MEET THE TEAM
Board of Trustees
Nick Molnar
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Founder & Chair
Nick Molnar grew up in Birmingham and then spent 6 years in London as a, student, youth worker, and as a remedial teacher. He then “ escaped “ to the country and for the next 23 years lived in Camphill communities in the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia where he organised farms for those with special needs, using traditional methods including horse power and hand milking. Moving to Forres in 2000 he worked 11 years with Earthshare, growing vegetables for the organic box scheme. In retirement he is keen to help local food sustainability and environmental improvement.
Mick Drury
Treasurer
Mick worked in countryside and woodland management roles for 20 years in various parts of England, mainly for local government. He moved to Forres in 2007 to join Trees for Life as Field Projects Co-ordinator, organising forest restoration projects in the Highlands. Working in the woods is where he feels most at home.
Ben Fretwell
Secretary
Ben is a retired geologist and hydrogeologist who worked in Environmental Consultancy for over 30 years. The latter part of his career focussed on catchment management to manage threats to drinking water quality from land based activities during which he became interested in radical changes to how we manage our land. Ben has always been a keen gardener and kept an allotment for over 25 years, developing his interest in food growing. He also jointly owned and managed a small woodland previously.
Support Team
George Paul
Volunteer Coordinator & Woodworker
Originally a teacher of geography and Environmental Studies and now retired, George lived in Forres for the last 15 years. He is involved in two other local conservation projects and has experience of a wide variety of practical work. He enjoys interacting with both adults and young people about the environment. George believes that being outdoors in nature brings us huge benefits but that we also have a responsibility to support the natural world.
Julie Adam
Volunteer Coordinator & Gardener
Lin Batten
Advisor
Linn Batten. born and bred in Amsterdam, has an extensive background in Food Security and local food systems analysis. She is also simply enthusiastic about vegetables, gardening and growing.
She is currently a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Strathclyde, working on land financialisation in Scotland. She has experience in research, coordination, fundraising, program development and organisation, content delivery, marketing and design, website management, and event facilitation.
Olly Wilson
Advsisor
Anja Alexanderson
Horsewoman
Olly grew up on a working estate on the outskirts of Salisbury, Wiltshire. From a young age, he found his connection with the natural world and a passion for creating and making. He has spent his early adult life seasonably working across the UK, from carpentry in Northern Wales, to bushcraft instructing in Northamptonshire and reindeer rearing in the Cairngorms. Olly has now hung his hat in self-made tiny home just outside of Forres. His ambition in life, after an inspired reading of John Seymour’s self sufficiency guide, is to find a plot of land and care for it for the regeneration of nature and the community.
Anja keeps Mano, Dusky and Pixie on the fields. Dusky and Mano are senior horses that are still very spirited and happy, and Pixie is the little cheeky one that loves a scratch and is always on a diet! They are rotationally grazed keeping in mind their individual nutritional needs and also aiming to improve the land. In general the land is improved through grazing at certain times, not over grazing as much as possible, adding mulch and rotted down manure and doing lots of mowing and weeding. The Kennel Field is managed differently, to reduce fertility and aid botanical diversity.
Kerry McInnes
Advisor
Born and bred in Moray, Kerry is a research fellow on the Just Transition Project with UHI Moray. Kerry is particularly passionate about everything local – the people, the places and the produce and is a keen organic gardener. Kerry has experience in research, hospitality, event management, project management and community engagement.
Kim Grant
Project Co-ordinator
Kim is a nature photographer and content creator with a worldwide audience. Beginning her working life as an NHS staff nurse before completing a year-long practical internship with RSPB Scotland, Kim is passionate about inspiring people to head outdoors and experience the wellness benefits this can bring. Originally from Forres, she loves the town's green spaces and enjoys supporting groups committed to conserving them. She loves working with the land, growing organic food, and creating safe spaces for people to explore creativity in nature, along with the opportunities this brings for connection, community and personal development.