BBC Wild Isles
Between 2019 and 2023, Nick was one of the core team on the Sir David Attenborough presented Wild Isles on BBC1. As a Producer/Director, Nick was responsible for the Grasslands episode, as well as directing sequences in every other episode on the series.
In partnership with RSPB, WWF and The Open University, this series showcased the nature of Britain and Ireland as never seen before.
Hungry for Change
Nick directed and produced this award-winning film as part of the #SaveOurWildIsles campaign that ran with WWF, RSPB and The National Trust after Wild Isles.
It highlights the critical importance and urgent need for a New Green Revolution in our agricultural system to create a carbon-negative and nature-positive future, offering key solutions that will allow this to happen.
“When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all.”
— Edward O. Wilson
ABOUT ME
Bio
Nick Gates is an award-winning producer/director and writer, public speaker and naturalist based in the Mendips, Somerset, England.
I have a passion for regenerative farming, creating wilder landscapes and communicating the solutions for a carbon-negative, nature-positive future, and love to find and share new stories that inspire people to care for the natural world.
When I'm not taking photos, you'll find me with my chickens, butterflies and bees.
Expertise
My background is Natural Sciences at Cambridge and I am obsessed with animal behaviour. From macro to megafauna - I enjoy watching, learning and documenting why animals do what they do, how they interact with their environment, and how we can live better alongside dynamic and nature-rich environments.
At a local level, I have been turning my garden into an urban wildlife reserve to prove that small spaces can be great places to inspire people about nature.
Work with Me
Have an upcoming project that you want to collaborate on? I'd love to hear from you!
Whether it's a film project, public speaking or just to share ideas, get in touch with me using my contact form.
Please be aware that I frequently travel to remote locations so may not always reply immediately.
As an ambassador for the Whitley Fund for Nature NextGen team, Nick comperes events in support of global conservationists. This photo was at a mezcal tasting with Professor Rodrigo Medellin 'The Batman of Mexico', where Rodrigo explained the importance of nature for the future of the agave farms that support tequila and mezcal production.
As part of the Whitley Fund for Nature's 'People for Planet' summit, Executive Producer Alastair Fothergill and Producer/Director Nick Gates presented a behind-the-scenes look at Wild Isles before joining conservationists Paula Kahumbu and Çağan Şekercioğlu to discuss the importance of storytelling in conservation.
I love finding interesting characters to photograph. See more in my photos.
Every time I'm in the field I look for new ways to showcase wildlife. See more in my wildlife gallery.
SMALLHOLDER
Since getting my first pair of white silkies at age six I have been obsessed with chickens, particularly bantams. I now have a mixed flock of six with new chicks hatching each year.
They are an essential part of my urban smallholding and provide a great slug removal service. They're also highly skilled at eating all my veg just before it's ready to pick..!
A WILD GARDEN
For the past ten years I've been working on a project turning my garden into a mini nature reserve. Using a combination of reintroducing and reconnecting (particularly lost flowers and fruiting trees), refugia generation (ponds, compost heaps, grass piles, slates, nest boxes) and a hefty dose of untidiness, I've managed to massively improve the biodiversity.
Highlights include a population of over 50 slow worms, a very successful breeding newt population, and yearly increases in bee diversity. 2018 was a bumper summer with at least four new species of butterfly including purple hairstreak and marbled white.
ROCK CLIMBER
I'm a keen climber and boulderer - fortunately we're spoilt in Bristol with some great routes in the gorge and indoors.
BEEKEEPER
A few years ago I got into beekeeping. I run a couple of top bar hives - a style of beekeeping that is designed for low interference rather than productivity. Essentially, the bees are allowed to live as they would in a wild colony for most of the time. I built my hives using recycled wood and sealed them with linseed oil, fire and mud!
PRESENTER AND COMMUNICATOR
I love sharing my passion for the natural world with others. Whether through conversation, writing, or public speaking, I want people to be in awe of just how many incredible things happen every day on our planet!
