Staff

Executive Director

Cally initially started at the Trust as Director in 1998 and since then has managed the Trust’s development and co-ordinated the wide variety of operations in the Trust. Work includes a wide range of management responsibilities, fundraising and raising the profile of the Trust.

Prior to joining the Trust, Cally gained an Honours degree in Marine Biology and a Marketing Diploma, and has considerable experience working in Scotland’s west coast rural tourism industry.

Biodiversity Officer

Nienke van Geel joined the Trust in 2009. She is a marine mammal scientist, especially interested in species’ distributions and habitat preferences.  Nienke will be running the field research onboard Silurian, where she will coordinate the visual and acoustic data collection and guide/train the volunteers.  She has a M.Sc. (Honours) in Natural Resources Management from Utrecht University (Netherlands), performing her final Masters thesis on whales and dolphins of the Azores in relation to water depth and slope gradient. Last summer, she worked on IFAW’s RV Song of the Whale on acoustic detections of beaked whales.

Sightings Officer

Laura has been working as Sightings Officer with HWDT since 2005. She is also the principal photo-identification researcher, maintaining the Trust's catalogues for minke whales, killer whales, bottlenose and Risso's dolphins.

She is an MSc marine biology graduate from Aberdeen University and has worked on projects in France and Greece before moving to the Hebrides.

Biodiversity Consultant

Susannah Calderan is a marine mammal scientist, with a particular interest in cetacean ecology. Having graduated from the University of Wales, Bangor, with an MSc in Marine Mammal Science, she worked on visual and acoustic surveys around the British Isles, including for offshore windfarm sites, before joining HWDT in 2006. She ran the field research onboard Silurian for three years, and now works as a research
consultant for HWDT.

Education Officer

Gemma has been working within the education team at the Trust since April 2008. Gemma runs all aspects of the educational programmes.

Prior to working with the Trust Gemma gained an MSc Ecology at the University of Aberdeen and was employed in the south of England in the fields of environmental and marine environmental education.

Finance and Administration Officer

Barbara started at HWDT in July 2003 and is responsible for a range of financial and administrative operations in the Trust as well as stocking and assisting in HWDT’s Visitors Centre.

Barbara has worked on Mull for many years, in a range of roles including in self employment and as Shop and Office Manager. Barbara has explored her marine interests in her leisure time sailing and scuba diving in and around the west coast.

Volunteer Co-ordinator and Marketing Officer

Morven joined the Trust in October 2006 as a volunteer and in April 2007 became the Trust’s Volunteer Coordinator and Marketing Assistant. As well as completing various marketing and administration tasks, Morven recruits and manages volunteers working at the Trust.

In 2006 Morven gained a BSc in Environmental management and technology from Heriot Watt University.  She has also worked with local marine wildlife operators Sea Life Surveys.

Boat Manager

Graham has been involved with the Trust for many years and worked on Silurian as Relief Skipper between 2002 and 2008. As boat manager since March 2008 Graham ensures the smooth running of Silurian.

Graham has been sailing all his life and has a wealth of experience gained over the last 12 years of skippering commercial boats on the west coast of Scotland. He has worked for many years as an avalanche forecaster on Ben Nevis and guides groups, mountaineering and mountain biking.

Skipper

Dave has skippered Silurian over many thousands of miles since 2005.

He has sailed yachts around the west coast of Scotland for both work and pleasure for over 15 years. He also works as a mountaineering instructor in Scotland and elsewhere and is a member of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team.

Graphics Artist/Technician

Andrew contributes sightings images and centre displays, as well as providing technical support.

He holds a HND in Computer Studies, completed MSc Media Production and Technology (Yr. 1) and has previously been employed as a Computer Science and Programming Instructor.

Andrew is an artist and usually has work on display at local exhibition galleries.