Prince William Spotlights ‘One of the Most Dangerous Jobs on the Planet’ in New Series

• Prince William is presenting a new six-part short video series called Guardians

• The Prince of Wales is highlighting the work of wildlife rangers in perilous situations around the world

• PEOPLE joined the prince for a panel discussion as he says it is “one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet”

A panel discussion following a screening of some of an upcoming docuseries in a chic hotel in Soho, London, is not the usual place for a prince to be seated. But for Prince William, this is a special moment — and one he feels incredibly passionate about.

For he is presenting a new docu-series that premieres on the BBC Earth’s YouTube channel on May 23, and, in a departure for the royal, William, 42, is following the showbusiness playbook. Six-part series Guardians, which highlights the perilous and crucial work of rangers working to keep wildlife safe across the world, is the culmination of 18 months of work for the prince and his team.

Sitting in an open-necked shirt, blazer and khakis, William was a natural communicator as he discussed a subject he has become well-versed in. It was his idea to make the films, focusing on six different places around the world and telling six different compelling stories, to raise awareness of what the wildlife protectors do and the dangers they face.

Self-deprecatingly, he apologized for “gate-crashing” the briefing and it being “anti-climactic” to have him there. The royal told host Michaela Strachan, who’s worked in British wildlife shows for decades, that it was his wish for the programs “to educate, showcase, highlight, spotlight the brilliant men and women who are on the forefront and frontline of conservation around the world.”

“This is one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet,” William said. “Many people think being a soldier, being a policeman…these jobs are dangerous and people put their lives on the line. I don’t think people realize it’s the same for these guys and girls around the world.”

“Rangers are particularly unknown and unseen; they are the unsung heroes of the natural world,” he added.

In the first episode, out on May 23, the focus is on the Congo rainforest and the protected area of Dzangha-Sangha, where a reformed poacher Modiki Claver now fights for the wildlife he once hunted. William says in his introduction, “I have been fortunate enough to travel to Africa many times over the years, and the continent has always held a special place in my heart.”

With relatively short running times of between six and 10 minutes, the concise films are being shown on YouTube, with a view that they reach new and international communities, who possibly don’t always have environmental concerns at the top of their priorities.

Talking to British wildlife TV presenter Strachan, William added that while he has spoken about the environment and wildlife a lot, “this one is particularly special to me because I’ve got lots of friends and people I’ve met over the years on my trips and going abroad who are living this life on a daily basis and, from when I was much younger, are still doing the job that I saw them do.”

“The feedback I’m getting from them now and have been for quite some time is just how much more dangerous the job has become.”

Other episodes — one will drop each Friday — include one that focuses on the people working to nurture co-existence between the snow leopards and local communities high up in the Himalayas of India. Another explores Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, which was once called “the world’s aquarium,” and the story of a reformed illegal fisherman now striving to protect this threatened ecosystem. Then there is the community-led fight to preserve the heritage and protect ancestral lands in the Caru Indigenous land in Brazil from environmental destruction.

Prince William told the panel discussion that TV icon David Attenborough was a “big inspiration” to him growing up, in presenting areas that most people don’t get to visit and hopes his series can have a similar effect. But in those wildlife shows, you don’t see those “protecting the camera crew, who’s protecting everyone, who knows the trails the animals walk on, will point everyone in the right direction to get the footage they need to do the series,” William said. “Without them, there is nothing to go and see.”

Sitting alongside William was Rohit Singh, the vice president of the International Ranger Federation, who has advised the prince on the series. Singh says, “Watching these episodes is incredibly moving. I have spent most of my career in the bush. It’s really good to see these stories are being told in the most honest way possible. What I really liked about this series is that it talks about the diversity of rangers.”

He had some stark facts about the hurdles ahead if they are to get the globally-agreed wish of the planet preserving 30% of the biodiversity on land and sea by 2030, with so few wildlife protectors in place. There is only one ranger to area the size of 11,000 football fields, Singh said. “It’s impossible to do the job,” Singh said. There is a need for 1.5 million across the world, and yet, he says, there are more hairdressers in the U.K. than there are rangers in the world’s protected areas.

William added of these wildlife heroes he champions: “I like to see the ranger as the glue between the human world we live in and the natural world. And finding the balance between the two is crucial.”

“If you put people over here and animals over here, nothing works. They have to be symbiotic in the middle and these rangers are the ones who bring it all together. Any progress has to come from the ranger community being valued, respected, seen.”

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Experienced TV host Strachan said William was giving a voice to the voiceless. “Having your stamp on this, having your voice and your face presenting this is huge,” she says. “It is going to have a big impact.”

For the prince, he said he had much to learn about presenting — and would be asking Strachan for tips.

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