Podcast appearances and mentions of matthew oates

Matthew Oates is a naturalist, nature writer, and poet with a lifelong passion for butterflies. In the short sward of the Cotswolds, Matthew takes David Oakes on a journey through his fluttery past. They discuss the writers who have inspired him, from Tolkien to Wordsworth and W.H. Hudson, and share stories of other notable butterfly enthusiasts, such as Sir Winston Churchill. Matthew explains his belief that true conservation is a blend of science and love. They also delve into the realities of developing a love for nature in the boarding schools of the Swinging Sixties - a time when his generation transitioned "from Molesworth to Jimi Hendrix in just three years," leaving little room for butterflies or a life-defining obsession with the intoxicating Purple Emperor. Their conversation also addresses modern concerns for butterfly conservation, including pathogens and parasites, the risks of unsanctioned releases, and the importance of single-species ecologists - “insects shout loudest and first.” Ultimately, this is a discussion about the metamorphoses of both the past and the future. Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 12 is a bonus episode with Matthew Oates, we take the opportunity to have a catch-up about the forthcoming Purple Emperor season, weird weather and what our summer butterfly season might look like!This podcast wouldn't have been possible without the support of some very talented people so many thanks go to: Lia Brazier for the beautiful artwork, Mat Davidson for the wonderful music and the fantastic Ian Bunn for his patient editing skills. For more information about Matthew and his publications please take a look at his websiteFollow Matthew on Twitter @MatthewOates76

Helen is joined by butterfly expert and National Trust conservationist, Matthew Oates, on the trail of His Imperial Majesty - a butterfly with the morals of a Tolkien orc apparently! Purple Emperor Butterflies are little known and little talked about, but they've attracted a cult following for their allusiveness, rarity and iridescent beauty which they flaunt with vanity. Helen meets superfan and author, Matthew Oates, in Gloucestershire's Lower Woods on the hunt for the Purple Emperor Butterfly. A good news story for British wildlife. “The males have the morals of some of Tolkien's orcs! You wouldn't want your sister or daughter to go out with a bloke with the morals of a purple emperor butterfly!” Find out more about Matthew Oates on our website.

Episode 11 finds us on a bright spring day sitting by a stream with Matthew Oates. Matthew, a remarkable field naturalist and author, has spent his lockdown winter dreaming of springtime at Knepp and the first glimpse he might have of the exotic-looking orange-tip butterfly. We talk about this heart-lifting harbinger of spring, its life-cycle and foodplants, and why Matthew would pick the orange-tip over gramophone records as a desert island companion.This podcast wouldn't have been possible without the support of some very talented people so many thanks go to: Lia Brazier for the beautiful artwork, Mat Davidson for the wonderful music and the fantastic Ian Bunn for his patient editing skills. 

Beyond Spring – Wanderings Through Nature by Matthew Oates A love letter to Nature – This was written as armchair winter reading – when we have forgotten what spring is like – that it will even come again. The chapters are all short and rich in language, knowledge and love. Each chapter is headed ad footed with a poetic extract Brett Westwood – known to you on Radio 4 and Springwatch says of the book: Matthew Oates is an equally enthusiastic naturalist, poet and writer of prose, with an abounding affection for his subject which shines out in every sentence of this book. It’s an exuberant celebration of the British countryside at its joyous, rampant best, interweaving natural and literary landscapes as it explores spring in some of the finest spots for wildlife... A book to savour on winter evenings when the anticipation of spring tempts us all: whether he’s describing the song of a blackbird or the scent of a garlic snail, you know you’re in safe hands. Patrick Barkham - nature writer , and journalist on the Guardian says : Matthew Oates is a witty and imaginative companion: poetic, subtly subversive and as elusive and fast-moving as spring itself. Beautiful and Brilliant. It was one of only 5 Nature books shortlisted for the Countryfile magazine’s Country book of the Year, despite having been turned down by his normal publisher Bloomsbury; and his TV, Radio and National Trust credentials. https://fairacrepress.co.uk/shop/matthew-oates-paperback-beyond-spring-wanderings-through-nature/ £10.99 paperback; or £17.50 for limited edition hardback.

In episode 5 we meet the ebullient Matthew Oates to talk about the inebriated and hedonistic life of His Imperial Majesty, the purple emperor. We talk about the life cycle of this magnificent butterfly, what we’re learning about them at Knepp Wildland, and how to go about spotting one yourself. And most importantly we learn the origins of the not-so-ancient proverb “When tits are down, emperors are up!” Move over Confucius…If you liked hearing from Matthew on this podcast then you might be interested in reading some of his books, of note his most recent works In Pursuit of Butterflies and His Imperial MajestyThis podcast wouldn’t have been possible without the support of some very talented people so many thanks go to: Lia Brazier for the beautiful artwork, Mat Davidson for the wonderful music and the fantastic Ian Bunn for his patient editing skills.

We've just endured a really tough winter but records suggest that Spring is on average beginning much earlier. Lindsey Chapman investigates how shifting seasons are affecting our wildlife. Bumblebees in January, daffodils blooming early, 'thuggish-vegetation' thriving as a result of mild winters and damp summers: the seasons appear to be blurring and wildlife is becoming confused. The overall impact is 'quite staggering' according to Matthew Oates, butterfly expert from the National Trust. In this week's Costing The Earth, Lindsey Chapman meets Matthew as he takes stock of our shifting seasons. He explains how early spring can throw several species out of kilter, creating a mismatch between wildlife and their prey. And what happens when- like this year- we get an icy snap in the middle of a mild spell? Lindsey meets the scientists studying the mechanisms driving the UK's climate, phenologists who have been studying the link between seasons and species and the naturalists who are spotting new species turning up on our doorstep. Producer: Martin Poyntz-Roberts.

Libby Purves meets Graham Fellows and his alter ego John Shuttleworth; poet and naturalist Matthew Oates; artist and writer William McLellan and fight director Kate Waters. Graham Fellows is an actor and musician who is best known for creating the character John Shuttleworth. John is a fictional singer and songwriter from Sheffield whose back catalogue includes the track Pigeons in Flight. Graham is also the man behind Jilted John who had an eponymous hit in 1978. John Shuttleworth hosts A Knight At the Palladium in aid of multiple sclerosis charities. Guests include Chas and Dave and Sooty and Sweep. A Knight At the Palladium is at the London Palladium. Matthew Oates is a naturalist, writer and poet who has been obsessed by Britain's butterflies since childhood. He has studied many butterflies but no butterfly has entranced him so much as the elusive purple emperor. In his book, In Pursuit of Butterflies, Matthew recaps on a lifetime of butterfly observation with the help of the detailed diaries he has kept since 1971. In Pursuit of Butterflies - A Fifty-Year Affair is published by Bloomsbury Publishing. William McLellan is an artist, writer and musician. His memoir How I got into Art School (and out of prison) tells the story of his imprisonment in the notorious Modelo jail in Barcelona in 1972. During his incarceration he contemplated the activities that led him to prison and his difficult childhood. It is only when he began to sketch in prison that he confronted his troubled past. How I Got Into Art School (and out of prison) is published by Old Street Publishing. Kate Waters - also known as Kombat Kate - is a fight director. She directed the fight choreography for Peter Pan at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and previously worked on the Old Vic's revival of Michael Frayn's farce Noises Off and the National Theatre's One Man, Two Guvnors. She is also a regular fight director for Coronation Street. Peter Pan is at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London. Producer: Paula McGinley.

Ep 3 of 3. In the third and last programme in the series, ecologist Matthew Oates, like Thomas, ends his journey in Somerset.

Ep 2 of 3. In the second programme in the series, ecologist Matthew Oates celebrates the centenary of naturalist and poet Edward Thomas’s iconic cycle ride from South London to Somerset over Easter 1913.

Ep 1 of 3. Edward Thomas (1878-1917) was arguably the most accomplished and profound writer of English rural prose, with a unique poetic-prose style. Over Easter 1913, Thomas set off on a cycle ride of personal self-discovery across Southern England. This journey was published in 1914 in his book "In Pursuit of Spring" and it remains a poignant reminder of one of our greatest countryside writers, who just a few years later would die on the battlefields of World War One. Throughout the series of three programmes, naturalist Matthew Oates pursues his own personal homage to Thomas by following in the literacy cycle tracks of the Edwardian writer one hundred years before. Academic and travel writer Robert MacFarlane, an admirer of Thomas himself, will read passages from Thomas's work which illustrate the man within. Presented by Matthew Oates. Produced by Andrew Dawes.

In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: 4/5 - Slugs and Snails After enduring a wet slug-filled summer Matthew Oates meets Mary Seddon, a biologist specialising in slugs and snails to find out why she finds the study of molluscs so compelling. Produced by Brett Westwood

In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: Ep 3/5 - Rare Orchids Most natural historians look for species, but today Matthew Oates meets botanists enthusing over some spectacular hybrid orchids with very rare parents. Produced by Brett Westwood

In Pursuit of the Ridiculous: Ep 2/5 - Twitching To outsiders, twitching can seem the most pointless of natural history activities. Matthew Oates meets Rob Lambert from the University of Nottingham to find out why he twitches. Produced by Brett Westwood.

In Pursuit of the Ridiculous - Ep 1/5: Water Beetle In the first of five programmes about naturalists and their pursuits, Matthew Oates goes hunting with Andy Foster, man obsessed for thirty years by a rare water-beetle. Produced by Brett Westwood.