Geoffrey Sellers

Personal Details

Full Name: Dr. Geoffrey Sellers
DoB: 7th Feb. 1970.
Address: Flat 3 The Store, Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LD
Mobile: +44 (0) 7939 104117
Marital Status: Single
e-mail: geoffsellers@aol.com
Driving Licence: Full
Nationality: British.

Career Experience

Self Employed Consultant

GS Consulting and Services

GS Consulting and Services is a consultancy I have set up and specialises in:

• Copy editing and reviewing Scientific Papers and Reports for Compuscript and Cactus
• Environmental Land Restoration / Reclamation, particularly brownfield land to green space
  and agriculture
• Agricultural and Environmental Research and Field Work management
• Renewable Energy Advice and Research specialising in growing biomass energy
• Social Surveys and Questionnaire Surveys
• Waste Reuse and recycling

Previous experience

Research Fellow Agronomy Institute, Orkney College UHI,

Responsibilities

• Taught a renewable energy evening class
• Developing potential new research programmes and funding sources.
• Director of studies: Willow Biomass PhD student.
• MRes student: A GIS Decision Support System for Emerging Woodfuel energy markets
• MRes student: Establishment of willow biomass for energy in Orkney
• Former Supervisor PhD student at Reading University:
• Publishing papers and reports for journals and clients.
• Initiating and developing an environmental waste recycling and reduction programme.
• Managed a portfolio of research programmes:

EU Northern Peripheries Programme (NPP)

New Plants for the North Project (NPNP) € 1.3 M, 4 year project to identify climatically suited plants and varieties of horticultural and ornamental plant stocks suitable for the Northern peripheries of Europe and to develop local, sustainable markets for the selected ornamental plants. Partners were Orkney, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. I was responsible for identifying and winning this contract for the Agronomy Institute

NPP PelleTime project

€ 1.5 M, 3 year project that investigated the agronomic and economic potential of wood and grass energy crops as a bioenergy resource in the northern regions of Europe: Partners were Sweden, Orkney and Finland. I ran the agronomic investigations (worth £150 K in Orkney) into how to grow and maximise Willow, Reed Canary grass, barley and forage grass for use as biomass energy in the Northern marine climates of Orkney and Shetland.

Willow Biomass energy Research Programme

A 4 year agronomic research programme investigating ways of improving biomass energy production in willow through field, environmental and economic investigations.

SNH and Crofters Commission project

A two year farm based project investigating the biodiversity potential for novel crops such as bere, echium, camelina and borage.

Agronomic potential of heritage cereals, such as Spelt, Einkorn and Emmer.

Great Yellow Bumblebee biodiversity research programme (2009–2011)

A 3 year collaboration with Orkney Island Council and the RSPB.

Achievements:

• Successfully obtaining funding for and developing a portfolio of projects with local and international partners in horticultural and ornamental plants, biomass crops, biodiversity and ancient cereal crops.
• Publication of papers, articles and reports in a variety of media including Radio, journals and magazines.
• Working with communities to promote Biomass energy
• Successfully developing a waste management programme for Orkney College.

Scientific Officer: Forest Research Land Regeneration and Urban Greening Group,

Responsibilities:

• Writing papers and Forestry Commission Best Practice Guidance notes on weed control and fertiliser application on brownfield sites (BPGs 7 and 11).
• Designing and managing experimental trials investigating the amendment of remediated soils with green waste compost to grow trees, grass and wildflowers on brownfield sites.
• Managing site survey programmes for parks and greenspace created on brownfield sites to show the success and sustainability of brownfield to greenspace restoration schemes.
• Management of visitor, vegetation and soil surveys of parks created on brownfield sites to assess their long term sustainability and whether they meet their original objectives.

Achievements:

• Obtained £60 000 of EPSRC funding for a PhD programme with University of Reading
• Developing partnerships and stakeholder groups with people working in the urban green space sector.
• Successfully completing social questionnaire surveys and gaining knowledge of people’s perception of urban greenspace, soil remediation and land contamination.

Post Doctoral Research Associate: Imperial College London

Responsibilities:

• Managing research investigating the restoration landfill sites to arable agriculture, pasture and wildflower meadow using soil forming materials, concentrating on how to improve plant growth and soil formation using organic waste amendments and greenwaste compost. This was funded by Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd (now Veolia) and Viridor Waste Management Ltd.
• Management of research budgets, staff and contractors for field trials
• Writing and presenting reports to industry and stakeholders in the land restoration sector.
• Preparing proposals for restoring brownfield sites to wildflower meadows (ENTRUST), the restoration of Betteshanger Colliery (SEEDA)

Achievements:

• Successfully growing a wide variety of crops in hostile substrate environments.
• Working with a wide range of people from members of industry to students.
• Managing research programmes.
• Obtaining a £120 000 EnTrust funding bid that led to a major 3 year research programme.

Assistant plant pathologist: National Institute of Agricultural Botany

Technical support for broad leaf crop pathology such as field trials and maintaining disease stocks

Previous Consultancy and Outside Work Experience

Directorships

• Chair of Orkney Zero Waste Limited, a charity that concentrates on promoting the community reuse of goods. We run a return and swap site and are heavily involved in educational activities and local community work.
• Director of Greener Orkney, an organisation that runs community fridges and undertakes beach cleanups around Orkney.

Consultancy work for Cleanaway Ltd (now Veolia Ltd.)

• Wildlife meadow and semi-woodland restoration proposals for Pakefield landfill site
• Implemented a programme to restore South Ockenden Landfill site to Agriculture
• Prepared proposals for the restoration of Sandy Lane Landfill site to wildflower meadow.

Education and Qualifications

Wye College: University of London and Cleanaway Ltd:. PhD

Thesis: Reclamation of Landfill Sites to Arable Agriculture using London Clay Subsoil

• Investigated ways of improving the growth of arable crops on London Clay using amendments such as construction wastes, municipal waste composts and sewage sludges.

Aberdeen University: MSc: Crop Protection

Salford University: BSc: Biological and Biochemical Sciences (2.1)

Professional Development Courses

Northern Woodheat: 2006 Introduction to developing woodfuel supply chains LQM Nottingham: 2004 Introduction to Contaminated Land Management

Imperial College London: Introduction to Student Learning, Needs and Course Design, Project Management and Design

MIC / Liverpool University: Business Management Course

Additional Information

• Spraying certificates held: PA1 and PA 6 Knapsack spraying certificates.

References

Dr Hadrian Cook: Line Manager at Imperial College
40 Milton Road, East Harnham, Salisbury SP2 8AX
Tel: 07947 037358
Tel: 01722 414855
e-mail: Hadrian.Cook@gmail.co

Jane Nelson, Finance Director, Orkney
Zerowaste
Breck Farmhouse, Gorseness Road,
Rendal, Orkney Islands, KW17 2EZ
Tel: 07739 144064
email: jane_nelson09@hotmail.com