Iolo Williams has received his honorary fellowship from USW 

Conservationist and broadcaster Iolo Williams received an honorary fellowship from the University of South Wales today.

The TV presenter, who is best known as a popular member of the Springwatch and Winterwatch teams, was presented with the award during the University’s graduation ceremonies at the Treforest Campus.

Originally from Mid Wales, Iolo graduated with a degree in Ecology at North East London Polytechnic almost 35 years ago. After graduating he worked for the RSPB for 15 years as Species Officer for Wales, working with some of the country’s rarest breeding birds.

His work caught the attention of the BBC, which followed him in his RSPB role for Visions of Snowdonia and Birdman. Iolo left the Society in the late 1990s to work full-time in the media and his programmes, in both English and Welsh, concentrate on the wildlife of Wales and the world.

Iolo has written several books on Welsh wildlife in both English and Welsh, and is a regular contributor to several magazines, including BBC Wildlife.

“I’m very excited and very honoured to be getting my honorary fellowship from the University of South Wales,” Iolo said.

“I’ve spoken at the University a few times, and I’m very, very impressed with the standard of teaching, and the standard of students here.

“I have a close contact with university going back a long way. My elder brother Rhodri came here in the late 70s to do a degree in computer science, which was a new thing then, and that really was a springboard for him to go on to work for Rolls-Royce.

“He went on to work in Sweden, and in 1984 he went to work in Los Angeles, and has been there ever since, so it worked very, very well for him.”    

He added: “Congratulations to all the students who are graduating today. My advice to them is: Be inspired by what you do, and use your position to inspire others. I still marvel at the wonders of the natural world all around me, every single day.”