BY: Cory Donde
We have all had a science teacher at one time or another, but unquestionably one of the most passionate biology teachers to grace the world was Steve Irwin. Steve Irwin taught an entire generation about wildlife and the importance of preserving the beautiful creatures that we share Earth with.
Today marks the 13th anniversary of Irwin’s death, and it’s difficult not to feel melancholy at the loss of such a legend, but it is also a disservice to not remember him for what he has done for the world. His legacy stems from The Crocodile Hunter which he and his wife Terri began on their honeymoon and aired first in Australia in 1996 and made its way into America the following year. The show lasted for eight years and spawned several spin-offs and taught us the magnificence of animals and that they should be feared but also respected. He was also featured in several shows to demonstrate his passion from The Wiggles and the animated film Happy Feet to a comedic cameo in an ESPN commercial where he tackles the Florida Gators mascot as it comes out of an elevator.
He spurred a love for nature in his audience and passed on his career to his children, Bindi and Robert, who continue to nurture their father’s path of conservation and teaching newer generations about the world around them and the importance to keep it alive. Bindi, only 8-years-old at the time of her father’s death, has continued to fight for conservation and has hosted children-oriented animal shows and has worked alongside her brother and mother at the Australia Zoo, which the family owns. The family now has a show which airs on Animal Planet named Crikey! It’s the Irwins which is a reality TV series that chronicles their life caring for the animals at the zoo as well as their home lives. The show currently only has one season but has been confirmed by Robert to have a second season on the way.
Personally, it was difficult not to watch in fascination as he would pick up a highly venomous snake, spider, or other perilous creature with next to no fear and gaze at the animal with love the same way any romantic would look at an intricate piece of art. While he wanted us to love and respect these creatures, he also did us a service by putting himself in danger to handle these creatures so closely to show their unpredictable nature as demonstration that he should be the only exception to the rule that they should be left alone in their ecosystems as to not disturb their ways of life. With so many environmental disasters at hand, the burning Amazon rain forest being the most prevalent right now, I hope that those of us who grew up watching Irwin can take up his mantle and do what we can to prevent further tragedies and fight to save our Earthly neighbors in a way which would make him proud of the conservationists we can be.