Alison has previously as an independent researcher and consultant on participative adaptive management issues relating to forestry for clients such as local enterprise agencies, Forest Research, The Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage and also for worked for Reforesting Scotland on its ‘Wild Harvests’ project

Alison gained a PhD in Political Ecology from the University of Glasgow in 2006 titled ‘The Practice, Politics and Ecology of Non Timber Forest Products in Scotland’. She also has an MSc in Forest Science from the University of Edinburgh and an undergraduate degree in Geography from the University of Glasgow.

Since joining SEI Alison has developed research on environmental behaviours including citizen science, public engagement and governance aspects of plant health and environmental behaviour change in relation to housing.