Botanæco: The staff
Dr Andy McMullen is the Principal Botanist & Director of Botanæco. I undertake the plant, vegetation & habitat-related work myself, and when necessary, engage associates to assist with capacity, multi-disciplinary projects, or GIS-based mapping.
Biography
I have always been interested in plants and the outdoors. After finding fascination in mosses & liverworts, Professor Jim Dickson, at Glasgow University, got me to lift my head back up to see how plants could be used to reconstruct ancient climates, cultures & economies. A later PhD in the ecological history & conservation of peatland, with Professor Keith Barber, studied remotely from Deeside, developed this skill further. Following my PhD, Aberdeen University provided the opportunity to lecture in palaeoecology ('ecological history').
Excited by the formation of National Parks in Scotland, I joined the Cairngorms park authority, at its inception in 2004, as 'moorland project manager'. This was a challenging experience and a good lesson in the machinations & politics of countryside management.
When approached by an environmental consultancy in 2006, I was skeptical at first but have enjoyed the role ever since. The range of activity is attractive and the adventures are good too! Becoming independent in 2015 has allowed for further skill refinement and the opportunity to provide a cost-effective service by integrating habitat, hydrology & peat-related activity.
When not outdoors looking at plants for work, I am often outdoors looking at plants for fun, enjoying various forms of self-propelled travelling, or fishing. When I have had enough of all that, I enjoy coming home to dreadful music & reality TV. I really should stay in more often …
Further information
For further information, my LinkedIn page is here, download a CV, email andy@botanaeco.co.uk or call on 01356 650410.
Botanæco: The Canine
Fearn MacColl accompanies me on most of my surveys. He is a collie x huntaway - larger than a collie, with a huntaway's big paws, longer legs and relaxed, keen-to-please attitude. This has made him easy to train with a conversational tone, hand signals & whistles, at heel or at range. With the cleverness and self-discipline of both breeds, Fearn now anticipates commands - getting off the road & sitting at the approach of a car, for example. However, he remains reluctant to retrieve, or to close doors behind him.
When he's not shadowing me on field work, Fearn enjoys yet more walks, swimming, the fireside rug & Dentastix®.