Chris Packham is a naturalist, scientist, TV presenter, photographer, educator and campaigner about animal welfare and the environment. He is a gifted presenter of BBC's Award-winning Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch, which have gripped nature enthusiasts since 2005.

In this podcast episode, Chris talks to Simon King (Haith's) about the birds visiting his garden bird feeders and shares his concern for the species not visiting his garden for bird food. Chris talks about the importance of keeping bird feeders clean and feeding good bird food.

Chris generously opens up about his autism diagnosis and his childhood - he tells how he was always at his happiest on his own, scurrying about in the woods and fields, looking for things to fill his jam jar. Chris admits to being 'different' and that he's been 'isolated but not lonely.'

Chris explains why he can't stop campaigning - he's in a prime position to make a "potential positive difference" and his best educational efforts are directed at looking after the natural world and mental health issues. We're (Haith's) grateful to Chris for exploring with us the link between autism and nature. Don't expect Chris to get sidetracked any time soon - his arguments and campaigns are rooted in sound science and there is no mid-ground as it's either right or wrong in Chris's eyes.

Simon King (Haith's director) interviews Chris and says: "If you think Chris Packham is just another TV presenter, think again. He's an educator and if you take time to listen to him, he'll attempt to show and tell how he sees the world. Don't try to compete with him - Chris isn't trying to impress you with his natural history knowledge - he's just sharing what he knows. If you ask him a question and he knows the answer (which he probably does) he'll tell you. Listen to Chris talk about his autism diagnosis and the black-and-white nature of what it takes to live with autism. I hope you'll come to the same conclusion as me that life is better for having someone like Chris Packham around to educate about the natural world and mental health. Chris has inspired Haith's to hand over commercial space to nature in our relocation project. Thank you, Chris."

Topics:

• Features unusual exotic animal poo quiz
• What isn't on Chris Packham's bird feeders?
• The importance of cleaning bird feeders and feeding good bird food
• How Chris Packham cleans his feeders
• A bird feeder is a permanently fruiting tree
• Chris's deep connection with the natural world
• When Chris's interest changed from holding animals captive to studying them in the wild
• Naturalist to scientist - learning about zoology.
• A two-part BBC Two series (coming Feb 2023) will see Chris Packham investigate how the autistic mind works
• Swift boxes in a commercial setting

Show links:

• Chris's autobiography: Fingers in the Sparkle Jar: A Memoir
• Chris's website: https://www.chrispackham.co.uk/
• The Walk That Made Me - https://youtu.be/1sNFLXCYXuk
• Buy Chris Packham's Full of @!&% 2023 calendar here: https://www.chrispackham.co.uk/chris-packhams-shit-calendar-2023