Rudolf Hendrik Kleinpaste (born 23 April 1952), generally known as Ruud Kleinpaste, is a Dutch-New Zealand naturalist and host of the

Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily d ...

series '' Buggin' with Ruud''. Born in Djakarta, Indonesia, Kleinpaste was educated in The Netherlands, and then studied plant sciences at

Wageningen University Wageningen University & Research (also known as Wageningen UR; abbreviation: WUR) is a public university in Wageningen, Netherlands, specializing in life sciences with a focus on agriculture, technical and engineering subjects. It is a globally ...

, eventually earning a degree in

silviculture Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition/structure, and quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests and wo ...

. At the age of 20, he became interested in

entomology Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

. After emigrating to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

in 1978, he worked in various environmental jobs before settling down to 14 years in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF). In 1987 he started a talkback radio show (''Ruud's Awakening'') in which he offers

environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that cl ...

horticultural tips to gardeners. He married New Zealander Julia May in 1985; they have one daughter and two sons and live in Auckland. The success of this show led to some fame in New Zealand, where he is known as "the Bugman", notably on ''

Maggie's Garden Show Margaret Mary Barry (born 5 October 1959), generally known as Maggie Barry, is a New Zealand politician and former member of the House of Representatives, first elected in the 2011 general election. She is a member of the National Party, an ...

'' from 1992 till the end of the program in December 2003. He retired from MAF in the middle 1990s for a career as an ecological consultant. This line of work has led to television work inside and outside New Zealand, which has brought further fame for him and his environmental causes. These include promoting environmentally friendly agricultural techniques, the protection of endangered native NZ birds, and, most famously, the understanding and appreciation of insects, spiders, and other terrestrial arthropods. In the

2018 New Year Honours The 2018 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...

, Kleinpaste was appointed an honorary

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rend ...

for services to entomology, conservation and entertainment.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kleinpaste, Ruud 1952 births Living people New Zealand naturalists Dutch naturalists New Zealand television presenters New Zealand entomologists Dutch entomologists Wageningen University and Research alumni Honorary Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit Dutch emigrants to New Zealand

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