Suzuki, David << suh ZOO kee >> (1936-…), is a Canadian scientist, broadcaster, and environmental activist. From 1979 to 2023, he hosted the television documentary series “The Nature of Things” for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The series has aired in more than 80 countries. Suzuki has also written more than 50 books, including many for children. He has won many awards and honors for his work. In 1976, Suzuki was appointed an Officer, and in 2006, a Companion, of the Order of Canada. Appointment to the order is one of Canada’s highest civilian honors.
David Takayoshi Suzuki was born on March 24, 1936, in Vancouver, British Columbia. As a young man, he studied in the United States. Suzuki graduated from Amherst College in Massachusetts in 1958. He received a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961. From 1961 to 1962, Suzuki held a research associateship in the biology division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Suzuki returned to Canada in 1962. From 1962 to 1963, he was an assistant professor in genetics at the University of Alberta. From 1963 to 2001, Suzuki was a faculty member of the University of British Columbia.
Suzuki began working in television in 1962. That year, he appeared in eight programs in the University of Alberta series “Your University Speaks.” From 1971 to 1972, he wrote and hosted the CBC Television series “Suzuki on Science.” From 1974 to 1979, he hosted “Science Magazine,” another CBC TV series. Suzuki hosted the popular science program “Quirks & Quarks” on CBC Radio from 1975 to 1979. He has also developed and hosted some radio and television specials. In 1990, Suzuki cofounded the David Suzuki Foundation, an environmental organization.
Suzuki’s notable books include the genetics textbook An Introduction to Genetic Analysis (1976, with Anthony J. F. Griffiths); Genethics: The Ethics of Engineering Life (1988, with Peter Knudston); It’s a Matter of Survival (1990, with Anita Gordon); Wisdom of the Elders: Honoring Sacred Native Visions of Nature (1992, with Knudston); The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature (1997, with Amanda McConnell); and Tree: A Life Story (2004, with Wayne Grady). Suzuki also wrote the memoirs Metamorphosis (1987) and David Suzuki: The Autobiography (2006).
