Officers
Douglas Worrall. Bsc (hons) MICFor. Chair
Douglas is the Director of the Forth Climate Forest, a broad partnership initiative, led by the University of Stirling, which aims to help tackle climate change and biodiversity loss through targeted tree planting across the Forth Valley. He has over 25 years’ experience of developing and delivering land based projects across Central Scotland which have environmental and social benefits.
He is a Graduate of Edinburgh University (BSc hons, Forestry) and a Chartered Forester (MICFor).
Douglas has been a Trustee of CWA since October 2023, is a judge for Scotland’s Finest Woods Award and has previously sat on both the CSGN Woodland Steering Group and the Central Scotland Regional Forestry Forum
Alison MacLennan. Vice Chair
Alison is Chair of Broadford and Strath Community Company. She has 25 years experience with RSPB, with responsibility for all aspects of research, advisory, habitat management, interpretation, project planning and management, staff management and fund raising in Skye & Wester Ross. Alison has a Masters degree in Natural Resource Management and a PhD in Geology / Palynology.
Angela Williams. Treasurer
Treasurer Angela has worked for over 20 years with community buyouts, 17 of those with the Knoydart Foundation working on various projects such as affordable housing, deer management, bunkhouse management, ranger service and managing the hydro electric scheme.
Having originally trained as a Landscape Architect, she has a background in project development and implementation, fundraising and income generation in the voluntary sector.
Gordon Gray Stephens. Company Secretary
Gordon Gray Stephens has been a director of the Native Woods Cooperative (Scotland) Ltd (2012-present). He served on the Forestry Commission for People Advisory Panel (2004-6), was a founding member of the Forest Policy Group (2008-present), and was also one of the founding directors of CWA.
Trustees
Willie McGhee. Trustee
TrusteeWillie is a practicing forester who has worked in commercial and community forestry since 1990. He started his career with Forest Enterprise in Aberfoyle District) and surveyed forests for Shotton Forest Management (South Scotland, North Wales), the University of Edinburgh (Glentress Continuous Cover plots), Forest Enterprise Scotland (Aberfoyle) and in Forest Enterprise Wales (Ceredigion). He was a founding Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management and worked overseas developing the Plan Vivo carbon trading system with local communities and farmers groups.
He was Director of Borders Forest Trust from 1996 to 2011, a Trustee and latterly Chair of Scottish Power’s Green Energy Trust (2002-2018), founder and Director of the Southern Upland Partnership (1999-2004), a Trustee on the Scottish Forestry Trust (2003-2012), a Director of the Millennium Forest for Scotland Trust (1996-2006) and served on two Forestry Commission Advisory Panels (Native Woodland – 1996-1999, Forests for People- 2000-2006) and is a founding member of the Forest Policy Group (2008-present). He is an advocate of community forestry and works as a forestry consultant on community land ownership.
Michael Foxley. Trustee
Amy Davidson. Trustee
Amy is currently the manager of the Community Woods and Garden, Polbeth and West Calder, a small woodland in the central belt with growing space and vibrant volunteer team.
After completing an MSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation she followed her dreams of being an intrepid explore in the Malaysian jungle studying insects, however after 3 months of isolation she realised she was a people person at heart. After a short contract with TCV she went on to lead Trail Teams in Iceland. On her return she took on various Ranger roles across Scotland, including the position of Community Outreach Ranger for the National Trust of Scotland. Connecting people with nature has been a constant theme throughout her career.
Ariane Burgess MSP. Trustee
Amy Clarkson. Trustee
Amy is passionate about community woodlands and became a director in order to play a part in strengthening this incredible movement. Amy is the Woodland Development Officer for Coille Coimhearsnachd na Comraich | Applecross Community Woodland, working to restore the living heritage of Coille a’ Thorra Ghairbh, and has previously worked for Dunain Community Woodland in Inverness where she coordinated the Fasgadh project, as well working for as a native tree nursery. Amy is the caretaker of Airigh Drishaig: a special place on the south coastline of Applecross with a fragment of Atlantic oakwood and a long history of land use. Amy holds a Masters in Environment, Culture and Communication, and a PhD in creative writing and environmental humanities and is currently writing a book based on ecological restoration and her experiences at Airigh Drishaig.
Banner Image: Reciprocal roof at the Evanton Wood shelter