Grouse Moor Management Group: member profiles

Biographies for members of the Grouse Moor Management Group.


Group members

Professor Alan Werritty FRSE

Alan is Professor Emeritus of Physical Geography, University of Dundee and former Research Director of Dundee's UNESCO Centre for Research on Water, Law Policy and Science. He has researched climate change, flooding and societal responses to increased flood risk within the wider context of promoting sustainable river catchments. In 2015 he chaired the SNH Review of Sustainable Moorland Management. He is a past Vice-President of the Royal Geographical Society and former member of SNH's Science Advisory Committee. He has served on the Boards of the Royal Geographical Society, British Society for Geomorphology and the James Hutton Institute.

Alexander Jameson BLE MRICS FAAV

Alex qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1983. He works for Strutt & Parker as a Partner in their Perth Office. He has had 30 years experience in upland estate management in Scotland and the North of England. Previously he has been on various committees including Scotland's Moorland Forum, the SLE Moorland Groups and the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project. More recently, he is involved locally with the Central Region of Scottish Land & Estates as well as their National Policy Group.

Professor Alison Hester FRSB

Alison is a senior scientist and Science Challenge Lead (Environment) at the James Hutton Institute. She has over 30 years international research experience on natural resource management, sustainable land use and drivers of change, including much research on moorlands. Alison works closely with land managers at all levels, from individual to Governmental, and has contributed as an author for UK initiatives such as the National Ecosystem Assessment. Other current committee roles include: Chair of the Natural Capital Initiative; member of the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital; University of Highlands and Islands Science Faculty Board; ALTER-Net Council: Europe's Ecosystem Research Network.

Professor Colin T. Reid

Colin is Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Dundee and has written widely on environmental law for varied audiences, with particular research experience in nature conservation and biodiversity law. He is Convener of the Legislation, Regulation and Guidance Group of the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime Scotland (PAWS).

Professor Ian Newton OBE FRS FRSE

Ian is an Emeritus Fellow of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. For his whole working career, he has researched bird populations, including birds of prey, and was involved in the two Langholm projects on raptor-grouse relationships. He is a past Chairman of the Councils of the RSPB and the British Trust for Ornithology, and has served on committees of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

Mark Oddy MRICS CEnv MIoD MIAgrM

Mark joined the Buccleuch Group as estate manager of the Eskdale and Liddesdale estate in 2003. Responsible for the management of this 75,000 acre estate situated on the Scottish Border, his role expanded and became Energy Director for the Buccleuch Group on its energy, mineral and foreshore assets. Since November 2016, Mark is a retained consultant for Buccleuch. Mark is the current Chairman of both the Langholm Moor Demonstrating Project Ltd. and the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, represents Scottish Estates Business Group on the Scottish Government PAW committee and is a technical advisor to the IUCN Peatland Code. Before joining Buccleuch, Mark managed public and private estates in North Devon, Exmoor, Lake District and Yorkshire.

Specialist Advisers

Dr Adam Smith

Adam is Director (Scotland) for the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust. He has 30 years of experience researching and advising on upland land management for game and conservation, with 25 peer reviewed papers and other reports on upland issues. He is a trustee of the Heather Trust and sits on a number of independent, SNH and Scottish Government stakeholder bodies.

Calum MacDonald

Calum is an Executive Director with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency with over 40 years of experience in Environmental protection and regulation. He chairs Scotland's Environmental Crime Task Force and Interpol's Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Committee's Advisory Board.

Professor Des Thompson FRSE

Des is the Principal Adviser on Science and Biodiversity with Scottish Natural Heritage, he is Chairman of the UN (Bonn) Convention on Migratory Species Technical Advisory Group on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia. He has published books on upland ecology, raptors and nature conservation, and is actively involved in scientific programmes and policy work supporting Governments. He was involved in the two Langholm projects on raptor-grouse relationships, and chairs the Field Studies Council.

Susan Davies FRSB

Susan is Director of Conservation with the Scottish Wildlife Trust. She has 28 years experience working in conservation science, policy and practice through the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee and then Scottish Natural Heritage. She was a Director of the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project and is currently a non-executive Director of the James Hutton Institute.

Secretary

Karen Rentoul MCIEEM

Karen is an Upland Policy Adviser with Scottish Natural Heritage. She was secretary to the SNH Scientific Advisory Committee's review of 'Sustainable Moorland Management', and was the local SNH contact for the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project (serving on the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group). She is a Board member of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project.

Contact

Grouse Moor Management Group

Email: GMGSecretary@snh.gov.uk

Telephone: 01896 661719

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