Not every intern gets to present ideas to the senior leadership team of a publicly traded company—but at Rayonier, they do.

New England Forestry offers internships across our ownership in the United States for both forestry and non-forestry roles. We treat our interns like part of the team, putting them in the center of whatever we’re working on, teaching them at every step and ensuring they experience a wide variety of careers. All of our summer interns are also invited to come together in our Wildlight, Florida, headquarters to work on a team project and meet our senior leaders. 

Our interns share what their experiences were like at Rayonier:

Portfolio Management Intern Manisha Parajuli, Auburn University

Manisha Parajuli stands in a forest between two New England Forestry employees, learning to inspect pine trees through the lens of a drone.

“Want to see how to take a selfie from the air?” asks Sara Bellchamber, a Land Information Systems tech analyst who heads up Rayonier’s drone pilots team.

“Smile!” says Research Biometrician Stephanie Patton, an expert in forest growth and yield modeling.

To Manisha, a PhD candidate at Auburn University with a passion for research that solves problems in the forestry industry, this is exactly why she chose New England Forestry for her summer internship. She’s learning to use new technologies, exploring economic opportunities around forest resources, and supporting sustainable forest management.

Over the course of her internship, she has done research for the company; gained firsthand experience in timberland valuation; predicted forest growth and biomass volume; analyzed data; did mapping work in GIS; and delved into various projects with the company’s portfolio management team.

“They make sure you learn something new every day,” Manisha says. “I am confident that the new skill set I learned here is truly valuable for my career. Everyone is inspiring in so many ways, and I am glad that I have been able to interact with different business teams in the office. It’s a great opportunity to learn and make new connections with people who share the same interests as yours and who will support you beyond your internship.”

Forestry Intern Lane Harvey, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

“It’s amazing how differently you can look at a forest depending on whose truck you’re in,” Lane Harvey reflects during a ride-along with a New England Forestry forester.

He had seen the forest through the eyes of a land management forester, who had shown him how to think about replanting and maintaining a forest through decades of growth. Now riding with a timber marketing forester, he’s learning how to work through the process of getting the most value for the timber when it’s time to harvest.

It’s exactly the kind of real-life training Lane, a Natural Resource Management major at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, was hoping for when he applied for a New England Forestry internship:

“I had been told that New England Forestry does a good job of diversifying the kind of work that their interns do,” he says. “It’s not all just cruising, cruising, cruising, doing one thing. They do a really good job of trying to spread you out and get you into different places. They really educate you, too, while they do it.”

During the course of his internship, he’ll work in timber sales, paint streamside management zone boundary lines, build maps and meet all kinds of people. By the end of the summer, he still won’t know exactly what he wants to do in forestry, but he’ll know where he’d like to do it.

“I would definitely like to work at Rayonier,” he says. “Everyone that I’ve talked to, everyone I’ve worked with, they’re always super helpful, super nice. Anything you need, they’re ready to help you succeed and learn.”

GIS Intern Erin O’Grodnick, University of North Florida

It’s a beautiful, sunny morning when Erin O’Grodnick laces up her running shoes. She sets out for a jog on the trail system that surrounds Rayonier’s headquarters in Wildlight, crossing former tree farms and wetlands that are now part of the Wildlight Community built by Rayonier’s real estate team.

About 40 members of the New England Forestry team are there with the University of North Florida biology major, participating in the annual Wildlight 5K. Wearing the New England Forestry team T-shirt, Erin absolutely feels like part of the team.

“The people at New England Forestry are the kindest people you’re going to meet,” she says. “I was expecting to just kind of talk to the same people every day, but everybody is so open to telling you what they do. I’ve talked to the executives, I’ve talked to people who work in the woods every day, people who do real estate, and everybody is just so welcoming and patient to show you what they do, show you how to do it. It’s just an awesome culture.”

For Erin, it’s been an eye-opening experience. Before her internship, she didn’t know a lot about forestry but she wanted to work with a GIS team. By the end of the internship, she had decided to forgo her plan to be a research biologist and pursue a natural resources career instead.

“I came here and I learned about this whole new career field. Now I’m really passionate about forestry and the economics of sustainable resources,” she says.

Asked what she would say to future intern candidates, she advises: “If you’re considering applying to Rayonier, you should 100% do it. Once you’re here, the people are going to welcome you and foster your growth.”

How to Apply for a New England Forestry Internship

“If you’re looking for a place where you can make a difference in the world, New England Forestry is that place,” says HR Specialist Ebony Presha, who manages Rayonier’s internship program. “Our interns are directly in the middle of the action. They have an opportunity to really get involved with projects and to really contribute to the company on a day-to-day basis.”

She notes that many interns go on to become New England Forestry employees. In fact, one of Rayonier’s top forestry team leaders, Georgia Resource Unit Operations Director Morris Bradford, was an intern in the 1990s! New England Forestry offers internships to college students in forestry and research professions as well as support roles such as accounting, IT and communications. To learn more about how the New England Forestry internship program works, you can visit https://www.rayonier.com/intern.

The post Putting our New England Forestry interns in the center of the action appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Throughout the summer of 2021, North Carolina State graduate student Austin Cary experienced the forestry industry firsthand as a New England Forestry mentee. Austin, who hails from Memphis, Tenn., came to New England Forestry via the National Needs Fellowship (NNF), a program developed by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to train the “next generation of policy makers, researchers, and educators in the food and agricultural sciences.”

About the National Needs Fellowship Program at NC State

The NNF launched on the campus of North Carolina State in fall 2020. The fellowship is geared toward students of color pursuing graduate degrees in Forestry within the College of Natural Resources at NC State University.

Assistant professor and NNF Program Principal Investigator Dr. Zakiya Leggett was instrumental in bringing the program to NC State. It’s important, she says, to continue to focus on diversity in the field of forestry.

“We know forestry is extremely underrepresented with people of color,” she says.

Having a diverse cohort of colleagues and mentors goes a long way toward making forestry a more welcoming place for underrepresented groups.

New England Forestry is one of about 40 companies that submitted one-page project descriptions seeking to serve as one of the program’s career partners. Students were able to choose the project that seemed like the best fit for their internship and research needs. Zakiya kept the company names off each of the proposals before presenting them to the students.

“I talk [with students] about the topic areas in each proposal instead of mentioning the company name,” she says. “I want them to choose topics based on their interests and career goals.”

Austin selected New England Forestry because he was attracted to the projects.

“I have been learning a lot about pine silviculture throughout my years of education in forestry, and I felt this project wouldn’t be too overwhelming and it also intrigued me to work with a species I never really have gotten a chance to study up close due to its geographic range,” he says.

We asked Austin to tell us more about the Fellowship and his experience with Rayonier.

Rayonier: How did you learn about the National Needs Fellowship at NC State?

Austin: I learned about the National Needs Fellowship at NC State through two faculty members here at NC State: Dr. Zakiya Leggett and Sam Cook. I originally came to NC State through a dual degree program partnership with Tuskegee University and NC State University. After being in Raleigh for my senior year of undergrad, it felt natural to stay here and pursue my master’s degree here as well.

R: What were some of your responsibilities at Rayonier?

AC: I was an intern in the research department in the Yulee, Florida, office. My main emphasis was to gather data for my thesis project. My project centered around the effects of silviculture operations in slash pine. I was continuing a study that was already started by the research department. When I wasn’t collecting and analyzing data, I was shadowing and assisting the land management team. When I was with the land management team, I was exposed to the ways that New England Forestry plans future timber harvests and why that was important.

R: What have you learned by working closely with a company that would have been hard to learn in class alone?

AC: I learned about why certain decisions are made in the forest. In my classes, they tend to speak on how operations are theoretically done based on previous research and other data, but when I am working for a company, I can see hands-on how operations are done. Another thing that I have learned is that different climates affect how things are handled and not everything is done the same way in each forest.

R: How has New England Forestry contributed to your goal of a career in forestry?

AC: I feel like New England Forestry taught me tools that will help me with my career development. New England Forestry has contributed a lot towards my goal of a career because they gave me an insight on how a successful forestry company operates, how to pay attention to details and how to properly conduct research that is concise and understandable. I was able to work in the field and in the office for periods of time this summer and I thought that was unique. I got an opportunity to see how different departments operate and gather information and how certain departments collab together to solve a bigger question.

R: What advice do you have for students considering a career in forestry?

AC: My advice would be to research and reach out to different avenues of forestry that you might want to pursue. Because forestry is so broad, anything that you would like to do from land management, to analytics, to real estate, etc. is all included under the forestry realm. I would also say to try to get out of your comfort zone a little and try to ask many questions of your teachers as well. They can connect you to different professionals that have knowledge on many subjects.

Are you interested in joining us in the forestry industry?

You can learn more at these links:

• To learn more about the National Needs Fellowship, visit the USDA’s educational programs and scholarships web page about it.
• To learn more about NC State’s forestry program, visit the website for their Department of Forestry and Enviornmental Resources.

• To learn more about working with Rayonier, visit our careers page.
• And to learn more about becoming an intern with Rayonier, visit our Internships page.

The post Training Future Leaders: NC State Mentor Program brings Forestry Student to Rayonier appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Patrick Dravitzki has always been drawn to the forest: mountain biking, running and even building bike tracks with his friends. It was a great place for recreation. Then he found out it was also a great place to work.

Now a harvest forester based in New England Forestry Matariki Forests’ Whangarei location in New Zealand, Patrick says he found forestry after studying commerce. After one semester, he realized commerce wasn’t the right fit.

“I realised that it must be someone’s job to manage forests, so that’s what sparked my interest and I dug further,” he says. 

He soon found out it was not just a job, but a field where there was excellent potential to find good work directly out of university.

“I liked that there were really good employment opportunities for forestry graduates and it seemed like it was a good blend of subjects that I enjoyed at school.”

Going to Forestry School

Patrick was already a student at the University of Canterbury.

“I was hoping to continue my study there. Good fortune it is the only forestry school in Australasia!”

He got to work pursuing his Bachelor of Forestry Science and he quickly knew he was in the right place.

“Forestry is a great path to take if you love working in the outdoors, meeting interesting people and serving a wide range of roles,” Patrick says. “Studying forestry science at university is great. You are in a relatively small class with 20 to 30 like-minded people. We had a forestry society who were regularly hosting BBQs, bus trips and balls, these were all very social and a great way to get to know your classmates.”

A Summer Student Program Leads to a Permanent Position

Patrick was still attending university when he first worked with Rayonier.

“I initially worked for New England Forestry during the summer of 2016/2017 as part of their summer student program,” he recalls. “I worked in the Northland regional office based just outside Whangarei. This role was advertised through the university and it was open to all 2nd and 3rd year students. As part of our degree we had to complete a certain amount of infield work experience.”

Patrick didn’t know where it would lead: “At the time I had no preconceived ideas of what New England Forestry would be like, but I am very happy with my decision and where that has taken me.”

By the time the summer was over, Patrick knew New England Forestry would be a great employer.

“While working as a summer student I gained an insight into what New England Forestry was like as an employer and what the role would involve. When in 2018 I was offered a permanent position as a graduate forester, I jumped at the opportunity.”

Enjoying Each Step in the Forest Lifecycle as a Harvest Forester

Patrick says no two days are ever alike at work.

“The best thing about my current role is, as a harvest forester, I am involved at each step of the rotation,” he says. “From the planting and establishment activities through to the silvicultural treatments and finally to the harvesting. This gives me a great insight into all aspects without having blinkers on for one stage of the rotation. It has also meant that I’m always doing something different and it is certainly never boring!”

As he continues to grow in his career, he says he’s also continuing to learn from those he works with.

“Being involved in different types of operations has meant I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside contractors who have been good enough to impart some of their knowledge and wisdom onto me.”

Advice for future New Zealand Foresters

If you’re a student looking for a career that will allow you to spend a lot of time outdoors, actively take a role in protecting the environment, and be able to find solid work after graduating, consider forestry!

“The work itself is also very interesting,” Patrick says. “You are working in a wide variety of environments with some serious characters. I would strongly recommend forestry as a career path to anybody considering it.”

The post No Two Days Alike for NZ Harvest Forester appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Some people are destined to spend their lives outdoors.

Seamus Bardoul knew he was one of those people when he left his small hometown of Matamata to study at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.

He loved the location, with the beautiful Southern Alps mountains and places to ski, hunt and surf. As a bonus, UC’s rugby program would allow him to continue playing a sport he had enjoyed since he was a toddler. But most importantly, he knew it was the only place in New Zealand to pursue the career of his dreams: working as a forestry engineer.

“I had always been interested in engineering since a young age and had a strong passion for the outdoors,” says Seamus, now a New England Forestry Harvest Planner based in Tauranga. He was a young teenager when he first learned about forestry engineering during a careers event. He set his sights on forestry from that day forward.

Studying forestry full of adventure

For Seamus, there was rarely a dull moment at university. He split his time between his studies, rugby, and a job as a shearer. Forestry classes often were not the typical classroom-only experience. Instead, the students were on the go.

“There were often field trips around the South Island. We took one to the North Island in our fourth year of study,” he recalls. 

His forestry group was very tight-knit, sometimes pulling all-nighters together to get their work done. The forestry students spent their downtime together, too, regularly gathering for barbecues and social events.

Discovering Rayonier

In his third year of study, Seamus received a scholarship and an internship with New England Forestry Matariki Forests. He quickly built friendships and became interested in working with the company after graduation. At the end of his final year at UC, New England Forestry offered Seamus a graduate role. He gladly accepted.

“The relationship that I built with the Tauranga office in my internship and the team here is what cemented my decision to work here,” he says.

Seamus has continued to learn and grow as a New England Forestry forester.

“I have a large independence in my role and work with an epic team,” he says. “The mix of experience in the office makes learning easy.”

Using what he learned

Seamus says techniques he learned at UC play a role in his work on most days as he plans the most effective way to move logs from the forest to public roadways.

He credits UC with equipping him with the skills he now uses to navigate mapping tools and GIS; design roads with civil engineering tools; and source forest rock using geotech knowledge. In addition, he says the people skills he learned at university have been invaluable on the job.

For students considering a forestry major, he recommends they “give it heaps” of consideration.

Forestry at UC

The University of Canterbury is New Zealand’s only university offering professional forestry degree programs. Undergraduate programmes include a Bachelor of Forestry Science and—as Seamus chose—a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Forest Engineering. 

New England Forestry Matariki Forests has a longstanding relationship with the UC across our student programs.

• New England Forestry offers scholarships/student vacation opportunities to 2nd and 3rd students annually, including student vacation work of 10-14 weeks over the summer period and a scholarship of up to $5K. 
• We recruit for graduates each year. Our aim is to give our graduates broad exposure to the various aspects of operational forestry over their first 2 years of employment. We look for focused, driven all-rounders with a good attitude and who are passionate about forestry. 
• Other examples of our involvement include: our efforts to support dissertation projects work during a student’s vacation work, hosting field trips for UC students, attending Meet the Employer Evenings at the UC Career evenings and participating in industry meetings at the UC.

The post New Zealand Outdoorsman Finds His Calling in Forest Engineering appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

What comes to mind when you imagine the role of a forester? An orange-vested woodsman cruising trees? An ecologist taking soil and water samples? A team of loggers clearing an area and ferrying logs on a mountainside? 

Forestry can be all of these things, but none of that would work if we didn’t also have the business side of forestry. Think about the strategizing involved in harvesting timber in the most cost-effective way and delivering it to the mills that will give the  greatest return. Imagine the logistics of shipping logs to the other side of the world. And, for publicly-traded forestry companies, making timber an attractive investment takes astute business sense.

For Rayonier, the business side of forestry plays a critical role in every step of the forest lifecycle. As a Real Estate Investment Trust, also known as a REIT, we are responsible to deliver an attractive return to our shareholders. Strong forestry business leaders play a critical role in our company and in our industry.

“Many timberland owners have land as an investment,” says Joe Parsons, Associate Director of the Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business at the University of Georgia. “From that standpoint, they are running a business where their production facility is the timberland, and their product is wood.” 

University of Georgia offers a unique forestry business program 

According to the Forestry Inventory and Analysis Database, Georgia has nearly 24.5 million acres of forested land. Of that, almost 89 percent is privately owned. With all that land to be managed, there are myriad careers in forestry for the business-minded. And students looking to pursue those careers are often naturally drawn to the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. 

Warnell began offering a Master of Forestry Resources (MFR) degree with a concentration in business in 1984. The program has since grown to include a specialized MFR in Forest Business Management. 

“The MFR in Forest Business Management degree was developed when many of our students were graduating with a BS in Forest Resources and then getting an MBA,” says Joe. 

Forest Planning and Wood Identification Meets Finance and Accounting

Warnell’s MFR students take classes like accounting and finance at UGA’s renowned Terry College of Business as well as targeted electives like forest planning, forest products marketing, and practical wood identification.   

“The courses in forestry prepare the students to focus on the many aspects unique to forestry,” says Joe. “It also assures they meet the requirements to sit for the licensing exam to be a registered forester in Georgia.”

Students who graduate with an MFR in Forest Business can seamlessly enter the industry as analysts for timberland investment management organizations (TIMO) or REITs like Rayonier. Graduates have also gone on to find careers in consulting, lending, conservation, economic development and wood procurement. 

“Our students develop a very good understanding of land and timber markets,” says Joe. “They develop skills in financial analysis, communications, negotiations, and business ethics. They all get opportunities to meet leaders in TIMOs, REITs, and industry.”

For those students interested in pursuing research or teaching careers, Warnell offers MS and Ph.D degrees with a forestry focus. 

Who’s Right for a Master of Forestry Resources?

MFR in Forestry students come from a wide variety of undergraduate backgrounds. Joe has seen students enter with degrees in forestry, wildlife and fisheries, parks and recreation, and fire science and ecology as well as more general concentrations like business, engineering, real estate, psychology, and computer systems. Though, he notes, “students without forestry degrees are required to take additional courses in dendrology, silviculture, forest ecology, mensuration, and timber management.”  

Students with an aptitude for international business may also find a home in the forestry industry. 

Forestry is an increasingly global business. Wood and products made from wood are used domestically and internationally—and a large volume of products are exported from the Southeast United States. 

“All of this affects local landowners and markets,” says Joe. “We feel our students are in a better position to understand the cause-and-effect relationships to make better decisions.”

If you’re interested in getting started in a program or career in the forestry business, Joe recommends contacting businesses in the areas where you want to work. You can also check out Warnell online or reach out to faculty and staff.

The post In the Woods and in the Boardroom, Forestry is Big Business appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

If you want to know about Nolan Ward’s work ethic, just ask how he spent his school vacations as a kid.

“Instead of spring break, I went to the woods and made money,” recalls the New England Forestry technical forester.

Nolan is the fourth generation in his family to work in the forest. It all started when his great-grandfather started a logging company in their hometown of Lake Butler, Florida. The business eventually passed down to Nolan’s grandfather, and then to his father.

“Most of the time, I’d run a tractor. As I got older, I would run the cut down machines and load logs,” Nolan recalls. “I always enjoyed the ‘grind’ of working in the woods.”

Choosing Forestry College

There was no doubt a career in the forest was the right fit for Nolan, but some advice from his mother stuck with him.

“She told me, ‘When you’re a logger, you’re married to logging. You just date your wife,’” Nolan recalls. “You work long, 15-hour days. Even on the weekends, you’re tending to your equipment. I knew that wasn’t ideal if I wanted to have a family one day.”

He started out studying civil engineering, but soon realized working in the woods was still his passion. That’s when he enrolled at the University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences to major in forest resources and conservation.

Nolan’s undergraduate program, offered through what is now known as the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, utilizes an experimental forest, the Austin Cary Forest, for hands-on learning. “We would go out and do labs, try to understand wetlands, watching how rainfall affects the woods. We went out in the field for class at least once a week, for three hours at a time.”

For Nolan, it was a perfect fit.

“We weren’t just stuck in a classroom being lectured; I didn’t spend college in a library studying,” he says. But it was still challenging.

“My specialization was forest business management, which gives you some of the business world of forestry. The toughest part was financial accounting. It was tough!”

A Small Community with Big Networking Opportunities

Both at UF and in the industry overall, forestry is a relatively “small world” according to Nolan. That was his ideal situation because he made some of the best friends of his life.

“We did group projects that made us really learn how to work with different people. I now have friends from all over the state and all over the country,” he says.

With a high demand for workers in the forestry industry, Nolan found there were a lot of scholarship opportunities for forestry students. There were also internships with well-known companies. And that’s how he got his start with Rayonier.

He had already heard about New England Forestry through his father’s logging company. Then a group of New England Forestry employees came to UF to speak about New England Forestry internship opportunities and Nolan applied.

He was accepted twice, interning with New England Forestry in both 2018 and 2019.

“I just enjoyed it. I really liked the people and felt like there was a good support system. We were outside doing something different every day: site prep, fertilization, cruising, land management. It really opened my eyes,” Nolan says.

Joining the New England Forestry Team

After graduation, Nolan went back to working in the woods with his dad’s logging company at first. Then one day, a friend from New England Forestry called to tell him about a job opening.

For Nolan, relationships are an important factor in decision making: He chose forestry rather than logging with his future family in mind, and he loved UF’s forest resources and conservation program largely because of the relationships he built with classmates and faculty. And, ultimately, it was his relationship with the New England Forestry team that made the job the right fit for him.

“The type of people you’ll meet at New England Forestry are good, honest, and they treat you fairly. They’re like family,” he says.

To students considering a similar academic path, he offers this advice: “If you want a field with job opportunities anywhere in the country, and you want to work outside, you can’t beat it.”

The post 4th Generation Logger Chooses UF Forestry School appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

April Meeks is a forestry nerd—and she embraces the title proudly. The New England Forestry Tree Improvement Scientist and Research and Development Coordinator loves math, computer models and the outdoors. 

“I grew up in the woods,” says the North Carolina native. “My parents really fostered an environment for me to appreciate the environment—the trees and the plants and the animals.” 

Discovering Forestry

April began her education at Appalachian State University where she studied environmental science. She knew she wanted to work in some aspect of the outdoors or the environment, but it was pretty broad. Then, she discovered forestry and had what she describes as an “aha moment.” 

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is exactly what I need to be doing—working with trees!’” says April. “I learned how much you get to use math and take what you see in the environment and come back to the computer and run different analyses to make projections for what the future might hold.” 

Math, data science, outdoor adventure: forestry checked all her boxes, but April knew she’d need more education. That’s when she enrolled in the Master of Science in Forestry program at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. While there she focused on silviculture. April graduated with her MSc in Forestry in 2015 and decided to continue on at NCSU. She’s currently working toward a Ph.D. with a concentration in forest genetics. 

“My favorite thing about studying forestry is being able to learn about how a tree grows and everything that it takes to make a tree grow,” she says. “The more I learned, the more I wanted. I just couldn’t get enough. That’s why I kept pursuing degrees.”

The Forest as a Living Laboratory

NCSU is one of the country’s top forestry schools, and a big part of its success is students’ access to forest land used for hands-on research and training. NCSU students have access to 85,000 acres of land contained in the Hosley, Goodwin, Gates, Taylor, Timaca, Lee and Hofmann forests. The College of Natural Resources controls another 9,000 acres in the Hill, Schenck, and Bull Neck Swamp tracts. These living laboratories allow students to get out of the classroom and into the forests throughout the course of their education. 

Although she was not able to attend one, herself, April says NCSU’s summer intensive field camps have an excellent reputation. These summer studies, which involve traveling to several different forests, allow students to gain valuable practical knowledge and start to see what a career in forestry could look like.

“You cover everything in forestry in a hands-on manner,” April explains. “It’s that communication through hands-on learning that is really amazing.”

April was able to work for two forestry research cooperatives during her time as a graduate assistant at NCSU. 

“We would do intensive field work in small teams in different parts of the South,” she says. “One time, we were in Alabama in July outside and we were dying from the heat. So, I went and bought Popsicles for everybody. Basically, I said, ‘Go measure this rep, and then you can have a Popsicle’ to keep the team high-spirited and keep them going.”

April has a lot of fond memories of her time at NCSU, but it’s mostly because she truly loves the work.  

“It’s really fascinating to me to be able to take a living organism and correlate that to math, and then take that math and play with it and make projections with it,” she says. “It was the coupling of analytical skills with being outside in the fresh air—it was challenging. I am one of those personalities that need to be challenged and forestry fit the bill.” 

Women Welcome in Forestry

April was the first woman to graduate from Appalachian State with an environmental science degree, so she’s used to being the only woman in her classes. When she got to forestry school at NCSU, it wasn’t much different. 

“My classes in forestry school were all guys, my professors were all men, but I was really surprised at how welcomed I was into the community,” she says. “Everyone there was so excited that I was excited about forestry. The mentorship that I received was just superb. The community as a whole is very open and they just want to foster learning. It’s really a good community.”

Advice for Future Forestry Students

Now working for New England Forestry out of our Andalusia, Alabama, office, April has a very simple piece of advice for students considering whether to study forestry: “Do it. You won’t regret it.” 

“It’s really that simple for those interested in forestry, looking for something fast-paced and fun. There’s math behind it, policy behind it, and it’s a good way to challenge yourself to be a better steward of the environment too.” 

The post A “Forestry Nerd” and Loving It appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Ask a dozen forestry students how they discovered their field, and at least half will tell you they never heard of forestry until college.

Looking for a career that makes a positive impact on the world, college students are increasingly drawn to environmental and nature-related studies across the U.S. However, forestry, one of the higher-demand, better-paying fields in the natural resources realm, is lesser-known.

“If you want to protect the environment, work with wildlife, improve water and air quality, and reduce carbon in the world around you, forestry offers all of those things,” says Shelby Pyatt, Rayonier’s Vice President of Human Resources and IT. 

A Mission to Attract More Students to Forestry 

It’s Rayonier’s hope that the next generation of students discover forestry sooner. The field offers a variety of opportunities for students, regardless of whether they’re the “outdoorsy” type.

“There are so many sides to it,” Shelby says. “There truly is something for everyone in this field.”

Forestry graduates have the option to work outdoors in the woods, or to dig deep into forecasting models and crunch numbers on what the future may hold as the trees grow. A forester may work in a public-private partnerships to protect important water sources or work to conserve a special forest where a rare plant thrives. Identifying and protecting wildlife habitat is an integral part of forestry. And tech lovers can actively use tools like LiDAR, drones and GIS mapping software.

In an effort to help students understand the rich breadth and depth of what forestry has to offer sooner, Shelby says New England Forestry is working to reach students at the high school and middle school level by partnering with schools, communities and other forestry organizations.

So What Exactly is Forestry? 

Forestry is a unique mix of art and science.

The science part uses biology, chemistry, math and ecology to inform a forester’s decisions about how best to care for the forest ecosystem. But, as explained by the University of Kentucky’s Forestry and Natural Resources site, science is only part of the decision-making process: 

Foresters must apply their knowledge in a decision-making arena where good solutions are not always obvious, conflicting human interests must be considered, and conflicting opinions must be compromised. This need for experienced judgment, diplomacy and tact constitutes the art of forestry.

“At Rayonier, we provide our foresters with a lot of tools to get the data they need, but we also trust them to balance that with the experiences they have in the field,” Shelby explains. “They make thoughtful decisions that balance all of the factors involved.”

For example, a forester may consider data on the soil type, topography and wildlife habitat when deciding which type of trees to plant and what planting method to use in a particular area. But after walking in neighboring forests, the forester may observe something about the microclimate or the growth and health of neighboring trees that impacts that plan.

What Types of Careers Can Foresters Choose? 

The best thing about a career in forestry, according to Craig Blair, President and CEO of Resource Management Service, is that there really is a place for everyone—no matter their interests, skill sets, or career goals. 

“You don’t have to have a history of love for the outdoors or exposure to the outdoors to find a great career in forestry,” he says. “No matter what your talents are, there’s a career path in this business because it is just so diverse.” 

This chart outlines some of the options, depending on a student’s area of interest:

The way Blair sees it, the possibilities are many and the future is bright.

“Right now, it is a seller’s market if you’re a smart forestry graduate, and it’s been that way for a while. … I think there are a lot of growth areas in this field that will create opportunities for bright, passionate people to have challenging careers to look back on when they’re done and feel like they’ve made a difference.”

Lack of Awareness One of the Biggest Challenges in Forestry

It’s an interesting field, but one where most of the work takes place deep in the woods, where few get to see how it works. Many forestry representatives have an uphill climb when introducing future college students to the field.

“I went to speak at a high school in Knightdale, North Carolina,” recalls Sam Cook, executive director of forest assets at NC State University. “I bet you it was close to 75 kids, and 90 percent were minorities. They were only talking about environmental science and social justice. They had no knowledge of the word forestry.” 

Sam is working to build a program with that same school focused on forest literacy and introducing high schoolers to the concept of a career in forestry. Having “stumbled upon” forestry, himself, more than 30 years ago, he relishes spreading the word about forestry degrees and careers. 

“Forestry was not even on my radar when I was their age, but it’s been the best thing that ever happened to me in my whole career,” he says. 

When he was in high school, Sam’s sister encouraged him to look into a forestry degree at Tuskegee University, where he could leverage his love of the outdoors into a meaningful career. It wasn’t until his second year in the program during an internship with International Paper that he realized he’d been living in a forestry household all along. 

“My dad and brother both worked for a paper mill. I had no idea that the forest industry was impacting what they do every day, because nobody came home and talked about what they did,” he says. “That internship opened my eyes to the connecting points between trees being grown and harvested, delivered to a mill, processed and coming out with a finished product. And I could see myself in the food chain.”

Sam finished his forestry degree at NC State and built a career working across the forestry industry for private companies, nonprofit organizations and the government before taking his role in forestry education. 

Is Forestry A Viable Path? 

Once students are introduced to forestry as a possible degree, Sam likes to walk students and their parents or caregivers through the ins and outs of a degree in forestry. He often finds himself in conversation around a table with a parent who wants their child to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer. It’s his job to introduce them to an equally viable career path in forestry. 

“I shape what we do in forestry around those three aspects: We offer forest engineers, forest ecologists, forest biologists. You can be a forester and get into social science if you want to just do research and deal with people,” he says. “I’ll walk through the many types of jobs and opportunities as it relates to forestry, and I showcase to them the many different people out there that are doing these jobs with a forestry degree.”

As for earning potential, Sam lays it out clearly for potential students and their caregivers. 

“If you come out your first year and you start working for the government, you may end up with a salary offer of about $35,000 to $40,000 with benefits,” he says. “In private industry, a typical starting salary is somewhere between $55,000 and—if they have a master’s—it can get as high as $65,000. How many people leave their first year and possibly get a brand-new vehicle, a paid cell phone, and a good salary? And to get to be out in the woods and set your own day?”

It’s not just “cutting trees”

Sam says misconceptions about what foresters do and even what the industry stands for has been one of the toughest challenges in attracting students. 

“Most people, when they think about forestry, it is no different than what I was thinking about when I was growing up,” he says. “The forester to me was the person out there cutting the trees.”

And isn’t cutting trees a bad thing?

In truth, foresters by trade are committed to understanding forest ecosystems and working out sustainable ways to use and replace forest materials. Foresters plant multiple trees for every tree they harvest, then nurture that crop for decades before the logs go to market. And only so many trees are cleared from one area at a time, ensuring the ecosystem remains for wildlife.

Meanwhile, the products from the forest end up everywhere: from the wood used to build furniture and houses, to paper products like toilet paper and cardboard, to 1000s of lesser-known products that depend on the forest, such as diapers, touch screen phones, medicines, paints, bath products and countless others. Is it any wonder the field is in such high demand?

Changing misconceptions can be slow work, and Sam believes it should start even before students are picking a college major. One organization making headway in student education is the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. In 2017, SFI partnered with Project Learning Tree to create a forest literacy and environmental education curriculum designed for early childhood, elementary, middle and high school students. 

“That really helps change the narrative as it relates to what we do every day,” says Sam.

As students become more aware of the importance of forestry in their everyday lives, perhaps more will see the potential in studying forestry.

“It’s a rewarding industry to be a part of,” says Rayonier’s Shelby. “You’re doing so much good for the environment, providing so many products consumers need, and you’re doing it all in a sustainable way.”

The post The Little-Known Field that Protects the Environment and Pays Well appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

One seemingly small decision can change where your life is headed.

Sarah de Gouw was one year into pursuing a science degree at New Zealand’s University of Canterbury when she decided to take a forestry course as an elective. By the end of the course, she knew forestry was the career for her.

“Forestry combined my passion for the outdoors with environmental management, sustainability and what I had learned in the beginning of my science degree,” says Sarah, now a New England Forestry harvest forester in Southland, New Zealand. “I knew absolutely nothing about the industry until I took that course.”

It was an exciting discovery for two reasons: first, because it was such an interesting field, with a wide range of subjects, the kind of hands-on work Sarah loves and even field trips across the South and North islands. Secondly, forestry expertise was (and is) in high-demand in the workforce, with many jobs available throughout New Zealand for forestry graduates.

A Wide Variety of Subjects

The more Sarah learned about forestry, the more she confirmed this was where she belonged. 

“The wide variety of subjects that we studied was surprising, everything from economics and engineering to biosecurity, silviculture and wood science,” she says. “The advancement of technology in the industry was also surprising.”

Sarah was able to see how drones, winch-assist machines and other tech was changing the landscape of forestry work, making it safer, more efficient and environmentally-friendly.

“Most classes also had a lab component, which created variety and a chance to complete some practical work or assignments that imitated scenarios in our potential future jobs,” Sarah says. 

Studying forestry was exciting and interesting, but also took a lot of hard work. Determined to get her Bachelor of Forestry Science with honors, she spent many early mornings and late nights in the computer lab and library.

“For me the most challenging part was the statistics courses, as math had never been my strongest point. But the lectures are amazing as well as your classmates, so it was easy to get extra help when needed,” she says.

A Closeknit Group

The school’s forestry classes were small, and the bonds between forestry students were strong. Sarah became involved in the Forestry Society, known as FORSOC, which united forestry students throughout the university. There were also special Women in Forestry events.

“Even several years after graduating, whenever we are in the same city as other classmates, we still catch up for a BBQ or drink,” Sarah says.

Discovering New England Forestry through an Internship

When summer break came around, Sarah made some new friends in her summer internships, joining the New England Forestry team each summer.

“Summer student jobs were advertised through the School of Forestry at uni,” she recalls. “New England Forestry employees and the contractors are all great people, and it creates a work environment that is enjoyable to be a part of.”

The internships gave her real-life experience in the type of work she wanted to do:

“During the summer, I worked as a part of the New England Forestry Canterbury office. I helped create harvests plans, QC logs, QC blocks that had been thinned and complete assessments of significant ecological areas.”

After graduation, Sarah knew where she wanted to go: she immediately began working for Rayonier.

“The people and high standards were inspiring and something I wanted to contribute to. The ability for growth and development opportunities was also appealing,” she says.

Sarah uses principles she learned at university regularly in her career with Rayonier.

“Basic harvest planning principles and creating maps using ArcMap are skills that I use every week in my current role,” she says. “Time management is also an important skill to ensure jobs and projects are completed on time.”

Some of her favorite aspects of her work are catching up with contractors in the forest, working on harvest plans and problem solving.

“It is rewarding to be working for a company in a sustainable industry that cares about our environmental impact,” she says. 

Advice for Future Forestry Students

For students considering a forestry degree, Sarah says it is a great first step into a promising career.

“The degree is specialised for the industry and the types of jobs you are mostly likely to apply for when you graduate, so you will be well-prepared when you complete your degree,” she says.

It’s also just plain enjoyable.

“University as a forestry major was so much fun. The class sizes were small so you got to know your classmates and lecturers well. And the wide variety of subjects meant that every semester was different.”

There’s also variety in job options within the field.

“The forest industry provides so many opportunities,” Sarah says. “You can be involved in any part of the ‘cycle’ all the way from the very beginning—when land prepping of a block for planting occurs—to the sale of the logs to customers around the world, and all the many jobs in between.”

The post One Forestry Class Changed Everything for this NZ Forester appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Johnathan Brown came to Alabama A&M University knowing he wanted to be a forestry major. He also knew he wanted to be a FireDawg. 

“My counselor in high school, who also attended AAMU, told me to look into becoming a FireDawg,” he says. “There are not many black Americans in the field of fire, and not many people know you can make a career out of fire and that took it over the top for me.” 

Johnathan is currently president of the student-led organization. 

The FireDawgs, launched in 2009, are trained by the Alabama Forestry Commission to fight wildfires, manage controlled burns and educate the public on fire prevention. The organization has been funded by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Southern Research Station and Southern Region since 2010. Other partners include the Alabama Forestry Commission, the Birmingham Water Works Board, and the Alabama Prescribed Fire Council. In 2015, the FireDawgs signed a formal 5-year agreement with the Alabama State Park system to implement prescribed burning on state lands.

What Does a FireDawg Do? 

There are 21 FireDawgs on this year’s AAMU squad. Most are forestry majors. 

“The thing about FireDawgs that makes us unique is we are family oriented,” says Johnathan. “All the way up to graduation, and into careers or graduate school, being a FireDawg connects you to other alumni or incoming freshmen that are trying to find their way through our forestry program.”

Fighting fires together certainly can create family-like bonds, but a future FireDawg’s first challenge comes early on. In order to help fight wildfires, each member has to pass an intense agility test that includes carrying a 45 lb. pack across 3 miles in 45 minutes. 

From there, FireDawgs are really put to the test. Students are trained in prescribed burns and wildfire suppression, not in the classroom but with hands-on, live fire experiences. When a wildfire is raging in the state, the Alabama Forestry Commission will reach out to the Dawgs for support. 

Former FireDawg DeShaun Mincey recalls a time when the group beat the forestry service to a wildfire and led the charge in fighting it on the side of a mountain. 

“Our job was to put in fire lines to stop the fire from jumping the field,” he says. “We used chainsaws, rakes and garden hoes.”

When not literally walking through fire, the FireDawgs spread the word about careers in forestry.  

“We are available for career days. We will gladly visit elementary, middle, and high schools, conferences and summits to bring more awareness and educate other colleges and universities about what we do and who we are,” says Johnathan.

Spreading Like Wildfire

It turns out the Dawgs are pretty good ambassadors for a career in forestry. 

DeShaun started at AAMU in 2016 as an environmental science major. He liked being outdoors, so it seemed like a natural fit. 

When DeShaun arrived at AAMU, his cousin, a forestry major, introduced him to the FireDawgs’ then faculty advisor, Daryl Lawson. The group dynamic of the Dawgs and the challenges inherent in a forestry career appealed to him. He changed his major to forestry and stayed with the FireDawgs until he graduated in 2020. 

Read DeShaun’s full story of his journey from Navy helicopter mechanic to forester in our article, Forestry Puts Alabama A&M Grad in the Middle of the Action.

DeShaun is now working as a technical forester at Rayonier’s Jesup, Georgia location. 

Even though his job doesn’t involve much burning these days, it is in large part because of the FireDawgs that he found his current career. His time with the FireDawgs also gave him valuable insight into the importance of fire in a sustainable forest ecosystem. 

“To be a well-rounded forester you need to know fire,” he says. “You need to know how fires move if you’re out in the woods. If your company needs extra hands on the ground, if they wanted to do a prescribed burn or if they put you in that role as a burn manager, it’s very important as a forester to know fires.”

The FireDawgs crew is unique to Alabama, but the idea is spreading like—well—wildfire. The Dawgs have lent advice to the FireCats housed within the forestry department at the University of Kentucky, which had its first fire season in 2014. 

The Dawgs have also found opportunities to provide inspiration and support for other Historically Black Colleges and Universities in creating their own student-led fire programs. Collaborations among HBCUs “stoke the pipeline for training forest fire fighters from diverse backgrounds,” according to AAMU sources, and support from an established group could help other HBCUs build deeper capacity for training students in high-demand forestry careers. 

Jobs for Dawgs

Johnathan will graduate in May 2022. He is currently working as an intern for the U.S. Forest Service in Washington state. Post-graduation, he plans to return to Washington and work toward a master’s degree. “Afterwards, I would like to make my way through the different regions of the Forest Service so that I can appreciate the different cultures of the United States and then settle here in Alabama,” he says.

Johnathan draws a direct connection from the lessons he’s learned as a FireDawg to his future career ambitions. 

“Being able to come into college and have hands-on experience as a freshman in fire has allowed me to gain knowledge quicker than my peers at other schools,” he says. “Gaining knowledge as a FireDawg has equipped me to be prepared and to know what to look for and ask the right questions in the field. Not only that, being a FireDawg has helped me develop myself as a team player and a leader.”

The post AAMU FireDawgs Fight and Prevent Alabama Wildfires appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama—Whether guiding a helicopter landing on a ship, or fighting a raging forest fire on a mountainside, DeShaun Mincey thrives when he’s in the middle of the action.

That’s what attracted the New England Forestry Technical Forester to pursue a forest science degree. 

“Other students just sit in class all day, but in forestry we’re in the forest, walking around, driving ATVs, traveling. We have a good time,” says the Alabama A&M graduate.

A Uvaldia, Georgia, native, DeShaun hadn’t heard of forestry when he started college as an environmental science major.

A Unique Team of Wildland Firefighters

Then he met the school’s wildland firefighting team, the FireDawgs. Most of the members were forestry students. DeShaun applied for the team—and switched majors—that day.

The FireDawgs are one of the only college forest firefighter teams in the state of Alabama. Trained by the Alabama Forestry Commission, they fight wildfires, manage controlled burns and educate the public on fire prevention.

Learn more about the team in our interview with FireDawgs President Jonathan Brown, AAMU FireDawgs Fight and Prevent Alabama Wildfires.

DeShaun quickly confirmed that the team, and forestry, were the perfect fit. From a very early age, he hunted with his grandfather and developed a passion for the outdoors. Add to that the excitement of the wide variety of responsibilities foresters take on, including fire prevention and management, and he knew he was in the right place.

“We do a lot,” he said. “We build maps, study soil science, take site indexes to see how well a tree can grow on different sites. We cruise forests to determine the value of the timber. We do prescribed burns, wetland studies. I enjoy it all.”

A Military Discipline

DeShaun is known for his disciplined approach to continuing to make himself better in school and in life.

“I got that drive from the military,” he says.

DeShaun served in the U.S. Navy for four years. Joining right after high school, he rose in the ranks to become a helicopter mechanic. Working aboard the carrier ship U.S.S. Roosevelt, he not only repaired and inspected helicopters, but also directed their landings when the carrier was out to sea.

Volunteering with the Fire Dawgs

After his four years in the Navy wrapped up, DeShaun started college. It was not long after the school year started that he tried out for the Fire Dawgs. It wasn’t easy to make the team: each member has to pass an intense agility test, carrying a 45 lb. pack across 3 miles in 45 minutes.

“Last fall we fought a fire on the side of a mountain,” DeShaun recalls. “We hopped on it before the U.S. forest service came.

“Our job was to put in fire lines to stop the fire from jumping the field. We used chainsaws, rakes and garden hoes.”

Advice for future students

DeShaun highly recommends studying forestry.

“Look into it!” he says. “You get to travel all the time, you’re outside a lot, it’s never boring. It’s a great career field.”

He says the Alabama A&M Forestry faculty actively presents opportunities to students.

“They were always coming to us with places we could go, scholarships we could apply for,” he says. “I traveled to so many places while I was in college: Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina.”

Why all the travel? Forestry students need to experience forests in different climates, so they often travel for classes. They also attend national forestry conferences and a special annual event called Conclave, in which they compete in both academic and “lumberjack” style events. You can learn more about the action-packed competition in our article about the 2019 Conclave in Louisiana, which DeShaun attended.

DeShaun says the forestry industry will continue to become more diverse as more youths learn about the field.

“Sometimes I wonder how people never heard of it. Everything is made of wood!” he says. 

Working for Rayonier

DeShaun graduated in December 2020 and immediately began his job as a technical forester at Rayonier’s Jesup, Georgia, location.

“My favorite quote is, if you’re distracted, you’re not focused,” DeShaun says. “So I focus and work hard on becoming the best forester and overall individual I can be. I enjoy working for New England Forestry and the Coastal Resource Unit. I’ve learned a lot from my supervisor and colleagues in the short amount of time I’ve been here. This job is by far the best job I ever had.”

The post Forestry Puts Alabama A&M Grad In the Middle of the Action appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

LUFKIN, Texas—Rayonier Technical Forester Brody Capps grew up loving the outdoors, but he didn’t know how to make it into a career—until his career found him through an after-school job.

His mom had heard from a coworker that a land management company was looking to hire. Brody, a high school sophomore at the time, applied for the job and was soon spending his nights, weekends and summers working on properties across Texas and even out-of-state.

“We did a lot of forestry work, habitat management, timber sales, bush-hogging, setting up food plots, supervising logging crews,” Brody recalls. “It was very satisfying work. I knew then I wanted to do this for a living.”

He loved the time outdoors, but he also loved the business side of the work, the problem solving, and seeing the impact good land management can have on a property.

By the time he graduated, Brody had his sights on a career in forestry. Lucky for him, one of the best forestry schools in the country was in his hometown: Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry & Agriculture.

Always Somewhere to Go in Forestry School

In order to truly learn the forestry profession, you have to spend a lot of time in the forest, and that’s just what Brody’s classes did.

Almost every class he took had a lab component, which required students to spend 3-4 hours at a time in the forest each week.

“SFA has its own arboretum and forests, and it’s close to 1000s and 1000s of acres of national forests,” Brody says. “We always had somewhere to go.”

Students also traveled to view different types of forests throughout Texas. One of his wildlife classes alone, habitat management, covered a large portion of the state, including Chocolate Bay on the Gulf Coast, Del Rio near the Mexican border, and a South Texas Wildlife Ranch.

A Technical Report Every Week

But Forestry School is by no means easy. The work can be intense.

“It was the classroom portion of the work that blew my mind,” Brody says. “We easily had a technical report due once a week for most classes, writing out reports on the topics of the week. That really helped me develop my skills with writing, grammar and Excel.”

Classes included topics like silviculture, which is managing a forest for timber production; forest ecology, which is the study of forest ecosystems; biometrics, which is the math applied to forests to quantify, for example, the volume of a group of trees; and dendrology, a scientific study of tree species.

“I really liked dendrology,” Brody says. “It seemed horrible at the time, learning all the plant species in Texas by their scientific and common names. But now I use what I learned in that class every day.”

Forestry “Boot Camp”

At SFA, forestry students take a 6-week summer course called “Field Station.”

“Each week covers a different subject. We’d often work in the field from dark to dark each day, and then a report would be due the next day. We’d work in the lab until midnight. It’s kind of like Boot Camp,” Brody recalls.

“I spent the night in the lab several times, especially when we had to create Intensive Management Plans for properties. Those were really challenging.”

But there was still time for fun.

SFA doesn’t take its winning record in Forestry Conclave competitions for granted. In free time, students like Brody enjoyed training for the competition that brings numerous forestry colleges together for traditional lumberjack-style games. Some of the challenges are technical, like photogrammetry (examining and interpreting aerial photos) and compass and pacing (using a compass and chain to locate a specific point). Others are physical, like the axe throwing competition, crosscut sawing and log rolling.

An Internship with Rayonier

In the summer between his junior and senior years, Brody applied for an internship with Rayonier.

“By the summer’s end, I was cruising timber by myself, and I was helping the team with other important forestry activities. They gave me a lot of responsibility. I really liked the people and the work.”

In fact, Brody says, New England Forestry was the only company he applied to as college was coming to a close. He got the job and didn’t waste a single day between college graduation and beginning his career with Rayonier.

Advice for Future Forestry Students

Brody says students considering a forestry major should first make sure of one thing: that they love the outdoors. His advice after that is to keep your options open by choosing a degree with many career options.

“I graduated with a forestry and wildlife degree. That way you can go into either field and you have a lot of options,” he says. “The people I graduated with aren’t just working in forestry. They also work in recreation, as park rangers, on wildlife ranches.

“I met some of my best friends in forestry school. The classes were small, and we’re all still in touch, including with the professors. It was a ton of work, but it was worth it.”

The post How a Forestry Grad Found His Calling appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

NORTH BEND, Oregon—Vanessa McKinney follows her dog through thick forestland.

They use the same natural paths wild animals have made, knowing the elk and bears have a sense for the safest route. Vanessa draws in a deep breath of fresh air and smiles: she gets paid to be here, tromping through the woods just like she did as a child.

There are treasures all around her: a robin’s nest with beautiful blue eggs waiting to hatch; a snail slithering down a branch; a rare wildflower beginning to bloom.

She just can’t help pulling out her iPhone to snap a picture before carrying on with her work in one of Rayonier’s Oregon tree farms, and no one faults her for that: her photography offers a whole new view of forests that grow for decades with almost no human contact.

“I get to venture out to places that only I will see and touch for years to come,” says Vanessa, a technical forester. “I love being the boots on the ground and the eyes in the forest for Rayonier.”

She is here today to measure a plot of trees. It’s how a timber company keeps an “inventory” of its forests, tracking how fast the trees are growing to ensure a steady, perpetually sustainable supply of both habitat and timber.

Choosing a Career in Forestry

Vanessa has always been drawn to nature. While friends might prefer the mall, she was more likely to navigate her way through the woods than crowded stores. In fact, she admits, she can easily get lost in a crowd. But with her GPS and her intuition as a guide, she can find any plot point in a dense forest.

She grew up in Eureka, California, known for its majestic redwoods. At an early age, she had an appreciation for renewable resources, and she wanted a career that would give her a role in protecting them.

It wasn’t long after she started college that she found herself drawn to forestry.

“In forestry, the core is that you care for the land and you care for people. I wanted to be a part of that,” she says.

Studying Forestry at Oregon State University

Vanessa was delighted to find herself studying outdoors more than in the classroom while she pursued a degree in forestry, natural resources and conservation at Oregon State University.

The work was challenging, but rewarding.

“You’re put in situations that aren’t a casual walk down the street, so you learn a lot about yourself,” she says.

“There were times I wondered, ‘Am I going to make it? Am I ever going to understand this math?’ There’s a lot of satisfaction when you overcome those challenges.”

During her studies, she helped OSU open a greenhouse, researched forest fires and droughts, and confirmed that forestry was her destiny.

Forestry on the Other Side of the World

After college, Vanessa’s love of forestry took her even further: to the other side of the world. A nonprofit called Kopel had chosen her for an internship replanting trees on an island that had been devastated by fire in Malaysia.

“Trees are different from state to state and even county to county here in the U.S.,” Vanessa says. “In another country, it was really different. We had to come up with a way to reforest a marshy island in tropical conditions.”

Vanessa cherished the experience, which required her to live in a treehouse, eat with her hands, and “shower” using a pan of rainwater collected during a tropical storm. She returned to the U.S. with a new appreciation for modern forestry and for her own abilities. Vanessa joined the New England Forestry team soon after in the fall of 2019.

“My Dog is My Partner in the Woods”

Tasked with managing tree farms on what are often rough, mountainous properties near Oregon’s coast, Vanessa took her new coworkers’ advice and adopted a dog. She chose a Dutch Shepherd and named him Cruiser. It was a fitting name, as they would cruise timber together most days of the week. 

Cruising timber is an essential practice in forest management. By measuring specific plots of trees, our foresters are able to estimate the wood volume of entire forests. Our company uses that data to form an overall inventory that guides our decisions. Watch a video of a forester cruising in our article, Why do Foresters “Cruise” Timber?

She trained Cruiser to assist her in the woods, helping her navigate through thick areas, alerting her to danger and even keeping deer off the road.

“He turns into a different dog when he’s in the forest. He can point, tell me to stop if something’s not right. He can smell things and find things that I can’t,” Vanessa says. “He’s a huge relief. He’s my partner.”

Once, while working in the forest, Cruiser alerted Vanessa to a swarm of hornets that was headed straight for them. Thanks to that warning, Vanessa was able to run and escape the swarm without a single sting.

Forest Photography

Vanessa had been with New England Forestry for about six months when she decided to show coworkers some photos she had taken in the woods. Soon, she had fans from Florida to New Zealand who couldn’t wait to see her artistic, closeup shots of wild plants and critters and breathtaking panoramic views.

“I had no idea I was good at photography!” Vanessa says with a laugh. “I just use the iPhone New England Forestry provided me. I never thought about it being a thing.”

And perhaps that’s part of what makes the photos so special: they weren’t sought out for days with high-end equipment and hundreds of shots. They’re just quick snapshots of moments in the forest that she comes across every day.

Women in the Forestry Industry

The photos are one of the ways Vanessa hopes to “do something bigger than myself” as a forester. 

She’s also a member of Oregon Women in Timber, a nonprofit organization that celebrates women in the industry and strives to raise awareness about the value of forestry and forest management.

“People tend to assume our industry is male. But females have forever been a part of forestry since the Industrial Revolution,” she says.

Women traditionally don’t work at all on the Malaysian island Vanessa interned at. She showed the team there how much a female’s viewpoint can add to a forest plan.

“A woman can offer a different approach and look at things from a different perspective,” she says.

Vanessa wants to encourage and inspire other women to become a part of the forestry industry too.

“If you love being outdoors and want to play an important role in the future, this is the field for you,” she says.

The post Meet Vanessa: Forester, Photographer and Dog Lover for Life appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

GAINESVILLE, Florida—Olivia Johnson is in her element as she leads a team of students through the forest.

“This area would be perfect for recreation,” she says, gesturing to a sunny stand of trees. The students nod in agreement as they continue walking through Austin Cary Forest, University of Florida’s official teaching and research forest. Their assignment: to come up with a business plan for a pretend landowner, figuring out how to get the most value from a 95-acre section of the forest.

“I love tromping through the woods. I can’t believe you can just do this as a major,” says Olivia, a fourth-year student who is finishing her bachelor’s and working on her master’s this semester.

A Love for the Forest

Olivia, who recently received the first-ever New England Forestry Scholarship to Support Diversity and Inclusion in Operational Forestry, says she never feels more at home than when she’s in the forest.

“My family moved from the mountains of North Carolina to Key West, and I missed the forest,” she says. “I volunteered at Key West’s botanical gardens, and that’s the one place that felt right.”

Olivia enrolled in the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources & Conservation expecting to go into a conservation career, or perhaps to work at a national park. But then she fell in love with something unexpected: operational forestry.

“I love going through the woods of course, but I also love the math part of it,” she says. “I love taking what I see and making sense of it. I love figuring out, just from the height and diameter, how much a stand is worth.”

She says operational forestry is a perfect “win-win” because a forester can determine ways to enhance the value of the property while also maintaining sustainable practices and protecting the ecosystem that depends on the forest.

Workforce Diversity in Forestry “Is Already Here”

In the past, college-level forestry programs throughout the U.S. have struggled to attract women and minorities. Asked if she expects to see more diversity in the forestry profession in the future, Olivia says, “It’s already happening. In my forestry department, there are so many people of different backgrounds.

“Everyone respects each other. I’ve never felt like I was treated any differently than anyone else in the program,” she says. “My advice to anyone considering forestry is that it shouldn’t be a barrier. There are more and more of us going into natural resources fields.”

She says the rich array of perspectives will benefit the forestry profession as it becomes more diverse in the years to come.

Entering into Forestry Research

Determined to work her way through college, Olivia has been using a job at Gainesville’s Kanapaha Gardens to cover her tuition. But she’s become passionate about genetic research in forestry and wanted to find work that would give her experience in that field. 

“The scholarship from New England Forestry helped a lot. It’s paying for this next semester of college, which is allowing me to pursue forest genetics,” she says. 

The financial support allowed Olivia to take a position as a research assistant for the Cooperative Forest Genetics Research Program that UF manages. Ironically, as a member of the coop, New England Forestry will benefit from the work she does.

Olivia says she’s looking forward to working full-time in the industry after she graduates next year.

“I love that you can just be outside and make money at it,” she says. “It’s such a fun profession and it’s really cool.”

The post UF Student: Workforce Diversity will Benefit Next Generation of Foresters appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

CALLAHAN, Florida—Most of the work in the forestry industry is done out of public view, deep in the forest, so it’s no wonder many school children don’t know a lot about forestry.

A group of more than two dozen forestry-related businesses here in Nassau County came together to change that, hosting Northeast Florida’s first-ever Forestry Career Day at the Northeast Florida Fairgrounds in September 2019.

Just under 200 high school juniors and seniors were immersed in forestry career experiences throughout the day, trying their hands at operating heavy equipment, researching genetics and even flying drones.

The theme of the day: there’s a forestry career for everyone and every level of education, whether you’re looking for something you can do with on-the-job training only, or with a Ph. D. 

“There are so many facets to working in forestry,” says Jody Davis, Rayonier’s Manager of Human Relations and Talent Acquisition. “There are jobs from operational equipment operators to foresters, who are the science behind the growth and the replanting of trees.”

A Rising Demand for Forestry Heavy Equipment Operators

Employers are experiencing a rising need for employees in the operational side of the industry, which includes work such as operating heavy equipment and driving log trucks. New England Forestry Senior Resource Land Manager Ed Carter, who came up with the idea to host the event, says these jobs are ideal for students who don’t want to attend a four-year college program.

“There are vital jobs out there,” he says. “We want to reach all those students and let them know, in the forestry industry, you can make a great living and a career even though you don’t get a four-year degree.”

Several local heavy equipment operator employers, including Tim-Prep, Bobcat of Jacksonville and Conner + Conner Logging, allowed students to sit in the driver’s seat of their equipment, operating a skid steer, a mini excavator and even moving logs with a loader.

Students also learned firsthand from foresters about their role in the forest, from grafting and genetics to maintaining water quality and protecting wildlife. Representatives from colleges including the University of Florida, University of Georgia and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College talked to students about their offerings for forestry degree programs.

There were also hands-on lessons about GIS mapping, a field the industry depends on to ensure data is accurate on each stand of trees.

Jim Tootle, a Senior Forester for the Florida Forest Service, says learning about forestry at this stage in their lives can help students get a good start in the industry.

“When I enrolled in the forestry program, I had no clue what I was getting into. I just knew I wanted to work outdoors,” he recalls, “so I didn’t really know how to focus my studies in a particular direction that I wanted to go. Something like this may give a student an idea of what direction they want to go in the forestry industry.” 

Forestry a Major Industry in Florida

In Florida, forestry is a critical industry. In fact, forest land accounts for almost half of Florida’s total land area. The forestry industry employs 124,000 people and contributes $25 billion to the state’s economy every year, according to the Florida Forestry Association. 

Representatives from the production side of forestry, including New England Forestry Advanced Materials and Westrock, taught students about the many items in their typical day that come from the forest and how they are made. More than 5,000 everyday forest products play a key role in our daily lives, including lumber, plywood and papers and cardboards, as well as items with a lesser-known wood component, such as LCD screens, rubber tires, bath products, even diapers. You can learn more about why trees are used in so many products by checking out our #ItStartsWithTrees articles.

To learn more about Forestry careers, visit Rayonier’s Forestry Careers Resources page, which explains what different forestry careers are and links to schools, vocational programs and other resources for future foresters, at https://www.rayonier.com/careers/career-resources/.

The post First Forestry Career Day in Northeast Florida a Success appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.