As education and community engagement officer I work with colleagues to help engage communities and young people with the natural environment and rural heritage. I am working on education work to support nature restoration of river catchments, hills, glens and the marine coastline.

Working for the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership which focuses on the geographic area within the Ken and Dee river catchments. Galloway Glens is a £5 million Heritage Lottery funded project which works very closely with communities and partners to deliver a series of projects that connect people and communities with the unique natural and cultural heritage of this area. My role is leading on the education and community engagement which involves working with schools through tree… Show more Working for the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership which focuses on the geographic area within the Ken and Dee river catchments. Galloway Glens is a £5 million Heritage Lottery funded project which works very closely with communities and partners to deliver a series of projects that connect people and communities with the unique natural and cultural heritage of this area. My role is leading on the education and community engagement which involves working with schools through tree planting projects, creating Learning for Sustainability projects in schools, Wellbeing projects linked to connecting young people with their natural environment and the "Go Wild" Summer camps for children in Primary 7 transitioning into secondary school. The community engagement involved delivering community events, woodland festivals, and the successful Can You Dig It project which is a community archaeology project. Through cover many events went online and grew large audiencesI also run the Future Custodians project which works with local rural business, cultural and environmental charities to create 6 month internship opportunities for young people to come and work in Galloway. Show less

Quests and Wildernesss Retreats is about engaging young people with a cultural landscape steeped in history and stories. Located in the Moffat hills and stunning landscape Annandale we have used the Merlin story (made famous by Count Nikolai Tolstoy's book "Quest for Merlin") to explore how landscape can be nurturing, a be a place of retreat and reflection. The project aimed to build self esteem and confidence encouraging an ‘deeper connection’ with landscape and community sense of pride… Show more Quests and Wildernesss Retreats is about engaging young people with a cultural landscape steeped in history and stories. Located in the Moffat hills and stunning landscape Annandale we have used the Merlin story (made famous by Count Nikolai Tolstoy's book "Quest for Merlin") to explore how landscape can be nurturing, a be a place of retreat and reflection. The project aimed to build self esteem and confidence encouraging an ‘deeper connection’ with landscape and community sense of pride. We explored the relevance of the Merlin story in the context of the past and the future of our landscape. Delighted to have worked with wilderness artist, Dougie Strang, Count Nikolai Tolstoy, Robin Crichton, author of the Merlin Trail, and insightful geographer, Professor David Munro. Show less

Wide Open is a placemaking organisation, engaging with places, people and landscape through creative arts projects. The organisation's team has developed many exciting projects such as Andy Goldsworthy's "Striding Arches"​ project and Hideo Furuta's "Adamson Square project at Creetown. We are currently developing and managing the "Star of Caledonia"​ landmark at the Scottish border at Gretna involving international artist and designer, Charles Jencks and Cecil Balmond. Galloway's Dark Skies… Show more Wide Open is a placemaking organisation, engaging with places, people and landscape through creative arts projects. The organisation's team has developed many exciting projects such as Andy Goldsworthy's "Striding Arches"​ project and Hideo Furuta's "Adamson Square project at Creetown. We are currently developing and managing the "Star of Caledonia"​ landmark at the Scottish border at Gretna involving international artist and designer, Charles Jencks and Cecil Balmond. Galloway's Dark Skies Park/Biosphere is the context for a number of our projects including Dalziel and Scullion's innovative multiple installation called Rosnes Bench and Jo Hodges and Robbie Coleman's residency, "The Dark Outside"​ which has evolved into the exciting digital lisht an sound event "Sanctuary", held in the Dark Skies Park in Galloway at the end of September.We are co-producers of Environmental Art Festival Scotland with Spring Fling and the Stove. The festival, www.environmentalartfestivalscotland.com will be a biennial event. Show less

Managing public art and design projects which involve commissioning artists to create public and environmental art. Projects included Hideo Furuta's Adamson Square project, Adrian McDowells award winning "Ma Bar" and Dalziel and Scullions "Speaking the Land" lens based artwork.Image of Ruth McPherson by Alex Boyd

My creative practice explores environmental art and landscape. The work takes the form of large scale installations, drawings and sketchbook journals. More recently I have been curating and leading art and landscape “Quests” similar to “Art Actions” which aim to engage a wider audience in the arts and bring people together in a shared love of landscape while raising questions about how we live with the environment in the future, exploring our possible loss of connection with the land. I… Show more My creative practice explores environmental art and landscape. The work takes the form of large scale installations, drawings and sketchbook journals. More recently I have been curating and leading art and landscape “Quests” similar to “Art Actions” which aim to engage a wider audience in the arts and bring people together in a shared love of landscape while raising questions about how we live with the environment in the future, exploring our possible loss of connection with the land. I am also lead artist for a collaborative environmental art project called "Our Unicorn". We are working with a beautiful Unicorn to help connect children with nature and encourage them out into landscape. The mythology of the Unicorn as a symbol of transformation and a protector of nature. The Unicorn will engage people through creative activities such as storytelling, photography, drawing etc. and help explore issues related to climate change in a playful and accessible way. http://ourunicorn.net/about/ Show less

Quests and Retreats is a new project which engages people in landscape through imaginatively curated experiences which combine culture, landscape, healing and debate. We curate outdoor seminars, meetings, conferences and retreats for specific groups and organisations....Our Quests and Retreats help people digitally detox, de-stress, and be inspired by art, landscape and nature. Contemplating our connection with our environment and having great fun.

I am part of a very exciting collaboration of people working on Environmental Art Festival 2015. EAFS is an International festival in the Landscape of Dumfries and Galloway which explores sustainability, climate change and how to navigate into the future providing a lens into landscape issues and environmental concerns. The regions vibrant artist community will host an festival experience which celebrates a compassionate way of living and welcomes journeying artists from Canada, Wales and… Show more I am part of a very exciting collaboration of people working on Environmental Art Festival 2015. EAFS is an International festival in the Landscape of Dumfries and Galloway which explores sustainability, climate change and how to navigate into the future providing a lens into landscape issues and environmental concerns. The regions vibrant artist community will host an festival experience which celebrates a compassionate way of living and welcomes journeying artists from Canada, Wales and Berlin. EAFS is produced by arts organisations, Wide Open, The Stove and Spring Fling with Matt Baker, Leah Black, Robbie Coleman, Mike Bonaventura and Andrew Lyons. Show less

Lecturer in 3D design, Sculpture and Visual Studies. I worked at Newcastle College for over 12 years and thoroughly enjoyed working with students to help them meet their full creative potential. I managed projects, wrote briefs, assessed student work, ran crits, assessments and tutorials. We taught as part of a multidisciplinary team working with students at GNVQ, foundation art and design and HND levels.

Visiting lecturer in environmental art, public art and visual studies in universities across the north of England and Scotland.