Legacy Awards

The Jackson Wild Legacy Awards recognize visionary filmmakers, conservationists, scientists and innovators. Past Legacy Award recipients include Jane Goodall, Sir David Attenborough, E.O. Wilson, Alan Rabinowitz and Sylvia Earle.

2022 Legacy Awards in Media and Conservation

Legacy Award in Media - Brian Leith

Sponsored by Terra Mater Studios

Having grown up in Switzerland, Canada, Kenya and Belgium, Brian ended up in London studying for a Phd in evolutionary science; the genetics of snails, Cepaea nemoralis – Grove Snail. But he soon took a job as a BBC Radio Producer, quitting the Phd in 1978. As quid pro quo for not writing up his snail thesis he wrote The Descent of Darwin, published in 1982.

In the early 80s, at the BBC Natural History Unit, working as a presenter on the live environmental series “Nature”, reporting on issues from badger baiting to the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest (almost getting the BBC sued by McDonalds). Brian produced many environmental and wildlife films for the BBC, as well as writing pieces for The New Internationalist, Nature and BBC Wildlife magazine, often provoking controversy and debate…

In 1990, Brian left the BBC to become an independent producer, working on Channel 4’s series Fragile Earth. At Scorer Associates he produced several acclaimed projects for the BBC, including Congo, The Cultured Ape and Deep Jungle for ITV, winning many awards amongst others the Grand Teton Award, Wildscreen’s Special Jury Award, Outstanding Achievement award, Best of Festivals and a Grierson Award for Charles Darwin and The Tree of Life, with Sir David Attenborough.

Back at the BBC’s Natural History Unit in 2007, Brian was executive producer on landmark series including Wild China, Nature’s Great Events and Human Planet. Since, Brian’s own production company has produced numerous series and films including: Lobo the Wolf that Changed America, Elsa the Lioness who Changed the World, Wild Canada, Hidden Kingdoms of China and the feature film for Disneynature, Born In China.

The dynamic and inseparable relationship between humans, nature, and our ever-changing and degrading environment has always been at the core of Brian’s thinking. This culminated in 2020 with his passion project, The Age of Nature, for PBS and BBC Studios. Brian Leith Productions have recently completed a film with legendary director Werner Herzog, The Fire Within Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft with their partners Bonne Pioche and Titan Films.

Legacy Award in Conservation - Dr. Paula Kahumbu

Sponsored by Conservation International

Photo by Andrew Kahumbu

Dr. Paula Kahumbu is the CEO of WildlifeDirect. She has a PhD from Princeton University and is an ecologist committed to transforming conservation results in Africa and the world through science, advocacy and education.

She is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife conservationists and sits on the boards of WWF International and National Geographic. She is the brainchild of the Hands Off Our Elephants campaign with Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta, the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya. The campaign is widely recognized for its singular successes in advocacy and the engagement of the people of Kenya to support the protection of elephants.

Dr. Kahumbu is the producer and presenter of Africa’s first wildlife documentary series made by Africans called Wildlife Warriors which seeks to transform the conservation literacy in Africa by shining a light on the continent's front line conservationists. The award winning series is broadcast on free to air channels and in schools across Kenya through the Wildlife Warriors Kids program which takes children on scientific wilderness expeditions.

Dr. Kahumbu holds the title Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) and is the Rolex NatGeo Explorer of the Year 2021, winner of the Whitley Gold Award 2021, and is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer.