Today – May 8th – Sir David Attenborough celebrates his one hundredth birthday. While he was thinking it would be quiet affair, England is having none of that and a big celebration of his life’s work will be held at The Royal Albert Hall tonight. Sir David recorded a brief audio message saying how touched he is by the loving appreciation that is being shown to him around the world.

In these weeks I am recording ‘Harvesting History While Farming the Flats’ to be released as an audio book later this year.

And May is also the birthday month for KWMR.org radio. And as I turn the pages of Harvesting I find this on page 197…

In 1995 Walter is happily in Rome. He is part of a multi-national production team and has an editing crew of English and Italians whom he loves dearly, and a project, The English Patient, that will prove challenging. We are not sure how long we will be apart. He will be engrossed in the work with his team and I am caught with the excitement of birthing a new community radio station. And while still a part of the KPFA-FM Drama and Literature Department, I am also gleaning programs for our new small, tiny-at-the-moment station-that-could. Next up in the studio is Sir David Attenborough with his new book, ‘The Private Life of Plants’. I’m more than on home ground and the book is a breeze for me. Sir David is a good old pro.

‘The Private Life of Plants’ appears almost a knockoff for him, a quick fill-in between bigger projects with which to keep him busy. Sir David is still cresting his prime, always on the go, happily absorbed in his passion. I know the type. I think he finds me a bit of a relief as he travels around North America answering the same questions with unflinching enthusiasm. We meet in the lobby of KPFA and neither of us needs much prep time. After introducing myself, congratulating him on another fine piece of work I add, “I’m going to work you rather hard.” And explain about our tiny new radio station now beginning in West Marin. “Think of it like BBC Wales.” “Oh, not Wales my dear. Please not Wales.” And we laugh our way into the recording studio.

It is an easy conversation and, as always, his enthusiasm for his life’s work overflows into his charm, which allows his knowledge to fall gently from him to his audience. After reading the book, even as we talk, I learn more: blackberry vines, Rubus rosaceae, can grow an inch a day; fireweed, Chamaenerion angustifolium is so called as it is the first plant to emerge from the forest floor after a fire; a bright and soothing balm for the regrowth of a forest. How little did we know that day how that tiny piece of knowledge would bring hope and comfort to the residents of Inverness, West Marin and beyond. The conversation was a delight and remains a joyous memory for me, even as I accept that for Sir David I was just one more appointment done and dusted.

Happy Birthday Sir David and Happy Birthday KWMR.org.

This has been A Letter From. A Broad Written and read for you by Muriel Murch with WSM by my side and as always supported by Beatrice from MurchStudio