Jan Alexander is a craftswoman from Australia. She travelled to Ireland in the mid 1980s and created a public outcry when she spoke out about our loss of broadleaf trees. As a result of her campaign to create public awareness, she was encouraged to set up a new organisation, which she called Crann.

Crann has had a strong presence in Leitrim from the very beginning as the organisation was founded there in 1986.Jan Alexander was very capable of influencing people when she spoke of the beauty of broadleaved trees and our natural woodland heritage, and Crann made rapid strides under her leadership.

Crann Leitrim the organisations first branch was formed in 1994.
Crann Leitrim launched a local project in south Leitrim in 1993 and opened a project office in Mohill in 1994 to facilitate the new group. One of their first campaigns was to promote mixed farm forestry in an area where forestry often receives bad press. They started a wood-based crafts group and opened a craft shop in the Mohill office, promoting the use of native timber. They ran courses in woodcraft and brought stands to agricultural shows, demonstrating basket making, woodturning and other crafts. They also held tree sales.

Noel Kiernan, assisted by Keith Brown, initiated research into Willow, Poplar, Oak and Birch native species whose timber potential is currently under exploited. The branch has a very active hedgerow group which aims to conserve hedgerows and encourage good hedge maintenance practice. They are lobbying for changes in legislation and in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme to provide better protection for hedgerows. Their work has won several awards.