Leo Richards

Background

About Leo Richards

My fondness for nature began when I was around 2 years old, when I spent my time digging around in our little London back garden (much to my mum's dismay), gathering what I found into little jars and matchboxes. As I grew older, I became obsessed with Attenborough's films. They opened my eyes to the wonders of the natural world beyond my garden wall! The great migrations of whales crossing entire oceans, the conflicts of penguins and leopard seals in the frozen seas of Antarctica, and the wonders of vibrant coral reefs. That's when I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to see and protect these breathtaking creatures, and I wanted to talk about them on the telly just like the man who'd inspired me! I set up the YouTube channel Natural World Facts in 2012 with my brother when I was 9 years old. Almost a decade later, the project is still going, with frequent videos posted on a variety of zoological topics over on my youtube channel, with a particular focus on deep-sea environments. In all, my films have been viewed more than 54 million times, and attracted more than subscribers. In late 2021 I began studying Marine Biology at the University of Southampton, making use of the National Oceanography Centre for its facilities and to make a number of connections with real-world deep-sea scientists, major exploration organisations, and science-communicators who have helped me on my mission to document the wonders of the natural world. It's my dream to someday work on wildlife documentaries for television or streaming services.