of prime Norfolk land and maintains a keen interest in the environment. One of his particular concerns is climate change – "It's a huge issue and we can't afford to duck the hard choices or we'll be overwhelmed within a hundred years," he warned.