Dan Harrison's career path to running a tree nursery. He talks about switching careers from working abroad on petroleum projects to coming to Scotland and growing trees for nature-based projects. Current Job Tell us about your current role I currently run a small organic tree nursery in East Lothian. This involves growing native trees from seed to young saplings for use in agroforestry, rewilding or other nature-based projects. Career Beginnings When you were 15, what job did you want and who did you ask for advice?I don't think I had a particular career in mind at that age. We had a tickbox career survey at that time and it suggested I focus on physics or crafts.Did you have an interest in the environment at this time?I grew up on an organic farm in Northumberland and had an interest in the natural world from a young age but I don't think I had a sense of how that small microcosm related to the larger environmental processes that current climate discourses highlight.What were your first steps in starting your career? Following university I fell into a job in petroleum geophysics, working abroad for 6 years. Returning to Scotland I started looking for opportunities working a little closer to the land and began volunteering with community gardens and taking horticultural courses before starting my own ventures. Career path and skills What does your career path look like? My path was non-linear, moving from working for a large company abroad, mainly computer based, to working for myself in the UK with much more physical outdoor work.What skills were important for you to develop in your career? Professional horticultural skills, general organisational skills in terms of record keeping and project management, general problem solving skills. This article was published on Monday 19 October 2026
