MEET THE TEAM
Board of Trustees
Nick Molnar
-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.
George Paul
-Woodland Project Manager & Treasurer-
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.
Mick Drury
-Woodland Project Manager & Health& Safety Officer-
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.
Lin Batten
-Project Manager & Secretary-
Lin 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 now works as a research assistent in the Law Group of Wageningen University in the Netherlands. She has experience in research, coordination, event organisation, fundraising, program development and organisation, contents delivery, marketing and design, website management and events facilitation.
Support Team
Kerry McInnes
-Development worker-
Born and bred in Moray, Kerry has a background in Scientific Research. Kerry is particularly passionate about everything local – the people, the places and the produce. She is a keen organic gardener and has a small herd of Tamworth pigs, a couple of goats, hens and ducks. Kerry has experience in research, hospitality, event management, project management and community engagement.
Fiona Chalmers
-Advisor-
Fiona Chalmers is an enthusiastic and effective professional with substantial experience in the area of countryside and natural heritage management. She has been running her own countryside management consultancy since leaving the Cairngorms National Park Authority in 2010. She has a broad range of experience more recently specialising in woodland survey and monitoring along with supporting communities for land management buy-out schemes.