It can be hard to say “thank you.” Shyness, stubbornness and the fear of opening ourselves up to another can strangle those two words to silence in our mouths.

Gratitude is especially hard to convey when you’re trying to thank a famous broadcaster for starting you on your scientific journey. At the core of most of these species we’ve featured, these “Attenboroughs,” is a humble message of thanks, given in the best way a researcher knows how.

Attenborough’s hawkweed, Hieracium attenboro