The Forester's ring

On January 12, 1927 the Forestry Association discussed getting rings for their graduates. Some diagrams and prices were presented from Birks and Shutes (a local jeweller). Shutes was chosen and the first rings were made. They were larger than today’s rings, similar in style and worn on the ring finger of the left hand. At some time over the years, it seems that the forestry ring tradition at UNB died out.

In 1960 the tradition of UNB graduate foresters wearing rings was reborn. UBC foresters began getting graduation rings in 1953. For his class at UNB Ken Plourde (’60) designed the ring shown above top. It was available in a choice of gold or silver. By 1961 all forestry schools in Canada (UNB, Laval, U of T and UNB) were making available graduation rings to their students—at the student’s expense. In 1967 as a Centennial project, the Canadian Institute of Forestry assumed responsibility for providing the rings. At the same time, foresters at UNB could buy a ring with the UNB forestry crest at the Bookstore. Since then, the ring worn by UNB forestry graduates has been the ring provided by the CIF. In 2002, the CIF added graduates from recognized forestry technical schools to those eligible to wear the silver ring. Their ring (shown above bottom) is engraved with a leaf.

The Silver Ring provided is normally worn on the little finger of the working hand with the tip of the tree or the leaf growing out, symbolic of a growing professional responsibility. [Photo of CIF rings and some of the information courtesy of the Canadian Institute of Forestry]