Who we are

The people behind the Alliance

The Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest is a voluntary partnership of 25 organisations all committed to collaborative working for the benefit of the rainforest. As such, we don’t have our own staff - our strategy is driven forward by the ASR Steering Group. This group is comprised of individuals from our partner organisations who lead on particular work strands, working with groups of people from ASR partner organisations and co-opted individuals from other organisations who provide the expertise, resource and capacity that we need to deliver our objectives. The Steering Group also receives support from contracted specialists. Find out more about our roles below.

  • Julie Stoneman

    As Saving Scotland’s Rainforest Project Manager, Julie has overall responsibility for driving forward the collaborative strategy of the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest, and chairs the ASR steering group and General meetings. She also chairs the Landscape-scale Projects group and the Natural Capital Finance Group as well as the steering group of The Common Ground Forum – a related project around deer management. She is supported by Gordon Gray Stephens who provides strategic advice in project development.

  • Oliver Moore

    Oliver works for Plantlife Scotland as a Bryophyte and Lichen Advisor but his role in the Saving Scotland’s Rainforest project is putting bryophytes and lichens at the heart of temperate rainforest management. Oliver is the Habitat Management Lead for the Alliance and coordinates the Monitoring and Management Delivery Group (comprised of representatives from various partner organisations). The group is currently working on a set of rainforest management standards and approaches to monitoring habitat condition.

  • Tim Hall

    Tim has been passionate about our rainforests for a long time. He is one of the founders of the Alliance and sits on the steering group and various working groups. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Foresters and has worked in native woodlands for over 30 years. He is Head of Estate and Programmes for Woodland Trust Scotland and Chair of Trustees for Future Woodlands Scotland.

  • Alison Connelly

    Alison is the lead for Funding Advocacy on the Steering Group and seeks to align new and emerging opportunities for funding with ASR priority project fundraising needs – wherever possible championing the importance of rainforest restoration to any potential funder who will listen! Alison also sits on the ASR Fundraising, Natural Capital and Landscape projects working groups, she is Head of Philanthropy and Funding Advocacy for RSPB Scotland and has led their fundraising efforts for the Saving Morvern’s Rainforest project over the past five years.

  • Alistair Whyte

    Alistair is Head of Plantlife Scotland and is responsible for overseeing Plantlife’s activities in Scotland. He sits on the steering group for the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest, and contributes to several of the delivery groups as well.

  • Erin Shott

    Erin leads the Saving Scotland’s Rainforest Advocacy Group, which is made up of ASR eNGOs and Scottish Environment LINK. She is responsible for finding and co-ordinating advocacy opportunities that can help temperate rainforest restoration. Erin is the Communications and Policy Officer (Scotland) for Plantlife.

  • Jenny Tweedie

    Jenny is the Communications Manager for the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest, working through RSPB Scotland. She leads on the creation of communication strategies and supports the delivery of communications work, such as the ASR website and social media channels. She also coordinates the Communications Delivery Group, a team of partner representatives who help plan and deliver rainforest communications. She has more than 20 years of experience working in journalism and comms, most of it in the field of conservation.

  • Jennifer Bennett

    Jenny co-leads the ASR Fundraising Delivery Group which co-ordinates and supports our work to find significant, long-term funding to support landscape-scale rainforest restoration. She also sits on the ASR’s Natural Capital and Landscape-scale Projects groups, and co-leads the development of the Woodland Trust-led bid to NLHF for Rainforest Community Capacity-building, with several contributing organisations. She is a Development Officer for Woodland Trust Scotland, leading on fundraising for the Trust’s major rainforest projects, such as at Glen Torridon and Loch Arkaig.

  • Mark Brown

    Mark co-leads the ASR Fundraising Delivery Group which co-ordinates and supports our work to find significant, long-term funding to support landscape-scale rainforest restoration. He also sits on ASR’s Landscape-scale Projects groups, and co-leads the Woodland Trust-led bid to NLHF for Rainforest Community Capacity-building, with several contributing organisations. He is the Grants and Trusts Manager for Woodland Trust, leading on fundraising for the Trust’s major landscape-scale work over all of the UK.

  • Julie Young

    Julie is the CEO of Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT), and leads ASR’s Saving Scotland’s Rainforest with Natural Capital Investment project. She also sits on ASR’s Natural Capital Finance Group and Communications Group, and on the steering group ASR’s Rainforest Community Capacity Building project (a funding bid led by Woodland Trust). ACT works across a major area of Scotland’s rainforest zone, and are leading on two of ASR’s landscape scale projects – Knapdale and West Cowal.

  • Gordon Gray Stephens (contracted specialist)

    Gordon is the Saving Scotland’s Rainforest Advisor. Born and brought up in Argyll, Gordon is a Director of Native Woods Coop and an independent woodland management consultant, and as such has decades of experience in woodland management in Scotland’s rainforest zone. As well as advising on rainforest management, he contributes to several other workstreams including advocacy, communications, community engagement and finance.

  • Charlie Davis (contracted specialist)

    Charlie is ASR’s Natural Capital Advisor. As a Partner at Sylvestris she advises rural businesses on sustainable land management, specialising in natural capital markets. She is the co-lead of the ASR Natural Capital Finance Group, and supports all aspects of ASR’s approach to natural capital, to ensure that private finance can deliver sustainable and equitable environmental and social outcomes to landscape-scale rainforest restoration.