Alumni Profiles — Forestry and Environmental Managment
Don Cameron, BSc in Forestry, 1985
My interest in forestry began in childhood. I spent
considerable time at a family cottage in rural Nova Scotia, exploring
the woods around the lake. My elementary school hosted visits from
foresters who talked about reforestation and sustainability. These
topics resonated with me and I thought that forestry would be a cool
career.
By the time I reached high school, I was still interested, but a little unsure. I took an extra year to make sure forestry was what I really wanted. People thought I was crazy at the time, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I took courses targeted to forestry and researched forestry professions. It was a confirming year and a fun year, and it gave me confidence that I was entering a field of work that I would enjoy.
I chose UNB because their forestry program was respected internationally and reputed to be one of the best. I had also heard many good things about Fredericton.
My summer placements in forestry-related positions led me to a full-time job in Winnipeg. After two years, I decided to come back east. I worked with Forestry Canada and then for the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.
I have the best job; it offers great variety and, in a sense, I have come full circle. One of my roles is regional extension co-ordinator. I plan outreach programs, which include visits to elementary schools, and events such as the Kids in the Forest field days. These activities are extremely rewarding; many of the children don’t get out into the forest apart from these activities.
In addition to dealing with the media and co-ordinating forestry events for the public, I work with private woodlot owners. Most of the forest in Nova Scotia is privately owned; management of these lands has a huge impact on the sustainability of woodlands for industrial and recreational uses. I also oversee harvesting sites to determine compliance with wildlife habitat regulations. From 1990-2006, I wrote a weekly newspaper column on natural resources related topics in Nova Scotia.
There is so much you can do with a forestry degree; there are literally thousands of jobs. Talk to professionals in the field. Get some practical advice. Do some volunteering. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll know whether this is right for you.
Forestry is an exciting career. If you have a passion for the outdoors, for nature and are environmentally conscious, follow your heart. You won’t go wrong. There will always be a need for forest professionals. It will always be a challenge to balance limited resources and growing demands. That’s what keeps this profession interesting and rewarding.
Valerie Archibald, BSc in Forestry, 1999
I am a hands-on learner and appreciated the amount of time that
was spent learning-by-doing in the forestry program. I also took
forestry as I had an interest in the environment and wanted to learn how
to share that interest with others.
I focused my studies on environmental education and did not have a specific career goal/plan in mind for when I graduated.
I had summer jobs that helped me in discerning which career paths I might enjoy and those that I might not enjoy. I took advantage of summer employment opportunities to explore the wide array of career opportunities for a forestry graduate and then narrowed them down and focused on what I enjoyed the most. I was able to use the summer employment opportunities to increase my knowledge base around environmental education, which has proven to be invaluable to the current position that I hold.
My degree in forestry provided me with a wide variety of skills. It taught me how to think critically, it gave me problem-solving and time-management skills, and the ability to adapt to whatever situation/job I landed in. It also provided me with a network of people that I could tap into whenever needed.
A forestry degree is a well-rounded degree that provides its graduates with a wide variety of skills and abilities to enter today's job market. The face of forestry is changing and the skills received in a forestry degree are transferable to so many employment opportunities. A forestry degree prepares its students for more than the traditional forestry jobs.
Jeff Lenehan, BSc in Forest Engineering, 2004, P. Eng.
I took forestry because I liked working outside with people.
Forest Engineering appeared to be a good fit because I was good in math
but found "regular engineering" too dry and too black and white.
I’m very glad I stuck with the Forest Engineering program. My degree has opened doors for me and led me to the job I have now, which has tremendous variety. I do everything from preparing proposals to managing teams and projects. The Forest Engineering program’s emphasis on environmental issues has let me see problems in a way unlike many of my colleagues.
My degree has given me confidence to solve problems in areas where I have no previous experience. My education also seems to have helped me to work effectively in team settings and to create effective working groups that can function almost immediately.
The Forestry Faculty was so great when I was there and I truly feel
it gave me a huge advantage, particularly once I started working. I
don't think I would have got through without the extra tutoring the
facility provided in my first year. Just a great group overall, whether
it be faculty, staff or students.
Beverly Briggs, BSc in Forest Engineering, 2004
I took Forest Engineering because I didn't really want a desk job. My dad works in the forest industry and engineering came relatively easy to me. I thought a BSc in Forest Engineering was a unique degree and would help me to be able to work both inside and outside.
I have a minor in Mechanical Engineering, focusing on machine design.
My dream job was to work in the design of forestry equipment. At the
time I never dreamed I would actually get to do it. Now I work at Deere
and have found that my interests lie more in interacting with customers
than with actual design work so I've moved into more of a marketing
role than when I had originally started.
I have a good understanding of the forest industry and how it works. This has been invaluable when evaluating machine designs and how they will be implemented in the field. Knowing how the systems work together and the language of the industry helps a great deal in relaying my ideas. The forestry experience I had gained through my university years was a huge advantage in applying for my first position with Deere.
My practical experience also helped. I did a co-op term with Procter and Gamble the last summer I was in university. This aided in preparing me to work for a large corporation.
