Grant Writer

While not all species of bee migrate, one which does is the giant honey bee of southern Asia. I find bees empowering due to their vital role as pollinators in ecosystems, especially food chains. By pollinating wild flowers and trees, bees support other insects, which provide food for birds, mammals and bats, which in turn provide food further up the food chain. Approximately one third of the food we eat is dependent on such pollinators. Bees are crucial for survival.

I've always had a particular affinity for trees and woodlands. Over the years I have actively engaged in many conservation projects around the UK and Ireland, focusing on woodland habitats wherever possible. Aspen (coincidently, my namesake) represents resilience, as it is often the first tree to grow after a forest fire. The species has elaborate root systems, some dating back tens of thousands of years. For this reason, aspen is often associated with resilience. Our strategies for mitigating climate change must be resilient in order to be sustainable.