David Oakes Ecologist

Ecologist and conservation advocate

Rowan David Oakes FLS

David holds an MSc in Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology from the University of Exeter and is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London. He is Vice President of The Wildlife Trusts, carries out ARIA-funded research on climate resilience, and hosts the award-winning natural history podcast Trees A Crowd.

Roles and research Speaking enquiries
David leaning on a Painted Dog Conservation vehicle, watching a pack of painted dogs at a waterhole in Hwange National Park
Pack monitoring with Painted Dog Conservation, Zimbabwe

Roles

A few highlights from David's work with each organisation. A selection, not a complete record.

  1. 2026–The Wildlife TrustsVice PresidentAmbassador from 2020. Highlights include representing the Trusts at the IUCN World Conservation Congress and at IPBES.
  2. 2025–Manta TrustPatronWork has included voicing the Manta Story app and joining the Trust's delegation at CITES CoP20.
  3. 2024–Badger TrustTrusteeSupporting the Trust's work to protect badgers, their setts and their habitats across England and Wales.
  4. 2023–David Shepherd Wildlife FoundationConservation AmbassadorIncluding fieldwork and podcast episodes with DSWF partners in Zimbabwe, Namibia and India.
  5. 2019–Woodland TrustAmbassadorIncluding a full series of Trees A Crowd on Britain's native trees, and the Sycamore Gap legacy film.

Research and advocacy

David on Isla San Cristóbal in the Galápagos, recording data on a clipboard beside an open bird guide
Recording field data on Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos

Research

  • NowARIA-funded researchClimate resilience across a range of species, within the Engineering Ecosystem Resilience opportunity space at ARIA, the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency.
  • MScEvolutionary and Behavioural EcologyUniversity of Exeter. Thesis produced in collaboration with Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe, now in peer review.
  • FLSFellow of the Linnean Society of LondonThe natural history society where Darwin and Wallace first presented the theory of evolution by natural selection.
  • SkillsData analysis and mappingHighly competent in R for statistical analysis and QGIS for spatial analysis and mapping.

Speaking and events

  1. 2026Wild Summit, BristolPanel speaker, Wildlife and Countryside Link: “Is lack of access to nature a social and environmental crisis?”
  2. 2026Somerset Local Nature Recovery StrategyKeynote speaker
  3. 2026Elephants in the Room: From South Africa to SamarkandPodcast guest, AMD Podcasts: elephants and CITES CoP20
  4. 2026The Station, Charles Darwin FoundationPodcast guest: conservation and curiosity in the Galápagos
  5. 2026IPBES, ManchesterRepresenting The Wildlife Trusts
  6. 2025CITES CoP20, SamarkandWith the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and the Manta Trust
  7. 2025IUCN World Conservation Congress, Abu DhabiRepresenting The Wildlife Trusts
David with colleagues outside the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Abu Dhabi, 2025
With colleagues at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Abu Dhabi, 2025

The podcast

Trees A Crowd

Conversations with deep roots.

From the Galápagos to the English hedgerow, David talks with scientists, conservationists and artists.

Start listening Apple Podcasts
  • “Floods you with facts which you fear you’ll never remember, but actually do.”
    The Spectator
  • “Great, geekily informative entertainment.”
    The Irish Times
  • “A treat for your ears.”
    The Guardian
  • Highly Commended, Independent Podcast Awards 2025
  • Podcast of the Week in The Times and The Guardian
  • Archived in the British Library Sound Archive

Writing and features

Contact

For conservation work, speaking and the podcast, email admin@treesacrowd.fm.

For acting enquiries, contact Nicholas Gall at Conway van Gelder Grant.

Elsewhere