Conversation so far:
Where was David Attenborough born?
Attenborough was born in Isleworth, Middlesex (now part of west London), but grew up in College House on the campus of the University College, Leicester.
What did his father do for a living?
where his father, Frederick, was principal.
Did David have siblings?
He is the middle of three sons (his elder brother, Richard, became an actor and director and his younger brother, John, was an executive at Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo).
Did his parents foster children?
his parents also fostered two Jewish refugee girls from Europe.
What did David like to do as a child?
Attenborough spent his childhood collecting fossils, stones and other natural specimens.
Did he get involved in anything specific as a child?
He also spent a considerable amount of his time in the grounds of the university, and, aged 11, he heard that the zoology department needed a large supply of newts.
What made him get more interested in dinosaurs?
He received encouragement in this pursuit at age seven, when a young Jacquetta Hawkes admired his "museum".

Question: What influenced him as a child?
Self-contained rewrite: What influenced David Attenborough as a child?