Publications
My work is to make botany and natural history accessible to all.
Through training manuals, field guides, and educational resources, I support outdoor leaders, tree surgeons, conservation volunteers, and communities in developing the skills and knowledge needed to engage confidently with the natural world.
A sample of this work is included below.
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FORAGING IN SCOTLAND – Health and Wellbeing
For Leader Funded Foraging Fortnight
A practical guide to safe and sustainable foraging. It includes species profiles with identification tips, harvesting times, and recipe suggestions, alongside evidence-based information on the health and well-being benefits of spending time outdoors. The guide explores how foraging, when carried out with care for the environment, can be a valuable tool for improving health and well-being.
AN INTRODUCTION
TO MOSS
For Land and Forestry Scotland’s Owls Network
An accessible booklet covering basic moss morphology and identification of common moss species likely to be encountered by forest school leaders in Scotland’s schools and woodlands.
UK NATIVE TREES AND THEIR FAMILIES
For Volunteers at The Woodland Trust
A field guide describing common botanical families and species found in native woodland habitats in the Trossachs, Scotland.
PLANT AND TREE IDENTIFICATIONAND USES
For Wild things! Environmental Education in Action
An accredited training manual supporting students in learning plant taxonomy, nomenclature, and anatomy. It provides guidance on identifying species within major UK plant families and explores the ethnobotanical uses of plants for food, medicine, and fibres.
A FIELD GUIDE TO COMMON UK CONIFERS
(Due March 2026)
A picture-based guide to 50 conifer species most commonly found in the UK. It also provides insight into the palaeobotany, ecology, ethnobotany, and conservation of conifers.
HOW FIRE CAME
TO EARTH
A children's book with illustrations tells the story of how animals helped Emily, a small child, steal fire from the top of a mountain and bring it to humans on earth. She wanted to help her friends and family keep themselves warm in the winter and have chips rather than raw potatoes!
WOODLAND ACTIVITY LEADER TRAINING MANUAL
For Wild things! Environmental Education in Action.
A comprehensive manual covering Tree and Plant Identification, Ethnobotany, Animal Tracks and Signs, Bushcraft skills (knife use, fire lighting, wild food), Risk Assessment writing, Group facilitation skills, Conservation activities, and Access Code interpretation.
COASTAL ACTIVITY LEADER TRAINING MANUAL
For Wild things! Environmental Education in Action.
A detailed training resource guiding learners in Coastal Plant and Seaweed Identification, Ethnobotany, Cetacean recognition, Rock pool species, Coastal Bushcraft skills (knife use, fire lighting, wild food), Risk Assessment writing, Tidal awareness, Group facilitation skills, Coastal Conservation activities, and Access Code interpretation.
CONSERVATION WORK WEEK LEADER TRAINING MANUAL
For Trees for Life
A comprehensive manual introducing Native Tree and Plant Identification, Ethnobotany and folklore, Safe and effective tool use, Group management skills, and practical techniques for conservation, including tree planting, non-native species removal, seed collection, ecological surveys, Risk Assessment writing, and an overview of the history of Scotland’s native woodlands.