A highly anticipated natural history series, presented by Sir David Attenborough, begins tomorrow (Sunday) evening, taking viewers on a journey through some of Britain and Ireland’s most beautiful landscapes, including many in Wales. 

The Open University (OU) and BBC co-production Wild Isles will begin on BBC One and iPlayer at 7pm tomorrow, Sunday, March 12, informed by the expertise of OU academics Dr Philip Wheeler and Dr Miranda Dyson.

Among some of the species featured are pufflings (baby puffins) filmed off the Pembrokeshire coast, as part of a segment showing greedy gulls trying to steal a hard-won catch from a puffin colony. 

Wild Isles presenter and OU Honorary Graduate, Sir David Attenborough, said about the series

“In my long life, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to almost every part of the globe and gaze upon some of its most beautiful and dramatic sights. But I can assure you that nature in these islands, if you know where to look, can be just as dramatic and spectacular as anything I’ve seen elsewhere. The British Isles are globally important for nature. In this series we’ll show you why that is so and celebrate the wonders of these islands that we call home.” 

Series producer Alastair Fothergill added:

“I was very fortunate to travel round the country directing the pieces to camera with Sir David Attenborough. We filmed it in a variety of different locations, but the highlights for me were two visits to the island of Skomer, off west Wales. I first worked with David back in 1987 and it felt a great privilege to be in the field with him again.”

To celebrate the series, The Open University is inviting people to share their favourite British and Irish nature spots or species on social media, using the hashtag #ShareYourWildIsles. The University has also produced a poster, that is available for free, that explores our wild isles and their diverse species and habitats. Order your copy by calling 0300 303 0265 or go to https://connect.open.ac.uk/wildisles