The Authors

Ian McKee

Ian first visited Copeland Bird Observatory when he was three and a half years old, and has spent more than 1000 nights staying there.  He even spent 16 weekends there in one year, and from 2007 to 2015, stayed for 4 separate weeks each year. 

His interest in ecology stems from the Island’s habitats, and in particular observing how the condition and type of habitats found there were changed over time as a result of being managed.  He began mowing the North Garden in 1996, and spurred on by the early results, started to include more and more paths and areas in the programme.  He logged a total of 1000 hours mowing vegetation between 2005 and 2015 inclusive.  

He also designed and arranged the planting of the Millennium plantation in the North Garden.

Ian worked previously as a forester, and in 2001 wrote Northern Ireland’s first restoration management plan for a Plantation on an Ancient Woodland Site, and the first ‘forest to bog’ peatland restoration management plan on publicly owned land in Northern Ireland (in 2005). 

Ian is now an Ecologist working for one of Scotland’s largest landowners, leading a team that advises on peatland restoration methods and projects across Scotland.

Ian Studied BSc Forestry (Forest Management) at the University of Aberdeen and graduated in 1993.

Ian has documented his memories of John Luke, celebrated Irish Artist, who was his Great Uncle here

Dr Alan Cooper

Alan is a botanist and plant ecology specialist with a wide practical and academic knowledge of the vegetation of Northern Ireland.

He was a Senior Lecturer and Research Scientist in the University of Ulster, Environmental Sciences Department for many years. Currently he is researching the ecology of Broadleaf woodland, Heath and Blanket bog of Fermanagh, and the Coastal dune and Maritime heath of South Donegal.

Alan visited the CBO in 2018 with Ian to carry out a resurvey of vegetation quadrats previously surveyed by Ian. Based on this work he has assessed the impact of the CBO restoration programme and together with Ian he has reviewed management options for continued restoration.