Children to narrate David Attenborough’s Planet Earth III

Our natural world is facing greater challenges and one voice alone isn’t great enough to speak up on behalf of Planet Earth, the BBC says.

This is why schoolchildren are to join Sir David Attenborough to narrate a special episode of Planet Earth III.

The acclaimed BBC documentary and BBC Children in Need have joined forces to premiere a special episode, uniquely narrated by schoolchildren to mark Earth Day on Monday, April 22.

Sir David Attenborough has narrated nature documentaries for more than 70 years (Image: BBC)

The children taking part are aged between nine and 13 and viewers will hear them read from Sir David Attenborough’s original scripts.

The 49 student narrators and budding naturalists were chosen from schools selected by BBC Children in Need as some of the most engaged fundraisers for the charity across the UK in recent years.

An estimated 100,000 students nationwide will watch a virtual assembly hosted by wildlife biologist, explorer and presenter Lizzie Daly.

The virtual assembly will act as a platform for a thought-provoking Q&A with the producers of Planet Earth III.

Planet Earth III will see schoolchildren narrate a special episode for Earth Day (Image: BBC)

Resource packs can be downloaded from the BBC Children in Need website now.

Wildlife Biologist, Explorer and Presenter, Lizzie Daly, said: “I’m thrilled to be presenting the Become a Voice for Nature live schools assembly on Earth Day!

“I want to encourage schools across the UK to download a Become a Voice for Nature resource pack from the BBC Children in Need website and join us to hear more from the producers of Planet Earth III and learn more about the planet, how it impacts our lives and what we can do to protect it. I can’t wait, see you all there.”

Recommended reading:

• How to watch Sir David Attenborough's new BBC series Mammals
• Children need more chances to observe nature, says Sir David Attenborough
• First look at David Attenborough's new documentary Secret World Of Sound

During the episode, viewers will be encouraged to visit the Our Planet Now page to learn more about becoming a voice for nature.

Claire Hoyle, Director of Income, Marketing and Communications at BBC Children in Need said: “The Become a Voice for Nature campaign is about encouraging pupils from schools nationwide to come together on Earth Day to learn more about protecting our planet and how we impact it.

“We really wanted to be able to show our appreciation to schools who fundraise for BBC Children in Need each year, so we’re delighted to be delivering this Live Assembly and we are so thrilled to see pupils voicing this special episode! A huge thank you to all of the pupils and schools for their continued support and fundraising efforts for BBC Children in Need.”

As Earth Day is celebrated, viewers can join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #BecomeAVoiceForNature.

How to watch special Planet Earth III episode

If you'd like to see the new Planet Earth III Narrated By Kids episode, here's how you can.

The episode will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer on Monday, April 22 and will air on BBC One on Monday, May 6.