My research focusses on trees, forests, and people; exploring the ways in which they interact and influence one another. I walk, talk, write, think, talk, think again, write some more; and then lay my brain babies bare to the onslaught of scrutiny and scepticism. Essentially, I aim to learn as much as I can about our wonderful arboreal friends and communicate these findings – musings in a compelling manner, which incidentally is scientifically robust. Maybe.
This has taken me from interpretations of modern woodland spirituality, legal personalities of trees, the socio-economic legacy of urban forestry in the marginalised areas, community forestry in Central America, cultural drivers of estate management and woodland expansion in the Scottish Highlands, ecosystem approaches… As well as brief forays into woodfuel capacity, status of elm species and responses to DED, and integrated catchment management.
Publications and written resources
- Could trees develop personality under common law (2006). Masters Thesis. University of Nottingham, pages 1 – 43.
- Street Tree Assessment and Stewardship report, Radford, Virginia (2010) Virginia Tech, Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation. Pages 1 – 25.
- Elm in the Highlands: current status and potential management responses to Dutch elm disease (2016). Report for Highland Forestry Forum and Forestry Commission Scotland (Scottish Forestry), pages 1 – 98.
- Walking the land: Examining an ecosystem approach through the lens of woodland expansion (2016). Doctoral Thesis, University of Aberdeen/University of the Highlands and Islands, pages 1 – 353.
- Perception and partnership: Developing forest resilience on private estates (2019). Journal of Forest Policy and Economics (99) pages 110 – 122.
- Loch Arkaig Pine Forest: socio-economic baseline report (2019). Woodland Trust, pages 1 -74.
- Les aménageurs de demain. Initier les étudiants à l’interdisciplinarité grâce au paysage. In Enjeux didactiques, demarches et outils – sur les bancs paysage (2019), pages 169 – 189. Geneva, Switzerland. MetisPresses. English translation: Land managers of the future: Engaging student perception and practice through an interdisciplinary landscape. In On the benches of the landscape – Didactic issues, approaches and tools.
- State of the art development needs of forestry service contractors in the Northern Periphery and Arctic region (2019). Project report detailing status and cross-over in Sweden, Finland, Scotland and Ireland, pages 1 – 50.
- The elms are dead! Long Live the elms (2019). University of the Highlands and Islands Blog.
- What is Climate-Smart Forestry? A definition from a multinational collaborative process focused on mountain regions of Europe (2020). Journal of Ecosystem Services (43).
- Facing our FOBIA: forestry contracting’s uncertain future (2020). Journal of Forestry and Arb.
- Nature and nurture: why being outdoors is helping us through lockdown (2020). University of the Highlands and Islands Blog – contributor.
Video resources
- COST Greening Engineering ICT camp VIDEO – Prize winner for seedling to shelf tracking innovation (2012)
- Map of case study areas in the Highlands VIDEO (PhD – song: The Drover by Bill Callahan) (2015)
- Integrated Land Use Conference UHI VIDEO – Lead coordinator (2018)
- Forest Business Advancement and Innovation (FOBIA) NPA project VIDEO (2018)