Kate Clements - [email protected]
Kate has a background in Environmental Education, coming from a Geography teaching background. She ran successful projects in the Great North Forest before coming to work at Coed Lleol (Small Woods Wales).
Kate is good at working and relating to people from diverse backgrounds, and loves being outdoors, mountain walking with her family, and travelling.
Her favourite trees are Apples, as they are both edible and beautiful.
Rosie Strang - [email protected]
Rosie has over twenty-two years' experience developing projects, networks and events in the environment, arts and education sectors, working with communities and organisations across the UK and Wales. Before Coed Lleol this included several years working with Llais y Goedwig - the community woodland network for Wales as their Network Coordinator.
Underpinning this work been an active interest in the natural world and sustainability – and how we care for this world, and each other. Locally living in the Dyfi Biosphere in Mid Wales this has been swimming and walking, as well as a new parent chairing the local children's forest group. Internationally this has been through volunteer placements in community forestry and wellbeing in India, Hawaii and Brazil.
Alison Moore (click here for email link)
Starting her career in youth and community work, Alison spent time delivering outreach and centre-based and alternative education projects to young people. She then moved into education, leading an enrichment provision that developed and delivered a wide range of activities and opportunities to help expand young people’s experiences.
On moving to Wales (Pembrokeshire), Alison embarked on working in the employment and skills sector. As a training advisor who later managed a range of externally funded projects, she helped engage individuals and communities in personal development programmes for people of all ages and abilities from 16+.
Joining Small Woods as ‘South Wales Coordinator’ on a range of projects across Carmarthenshire, Swansea, NPT, RCT and Merthyr, bringing together her love of the outdoors and her experience of supporting individuals and projects.
Caroline White (click here for email link)
Caroline comes from a communications background but started retraining as an ecotherapist in 2016. She was inspired to have a complete career change after experiencing first-hand how being in nature improved her own wellbeing, while volunteering on organic farms.
Caroline has spent the last seven years setting up and running wellbeing-in-nature events for underserved communities, including refugees, carers and people with mental health issues. She is passionate about bringing the benefits of nature to those who are least able to access it.
Her favourite tree is the ash, because its leaves are so beautifully luminescent in early summer.
Zena Wilmot - [email protected]
Zena is part of the Social Forestry & Wellbeing and Woodland Management teams coordinating the woodland infrastructure and hubs stand of the ‘Outdoor Health and Green Infrastructure’ project.
As well as working for Coed Lleol, Zena works part-time for Llais y Goedwig as Network Facilitator. Zena has more than 15 years’ experience working in the woodland sector in Wales and has a background in research, woodland management and social forestry. She has a passion for sustainability and has worked at the CAT and Sunseed eco projects.
She is also a founding member of the Bodfrigan Housing Cooperative. In her spare time she enjoys foraging and making things out of natural materials. Her favourite tree is the rowan for its tenacity and bright red berries in the autumn woodlands.
Rebecca Vincent-Evans - [email protected]
Build a Bench Project Engagement Officer
Rebecca (Beccy) is responsible for our Build a Bench project, The Veterans Woodland Social Enterprise programme, Wellbeing in Nature session delivery and local Woodland Biodiversity cohorts in the community.
The programmes are delivered at the Green Wood Centre in Coalbrookdale, various local community woodlands and Squatters Cottage in Lightmoor.
Beccy is a Well Being in Nature Practitioner and has worked in the education and employment sector for over 20 years. She is also a qualified tutor of adults experiencing mental health issues or struggling to find employment. She believes in delivering person-centred interventions to remove barriers and nurtures a growth mindset and supporting people to recognise their skills, increase their confidence and self-esteem - turning barriers into opportunities.
When she is not at work, she loves to spend time in the garden and in the evenings, reading or creating fashions from recycled clothes.
Vivienne Plank - [email protected]
Vivienne loves music and the outdoors. As well as working at Coed Lleol (Small Woods Wales), she is an Assistant Manager in a gift shop at a busy tourist attraction in Anglesey, runs social media accounts promoting live music, and stage manages at festivals.
Vivienne hopes that one day there will be a Green Wood and Woodland Skills Centre in Anglesey.
Her favourite tree is Oak, as she has a relationship with a particular local oak tree.
Becky Brandwood-Cormack - [email protected]
Becky loves playing outside, whether that’s trail running, mountain biking, wild swimming or a mindful stroll in the woods. She enjoys foraging for medicinal plants, bird watching and tree hugging. She has studied nutrition and loves tasty, healthy plant-based food to maximise her physical and mental health. Becky is passionate about nature and encouraging others to build their connection with the natural world in order to create a more harmonious and reciprocal relationship.
She has previously worked in leisure centre management and sports development, holistic wellness and is co-founder of the Free Hugs initiative in South Wales.
She can’t possibly choose a favourite tree as they are all so unique and offer us so much in terms of medicine, wisdom and beauty.
Melissa Dhillon - melissadhillon@smallwoods.org.uk
Melissa is enthusiastic and passionate about nature and loves spending time outside, especially in woodlands. As well as working for Small Woods, she is a freelance forest school leader and social forestry practitioner and works for a community woodland group as an Education Officer.
Her favourite tree is blackthorn in spring, birch in summer, maple in autumn and beech in winter.
Lauren Wood - [email protected]
Lauren is passionate about bringing nature and people closer together. She spent 10 years working in environmental and outdoor education for organisations such as RSPB and Field Studies Council and led overseas expeditions to places like Borneo before her body told her to slow down.
Life is now slightly more sedate with a lot more meditation and book reading but when she isn’t wild swimming, baking cookies, writing songs, or working for Small Woods, she runs a part time wilderness and well-being coaching business for women.
Her favourite tree is Beech for the beautiful colours.
Katie Barrett - [email protected]
Community Health and Wellbeing Officer - Lost Peatlands Project Officer
Woodland Wellbeing Woodland Project Officer
Katie Barrett is a wildlife fanatic with interests and skills in horticulture, mental well-being, wildlife rescue and eating cake. She has a background in environmental science and working with people with disabilities.
Her favourite trees are beech trees, because their colours in autumn are stunning.
Nico Jenkins - [email protected]
Nico studied Psychology (BSc) and Conservation and Land Management (MSc) and has a background in farming and supporting vulnerable adults. She has specialist knowledge in medicinal woodland fungi and an interest in nature connection, mindfulness, herbalism, woodland ecology and foraging.
Nico has a passion for the healing and restorative power of nature and loves to create a safe and welcoming space for her groups in the woodlands of Swansea. Nico is a fluent Welsh speaker and also works in the local college supporting young people from Welsh language schools on the landscaping course.
Her favourite tree is the magical Elder, because it gives us both Elderflowers and Elderberries.
Gemma Neaves - [email protected]
Woodland Wellbeing Project & Engagement Officer (Youth) – Swansea and NPT
Gemma has a background in teaching and Third Sector project delivery with a wellbeing focus. Her skills lie in working with children and young people from areas of multiple deprivation, and English as an additional language. Gemma has worked with a wide age range from Kindergarten to Universities across South Wales and also, China, and South Korea.
Gemma loves to spend her free time connecting with nature in woodlands: foraging, searching for fungi, practising mindfulness, and observing flora and fauna. She believes nature creates a sense of belonging and purpose as we reconnect to the natural world. In her work, Gemma aims to boost young people’s self esteem and confidence in connecting with outdoor green space in fun and safe manner which supports their mental and physical health. She loves her job as as it combines both of her passions into one!
