From maggot farming to television presenting, biologist and BBC Springwatch presenter, Gillian Burke, has followed an unusual career path from humble beginnings in Kenya to joining one of the nation’s best-loved wildlife television shows.
She shares her love of the natural world through film and enjoys the challenge of showcasing the animals most people love to hate. Along with the BBC’s Watches strand, her film credits hint at her reputation for championing the outcasts of the animal kingdom – from Ultimate Guide to Spiders & Ants for Discovery Channel; to King Cobra! & Anaconda! for Animal Planet’s Snakemaster series; to the ground-breaking, and one of the highest grossing IMAX films to date, Bugs! 3D – literally as big as it gets for a film about insects.
Gillian may be passionate about the natural world, but is increasingly curious and drawn to human stories of behaviour change. As a science communicator and environmentalist, reporting on genuine conservation success stories, as evidence that things can change for the better, has become her hallmark and she defiantly remains a conservation optimist (on most days).
