Who we are

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 co-chairs 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 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 ASR 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 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 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 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 co-leads the NGO 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.

Simon is Policy & Advocacy Manager at Woodland Trust Scotland. Simon has a background in policy and public affairs, including in the land management sector. He co-leads the NGO Rainforest Advocacy Group, which is made up of eNGOs from ASR, and Scottish Environment LINK. Together with co-lead Erin Shott, Simon is responsible for identifying and pursuing advocacy opportunities that enable rainforest restoration.

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 ASR 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.

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 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 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 (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.

Diane works for The Woodland Trust as the Project Development Manager for Scotland’s Rainforests Building Capacity Project. This role will have overall responsibility for running and managing the Building Capacity Project, including overseeing project staff, project reporting, procurement, evaluation, and developing the exit and sustainability. She will be working closely with the teams at the three hub locations (Morvern, Torridon and Argyll) to achieve the outcomes for the development phase and working towards the delivery stage bid.

Lucy co-leads the ASR Rainforest Research Working Group, which is bringing together and building collaboration between temperate rainforest researchers to identify and answer priority knowledge gaps around rainforest restoration and management. Lucy is a Senior Conservation Scientist for the RSPB and leads on RSPB’s rainforest research in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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 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.