NATURAL WORLD FACTS
WELCOME TO
NATURAL WORLD FACTS
ABOUT NWF
I'm Leo Richards, and Natural World Facts is my life's work and passion project; it's a vessel for my wildlife film-making, science communication, writing, and beyond, and I'm keen for it to be as collaborative as possible!
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Please get in touch if you would like to work with me on any nature-related film or project. Click below to learn more about my work, skillset, and to contact me.
Wildlife Films
I create wildlife documentaries and short films on YouTube, including a mix of solo projects and collaborations with passionate individuals, wildlife media groups, and world-leading exploration organisations.
Midwater deep-sea organisms
Footage by Schmidt Ocean Institute, from our collaborative film Robots in the Deep.
Featured Video
CHEMOSYNTHETIC OASES
A feature-length movie exploring the peculiar life that thrives at sites of chemosynthesis in the deep sea, from the towering chimneys of hydrothermal vents to the surreal landscapes of cold seeps, and the sites of partial chemosynthesis that form at whale-falls and sunken wood.
The deep ocean is a place of wonder, and challenges for life. With minimal resources, no sunlight, and only a slow trickle of nutrients making its way down here as 'marine snow', life must find unique ways to exist in the depths. Food is scarce, and with very little energy, survival in the depths is a challenge for any creature. There are some locations in the deep that life has clung to for millions of years, and where food and energy is ever abundant.
2. Night on the Reef
Episode 2 turns everything on its head to explore the peculiar alien-like world of suspension feeders that emerge after dark to feed on the vertically migrating plankton.
4. A Troubled Paradise
Featuring interviews with cameraman Edi, who has spent 30 years diving in the region, we will discuss the anthropogenic impacts affecting the Coral Triangle.
1. The Coral Triangle
Episode 1 will serve as an overview of the reef ecosystem, and its incredible colourful inhabitants.
3. The Sandy Bottom
We will explore the seemingly desolate sandy ecosystem that exists adjacent to the reef, hosting unique assemblages of life.
2. The Midnight Zone
Below a depth of 1,000 metres, the light of the sun is altogether absent, and a host of dramatic animals take to the stage.
4. Seamounts and Canyons
Breaking up the uniformity of the abyssal plain, the seamounts and canyons provide solid ground where colourful corals and gardens of sponge create complex reefs.
1. The Twilight Zone
Just below 100 metres, the ocean midwater becomes a world of gloom, where dazzling bioluminescent drifters and fish of bright silver shimmer in the twilight expanse.
3. The Abyssal Plain
Beneath the crushing pressure of kilometres of water lies a great sea of silt and clay, where curious mud-dwellers abound.
5. Hydrothermal Vents
Where tectonic plates move apart, towering cities can be found in the depths; vents of superheated water, hosting incredible life.
FILM COLLECTIONS:
British wildlife reel, New Forest
Footage by Leo Richards, filmed for the Nature Boy Journal series.
The Deep Sea Hub
Welcome to the Deep Sea. Start up your submarine and decide on a destination.
Nature Boy Journal.
Welcome...
I’ve taken to journeying out solo into the wild places of Britain local to me, and realising that some of the most wonderful moments in life can come from simply seeking out the nature in your immediate surroundings.
I’ve lived in cities all my life. First London, and now Southampton to study. I think that’s why I’ve always felt so drawn to the natural world - for me, it’s an escape. A breath of sweeter winds, distant from the cacophonous bitter air that lingers in the city streets. I wake up, pack my little green backpack with only the essentials. A camera, water, and chocolate (of course). And then I set out on the train and watch the monotone urban veil give way to sprawling forests and verdant fields. High-rise towers, replaced by quaint towns and dry-stone walls and little rivers.
It’s the draw of the wilds that made me forsake that dour moniker ‘City Boy’. Damn my roots, damn London, damn the cities! I want to be Nature Boy. After countless adventures in woodlands and nature reserves, I've decided to bring you all along with me via this online journal in the hopes I can inspire you to head out into the natural world and fall in love with it as I did.
Let's chat!
If you're a fan or potential collaborator, I would love to hear from you! I'm open to discussing anything, and will endeavour to reply to all messages. But here are my particular interests.
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Science Communication Projects
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Wildlife Film Production
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Deep-sea Content and Exploration
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Presenting and Narration