We sow the seed after the coup has been burnt. The seeds fall on a warm ash bed. If they get a little moisture. It is like a prefect recipe. The seeds wait and wait and then it’s time to grow.

Quite often you will see me happily wondering through the forests somewhere with a set of binoculars, GPS and note book.

I have seen some wonderful sights in the forest.  Seed has always fascinated me and I have grown very passionate and feel very connected to the whole process, as I closely watch the many harvested coupes that I have regenerated over the years and know each one in detail.

I don’t turn my back on the seeds once they are sown – the next stage is all about protecting the stock. We are babysitters of each crop until they get to about 1m tall, safe from game and beetles.

Early on I had a mixture of jobs – mainly outdoors in orchard and fish farms. Until I met Ralph Casey and started working as a seed collector and I fell in love with it.  When Ralph retired I took on his role and I never looked back.