CONFERENCES – TREE DISEASES CONFERENCE – SPEAKER PROFILES

Anthony Bosanquet (Past President CLA and FC Commissioner Wales)

Tim Rollinson (DG Forestry Commission)
Tim Rollinson is Director General and Deputy Chairman of the Forestry Commission. He joined the Forestry Commission in 1976 after completing a degree in Ecological Science at Edinburgh University.
Tim worked as a forest manager in the south of England before moving to work in forestry research. He worked in a variety of policy roles including land use planning in the late 1980s at the height of the ‘Flow Country’ dispute when large scale commercial forestry programmes were in conflict with nature conservation interests. He has spent his subsequent career developing a sustainable approach to the management of forests in the UK and worldwide. Tim has represented the UK government at United Nations and international meetings.
Tim is passionate about sharing Britain’s hard won experience in large scale reforestation to benefit other countries and he helped found, and now chairs, the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration. The focus of his current work is on the role of forests in climate change with a particular emphasis on restoring the world’s forest cover, and the role of forests in improving our quality of life, especially in towns and cities.
He is a past President of the Institute of Chartered Foresters, a Chartered Environmentalist, a Fellow of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers and a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute. Tim is a Patron of Tree Aid, a Trustee of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and Chair of the Standing Committee on Commonwealth Forestry. In 2009 he chaired the Forum on Forestry and Climate Change at the World Forestry Congress.

Joan Webber (Head of Pathology, Forest Research)
Dr Webber is a senior research scientist employed by the Forestry Commission since 1989 and based at the Alice Holt research station of Forest Research (FR). Joan became Principal Pathologist for FR in 2000. She has an international track record of research and collaboration on pathogens of forest and woodland trees, their population biology and epidemiology, and the use and deployment of biological control agents in the management of tree diseases. Over the past seven years her work focus has been on invasive pathogens including Phytophthoras, and she has recently come to end of leading a European Union funded consortium of scientists (representing six countries) working on the project ‘Risk analysis of Phytophthora ramorum in Europe’ (RAPRA). Currently, the main focus of her research is the threat posed by alien invasive pathogens, and the long-term impact on trees and forest ecosytems following their accidental introductions.
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Roddie Burgess (Head Plant Health Service, FC)
Rodie Burgess Roddie heads up the Plant Health Service which is responsible for delivering on the Forestry Commissioners’ statutory responsibilities to protect forest trees throughout Great Britain against tree pests. He is responsible for ensuring appropriate legislation is in place and represents the UK forestry interests on the EC Standing Committee on Plant Health, the body responsible for the EU Plant Health Directive and related instruments which set out the Community’s plant health regime. He is also responsible for developing strategies to combat new pests, such as Pine-tree Lappet, Oak Processionary Moth, Red Band Needle Blight of Pine and, working in collaboration with the UK’s other Plant Health authorities including Fera and SGRPID, strategies against pests which affect both trees and other plants such as Phytophthora ramorum (also known as ‘sudden oak death’) and P. kernoviae. Represents the Commission and the UK government on other international plant health committees such as the International Forestry Research Quarantine Group and has assisted the Technical Panel on Forestry Quarantine and EPPO Working Groups. He joined the Forestry Commission in 1972, where he has held a number of posts, but specialising in Plant Health in 1987.
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Sandra Denman (Senior Pathologist, FR)
Sandra Denman is a senior pathologist and research scientist, employed for the past seven years at Forest Research, Alice Holt. She has more than 20 years experience in plant and forest pathology with particular expertise in mycology and Phytophthora, disease diagnosis, and in the epidemiology and management of disease. A recent focus of her work is oak decline particularly Acute Oak Decline.

Nigel Straw (Entomologist, FR)
Nigel Straw graduated from Imperial College, London, in 1982 and attained a PhD in insect ecology from the University of Cambridge in 1987. He joined Forest Research in 1989 as the programme leader on the impact of insects on forest trees, focussing in particular on the effects of green spruce aphid (Elatobium abietinum) on Sitka spruce. Current research (2006-2011) includes field studies in Wales on the impact and diversity of insects in alternative silvicultural systems, and projects monitoring the spread and impact of new invasive species.

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Professor John Good (Forest Ecologist)
Prof John Good John Good is a retired woodland ecologist, formerly Director of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor Research Centre

Jonathan Hazell (Head of Arboriculture, Parkwood Holdings)
Jonathan is the Head of Arboriculture for Parkwood Consultancy Services specialising in hazard tree evaluation and risk assessment, woodland management, tree and woodland ecology, and the interactions between trees and the built form.
He is also responsible for tendering for new business and then implementing and project managing a wide range of instructions, including their quality assurance, from:

individual tree inspections and large-scale tree inventory surveys
development site tree surveys to BS5837:2005
development site EPS surveys and EPS mitigation strategies
tree risk management strategies and plans
green infrastructure development plans
contract and project management

Jonathan has filled the role of contractor, custodian, client, consultant and charity manager, and has dealt with policy issues with both industry regulators and government departments. he was the Director of Arboriculture for Glendale Countryside until December 2007, a board level appointment with full operational responsibility for a tree care business with a turnover of around £3M. Prior to joining Glendale he had been

the first Technical Director appointed by the Arboricultural Association,
part of an innovative team in Milton Keynes that oversaw the rapid development of the green infrastructure surrounding the New City, and
in 1982 he started his professional career as Tree Officer to Northampton Borough Council.

Jonathan is currently involved in providing a surveying service for Oxford City Council through his trusted colleague Henry Keays and is involved in negotiations with a number of potential clients for tree advice, in a variety of formats.
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Keith James Kirby FICFor, FIEEM (Forestry and Woodland Officer, Natural England)
After studying Agriculture and Forestry Sciences at Oxford, Keith spent three years on a D.Phil. researching brambles, before getting temporary woodland survey work in the Lake District. This led to a permanent job in 1979, as apprentice to George Peterken.
Keith has been in his current role since 2006, when Natural England was formed, having previously held similar roles with English Nature and the Nature Conservancy Council since 1979. His current position involves: maintaining an overview of woodland conservation in Britain and its relation to developments in the rest of Europe; providing advice on woodland management and forestry policy development within and outside the organisation; commissioning and carrying out ecological/management-orientated research on woodland; liaison with and advice to other bodies (both voluntary and statutory) on nature conservation in British woodland; preparation of publications at a variety of levels to further the above.
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Colin Price (Bangor University)
Colin Price is Professor of Environmental and Forestry Economics at Bangor University. He has an M.A. in forestry and a D.Phil. in natural resource economics from Oxford University. After periods teaching urban and regional economics at what is now Oxford Brookes University, and land economics at Oxford University, he moved to Bangor in 1976. He has written books on landscape economics, on forest economics, and on discounting, and about 200 academic papers on a broad range of economic and environmental topics. In 2000 he was awarded the International Union of Forest Research Organization's gold medal, for scientific achievement in environmental and forestry economics. He is a member of Wales's Woodland Strategy Advisory Panel.
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Susana Mourato (Reader, London School of Economics)
After 10 years at Imperial College, in September 2008 Dr Mourato moved to the London School of Economics & Political Science, Dept of Geography & Environment, where she is a Reader in Environmental Economics. She retains a Visiting Readership with Imperial College's Centre for Environmental Policy.
Dr Mourato is an economist, specialising in environmental economics, and an expert in the application of economic valuation techniques to the measurement of environmental, social and cultural change. Her current research is clustered around 4 key themes:

Valuing natural wealth and creating markets for ecosystem services
Perceptions and preferences for low carbon energy technologies
Environmental valuation, methods and applications
Life satisfaction and the environment

She has published numerous articles in journals such as the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Environmental and Resource Economics, Environment and Development Economics, Urban Studies, Oxford Economic Papers, Environment & Planning A, Environmental Science & Technology, Energy Policy. She has co-authored three books - including the recently published volume for the OECD ‘Cost-Benefit Analysis and the Environment: Recent Developments’ - and a large number of book chapters.
In recent years Dr Mourato has worked on more than 45 research projects and consultancies for research councils (e.g. ESRC, EPSRC), government (e.g. DEFRA, Home Office, DCMS), industry (e.g. BP, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water), charities (e.g. National Trust) and international organisations (e.g. World Bank, OECD, UNDP). She is an Honorary Senior Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE), and has been a member of several expert panels on environmental valuation for UK government and industry.
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Peter Savill (Oxford Forestry Institute Rtd)
After graduating from Bangor University Peter spent four years working in tropical rain forest management in Sierra Leone, then a period involved primarily in silvicultural research in the Northern Ireland Forest Service, before moving to Oxford in 1980 as a lecturer (later Reader) in Silviculture. During his time at Oxford, most of research was concerned with the problems of growing and managing broadleaved trees, and most recently the emphasis has been on tree improvement – essentially by selection and breeding, to increase the volumes of recoverable timber from broadleaves. While in Oxford, he supervised or co-supervised 24 DPhil projects and almost 60 MSc students. He retired at the end of 2006, and is currently Trustee of two charities (the Sylva Foundation and Woodland Heritage), and Chairman of the British and Irish Hardwoods Improvement Programme (BIHIP). He has written, or co-authored four books and about 80 papers in refereed journals.
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Karen Russell (Lockhart Garratt)
Karen is Chartered Forester and an experienced forestry research and development manager who combines academic, stakeholder and policy development experience with practical forestry and agricultural knowledge. Karen joined Lockhart Garratt Ltd (LGL) in 2008 as a senior forestry consultant and is responsible for their Research Services.
Since joining LGL, Karen has, in collaboration with another consultancy, produced the regional economic forestry strategies for South West England and the West Midlands, and undertaken work for Department of Energy and Climate Change on sweet chestnut. Currently, Karen is managing LGL’s woodland improvement and woodfuel advisory service to woodland owners and occupiers in the East of England as a selected contractor for Woodfuel East, as well as contributing to a wide range of tree, woodland and forestry work for private and public sector clients.
Karen worked for 15 years as a research leader for East Malling Research, managing UK and European research programmes involving the breeding (including pest and disease resistance), genetics, biodiversity and conservation of tree species, industry surveys and representing the UK in domestic and international forums. She was secondment to defra’s Bioenergy policy unit in 2006-07 as a recognised expert in forestry, biomass and land use, to lead a programme of work (across several Government departments). This research provided the strategic analyses and data on biomass and land use required to underpin and inform the development of the UK Biomass Strategy and contributed to the Government’s Energy White Paper.
Karen has significantly contributed to the improvement of broadleaved tree species and the strategic management of forest genetic resources through her membership of the British & Irish Hardwoods Improvement Programme since 1999 and European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (1998-2005), authoring the European technique guidelines for the genetic conservation and use of wild cherry. Karen has expert knowledge of cherry, sweet chestnut and walnut including quality timber production, novel silvicultural systems, and pest and disease management.
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Hilary Allison (Head of Policy, Woodland Trust)
Hilary Allison joined the Woodland Trust in 1989 having previously worked for the Nature Conservancy Council as a research assistant and the National Trust as Assistant Information Officer in East Anglia. She began her Trust career as Press and Publicity Officer before moving into public affairs area and was appointed Policy Director in December 1998. She has overseen the development of the Trust’s campaigning and advocacy work from its beginnings in 1998 to the present day. In addition she was Chair of Wildlife & Countryside Link from 2003-2007, a member of the Forestry Commission Advisory Panel from 2003-2006, a Trustee of the Tree Council 1999 – 2005, and a co-opted member of Royal Forestry Society Council 2001-2004.

Gerard Cahalane (Irish Forest Service)
Gerard Cahalane is Head of Forest Protection & FRM Section in the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Dublin. The section is responsible for plant health issues relating to forestry, particularly in relation to the EU Plant Health Directive and ISPM No. 15 concerning wood packaging material. His work area also includes the EU Directive on the marketing of forest reproductive material (FRM). He represents Ireland in relation to forestry matters on the EU Standing Committee on Plant Health and the EU Standing Committee on Seeds and Propagating Material. Gerard is a graduate in forestry from University College Dublin and is a member of the Society of Irish Foresters.

Neil Kellett (Ops Manager FC Thetford)
A graduate of Newton Rigg and Bangor University, Neil spent six years working overseas in Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone and Tanzania before returning to UK forestry, first with Flintshire Woodlands and then the Forestry Commission.
Neil has worked for the Forestry Commission in the East of England for over ten years, in the roles of Harvesting Forest Officer and then Operations Manager overseeing harvesting, forest management and recreation in Thetford Forest. His current role includes co-ordination of the unit’s response to red band needle blight, including the development of thinning policy and a review of restock strategy.
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Peter Goodwin (Woodland Heritage)
Peter is a co-founder and chairman of the Woodland Heritage charity which was formed by a group of furniture makers 16 years ago. It has become highly respected for bringing together the wood users with the tree growers. From a background of running the family cabinet making business in Suffolk, Peter has also been responsible for the company’s own hardwood sawmill since 1970. His log buying activities lead him to meet many experienced woodland owners who ignited his passion for forestry many years ago. The family acquired their own woodlands in the early 1980’s and Peter has spent years nurturing the oak crop and experimenting with different systems. He is a past Chairman of the East Anglian Division of the Royal Forestry Society, with whom he maintains a close association.
Woodland Heritage runs twice yearly “From Woodland To Workshop” courses for students of all ages and the charity is also pro-active in working with Forest Research to combat Acute Oak Decline which it perceives to be a massive threat to Britain’s woodland landscape.

Tony Kirkham (Head of Arboriculture, RBG Kew)
Following an apprenticeship in the forestry industry and 2 years as an arborist, in 1978 Tony started at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew on the 3 year Diploma course, graduating in 1982 with honours before managing the North arboretum for 14 years. In 2001 he became the Head of the Arboretum and Horticultural Services, responsible for the management and curation of the 14,000 hardy woody trees in the collections and the hardy woody shrub collections, green waste recycling on site, management of the natural areas and UK biodiversity and sward management.
He has participated and led several plant collecting expeditions to Chile and the Far East of Asia, including China, Taiwan, Japan, S. Korea and Russia.
His main interest is hardy temperate trees and other woody plants and Arboriculture.
In 2004 he completed the revision of the “Pruning of Trees Shrubs and Conifers” with Timber Press and in 2005 “Plants from the Edge of the World” was published, which he co-authored with Mark Flanagan, a long standing travelling companion. In September 2009 they published “Wilson’s China – A Century On” with Kew publishing which documents several years of following in E H Wilson’s footsteps in China.
In 2004, 2005 and 2007 he featured in the BBC2 series “A Year at Kew” and in September 2005 was given a 12 month sabbatical to film and present his own 8 part series on the “Trees that made Britain” for the BBC, which was screened in September 2006 on BBC2 and in May 2008 “The Trees that made Britain 2” was screened.
He represents Kew on several boards and committees including the RHS bursaries and woody plant committee, Castle Howard Arboretum Trust, International Dendrology Society, He is a trustee of TROBI, (Tree Register of the British Isles) and an examiner for the Professional Diploma in Arboriculture for the Royal Forestry Society.
In 2009 he was awarded the Associate of Honour by the RHS for distinguished service to horticulture, this honour is held by no more than 100 British nationals at any time.
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Jonathan Cocking FRES PDipArb(RFS) FArborA CBiol MIBiol. (Principal, JC Associates)
Jonathan is a Registered Consultant and Fellow of the Arboricultural Association and sits on its Professional Committee. He has 30 years experience in the arboricultural profession, six years in contracting, eleven years as Senior Arboriculturist for a local authority before establishing JCA in 1997. He has since developed JCA’s portfolio of services and its extensive client base. Jonathan is an expert witness and Chartered Arboricultuirist with much experience of litigation work and arboricultural consultancy in the UK and overseas.

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