Lyn Nelson
Managing Director
Hello, my name is Lyn Nelson, Founder and Director of Emerald Heritage Limited. Firstly, thank you very much for taking the time to look at our website.
To cut a long story short, we value Ireland’s beautiful landscape. I was born and raised on the north coast of Ireland and have the local press there to thank for setting the Emerald Heritage wheels in motion. While I was aware of the millions of landless Irish people that, in a centuries old story, had to leave their native home simply to survive, it was whilst reading the pages of these newspapers that I first came to learn about the serious situation facing our native Irish woodlands, and how deforestation hundreds of years ago has impacted so dramatically on our landscape. To me the loss of people and loss of our woodlands is linked, Emerald was an opportunity to allow people and trees to find roots again in the soil of Ireland.
The global Irish and indeed anyone who has a fondness for Ireland can now have their very own plot of the Emerald Isle. This reconnect to the soil of Ireland is a wonderful gift that has so a deep emotional meaning for many many people, but it doesn't end there. By becoming an owner of a small piece of Ireland you, a friend or loved one, not only affirms a tangible connection to the soil of Ireland, but a portion of your gift will also work towards re-wooding one of the most deforested countries in the world!.
I teamed-up with my friends and colleagues to create Emerald Heritage. Together we have developed our concept of souvenir plots of land, which will allow people throughout the world, own their very own piece of the Emerald Isle. Emerald Heritage is my passion. I oversee the day-to-day running of the company, working directly with marketing, sales, advertising, and design teams. I also liaise directly with business professionals, local and regional agencies, ecologists, and conservationists.
Emerald Heritage partners with other organisations who work to reforest Ireland, not just on the plots of land bought by you, but throughout the Irish landscape. I do not for one second profess to be an expert, so I make sure to involve those who are. What I do know is that a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit can go a long way.
For the past decade, I have traveled extensively and always been struck by the legions of people who were immensely proud of their Irish heritage. I believe that Emerald Heritage can give direction to that Irish pride, to provide an opportunity to play an active role in preserving the homeland that is special to many.
We also do our little bit to promote Ireland through our website and to inspire you to visit this beautiful island, described in song as 'The gem in the sea'
Our vision is a simple -
1. We facilitate you to own your very own piece of Ireland. For Irish people, no matter what part of the globe you live in, this connects you with your home, your roots and your ancestors. For people who just love Ireland, it connects you with one of the coolest, most beautiful little corners of the globe!
2. We plant trees on the plot you buy ( in fact it will be planted in 2017), so that in your own way you are contributing to reafforestation of Ireland.
3. Not content with this, we use a further percentage of your plot sale, to support native tree planting schemes in the wider Irish landscape. In buying your plot, you play your part in the reafforestation of Ireland, supporting wildlife, communities and leaving a legacy for generations to come.
Come and join our worldwide community, own your piece of Ireland.
John Langlois OBE
Secretary
When Emerald Heritage’s founder Lyn Nelson was looking for the ideal partner to help bring her vision to fruition she immediately called her friend John Langlois.
As one of the most prominent lawyers on the Channel Islands it was clear John’s expertise would be invaluable in negotiating the legal complexities of land registry and the like. But this was not foremost in her mind.
She knew that John was a true humanitarian who had devoted his life to helping others. She knew that his dedication, integrity, and desire to champion a worthy cause, was the ideal fit.
Until his retirement John Langlois was the senior partner in Guernsey’s largest law firm. It was a company he had himself founded and helped grow.
Inspired to enter the legal profession as a young man in order to fund his charitable work, he has combined both with great success. Somehow, he also found time to play a prominent role in the political life of Guernsey, serving as an elected representative in the island’s parliament for 24-years, six as Deputy Chief Minister.
Even in retirement he has proved unwilling to take his foot off the accelerator, continuing to serve as non-Executive Director on various companies.
Under-pinning John’s life has also been a devotion to his family (wife Pat and sons Mark and Paul) and his deep religious conviction.
Chairman of the Religious Liberty Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance (which has affiliates in 127 countries) he was also, until recently, Chairman of the Board of Advocates International, an association of lawyers across the world based near Washington DC that works on human rights and religious freedoms.
John was also founding Chairman of the Care For Children charity that has placed more than a quarter of a million orphaned Chinese children in homes.
In truth this is only a scratching the surface of John’s work and achievements – small wonder he was awarded the OBE by Her Majesty The Queen in 2005 for services to the community and charity.
A man whose concern for others is matched only by his modesty, Emerald Heritage is immensely proud and privileged to be able to say that John is part of our team.
Operations Director
A graduate of the University of Ravenhurst (USA), He is our computer wizard and the brains behind Emerald Heritage’s IT and ordering system. Starting his working life in the hotel trade, he found his true vocation in computing. Paul cut his teeth at Chorley-based TreeRiver Computers – rising through the ranks from Head Programmer to Managing Director. Experienced in HTML, CSS, PHP, MYSQL, Java, Javascript, and Ajax, it was the establishment of his own company, Island Computers that gave full vent to his creative side.