Wild Ideas

Alex and Ollie dive into the environmentalist messages of the animated Studio Ghibli classic, Princess Mononoke (1997), an influential work for many millennial conservationists. They discuss what the movie has to say about human-wildlife conflicts, the role of indigenous knowledge in conservation, and the struggle of marginalised groups in a world of strict nature preservation, and how these messages might be even more relevant now, two decades after the movie's release. They also chat about whether Princess Mononoke and Ashitaka are better off as colleagues than soulmates, and give their best Billy Bob Thorton impression. (This episode contains one use of strong language).

Hosted by Alex Shuttleworth and Oliver Blow.

In our first topic deep dive episode, Alex tells Ollie about the history of seal conservation in the UK, explaining how seals went from being heavily-hunted and poorly-understood to becoming an almost universally-beloved part of British nature. It's a story of poison, protests, and the power of cuteness in nature conservation (for better or for worse!) Along the way they also work out who has the worst last name, and come to terms with their slightly traumatic last encounter with a wild seal. (Quick disclaimer: this episode contains references to animal poisoning, animal mating, and seal hunting).

Hosted by Alex Shuttleworth and Oliver Blow

In our very first episode of the podcast (recorded in the depths of a national Coronavirus lockdown), Ollie and Alex introduce the premise of the show by unpacking the controversy surrounding a seemingly harmless tweet about sheep in the Lake District. Along the way they chat about how they met, the realities of trying to study nature in the midst of a global pandemic, and where they plan to take the show from here…

Hosted by Alex Shuttleworth and Oliver Blow