Who's who in Reforesting Scotland? - some names and faces!
Reforesting Scotland (RS) is its members, but work done and decisions made are often down to a much smaller group of people, the staff and directors, along with various volunteers and consultants.
The photo above shows some of the Reforesting Scotland directors and staff at the Weem retreat in March 2009. It's only a snapshot in time - the lineup has already changed since then, with new people coming in and others moving on.
Reforesting Scotland's directors
Alan Harrison
Alan was coopted onto the board of directors during the 2010 AGM.
Dan Gates
Dan has an academic background in zoology and rural resource management and a practical background in conservation projects. Dan worked as woodfuel information officer for Forestry Commission Scotland, helping to get the emerging woodfuel industry on to its feet, and developed commercial biomass projects in Scotland for a leading company. He now heads up the biomass activity at Natural Power Consultants.
Donald McPhillimy
Donald has been a member of RS since its beginnings and was the fourth ever RS director. He is a self-employed forestry consultant working in all those interesting areas where forestry now overlaps with communities, farming, ecology, footpaths and rural development. He runs training courses for the likes of BTCV on woodland management.
Donald is a Director of Action for Change, a trustee of Borders Forest Trust, a member of Greener Melrose Transition Town and a member of the Forestry Commission's South of Scotland Regional Forum. Until recently he was a member of the National Forest Land Scheme's Evaluation Panel. He contributes occasionally to the Forest Policy Group and occasionally gets some paid work done.
Laura Brickell
Laura was first introduced to RS in 1991 while studying plant science at Stirling University and, totally inspired by the vision of restored forest on the denuded hills and re-population of the empty glens, immediately became a member. After some years in research down south, she now lives in Alness on the Cromarty Firth, cultivating her veg garden and engaging with the issues of adaptation to climate change in the firm belief that small individual steps will contribute to the creation of a momentous wave that will bring about social change. She is also involved in the Transition Town network.
Les Bates
Les is a longstanding active member of Reforesting Scotland. He has been a director in years past, and was coopted back onto the board during the 2010 AGM.
Ninian Stuart
After an early career in community social work in Glasgow and in the mental health field, Ninian returned to his roots and responsibilities in a run-down rural estate in the 1990s. Since then he has been working with others to revive a landscape, build community and mind the future of this wooded place.
This has involved starting up and supporting a range of social enterprises and community initiatives. He is co-founder of Falkland Centre for Stewardship which runs the Big Tent Festival and currently leads a programme of learning activities and public engagement in Falkland's woods.
Ninian is a recent convert to hutting - and instigator of the RS campaigning vision of "A thousand huts".
Paul Ritchie
Paul joined Reforesting Scotland in response to an advert for the role of treasurer. He qualified as an accountant whilst working for British Steel. Since then he has worked in finance roles for several charities, most recently the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Piers Voysey
Piers has been a member of RS since 1998 and a director since 2003. He is inspired by the RS vision, not just of more trees in Scotland (and Scotland does still need more woodlands and native woodlands especially) but also of the engagement of lots of people in that reforesting process, not just forestry professionals.
He is the Forester on Rothiemurchus Estate, and also finds time to be on the management group for the Anagach Woods, a director for the Community Woodland Association and a member of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society.