Matthew Oates is a naturalist, writer and poet who has been obsessed by Britain's butterflies since he was at school. Intimately acquainted with all Britain's native species, he has made a particular study of the Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Mountain Ringlet and the Duke of Burgundy. But no butterfly has entranced him so much as the elusive, beautiful Purple Emperor - a butterfly we now understand much better thanks to his detailed and tireless observation. Since 1992 Matthew has worked for the National Trust, where he is currently National Specialist for Nature. Matthew has written widely for newspapers and magazines, and is a regular writer for the Nature Notes column in The Times. He lives in Gloucestershire.
