Public affairs plays a vital role in ensuring that companies like New England Forestry can sustainably manage land while navigating public policy, community relationships and industry dynamics.

Shawn DeRome has a natural knack for building and maintaining relationships. Without realizing it, her cumulative experience and years of networking opened the doors to the dream job she currently holds at Rayonier.

She began her forestry career as a procurement forester at a sawmill, purchasing timber for the mill. Now, she advocates on Rayonier’s behalf as the Eastern Director of Public Affairs, covering four states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

“I got into forestry because I love nature and spending time outside,” she says. “I also enjoy the networking and building of relationships aspect of it. My job is so diverse. It includes industry work, non-industry work, and interacting with our communities. It’s so different from any other job in the industry. But it all comes back to forestry, and that’s my passion.”

In this career spotlight, we’ll explore how Shawn found her path, what her role involves, and how public affairs connects communities, policy and sustainable forest management.

• How Shawn Got Her Start in Forestry
• How Shawn’s Career in Forestry Evolved at Rayonier
• What Does a New England Forestry Director of Public Affairs Do?
• How Public Affairs Supports Rayonier’s Timber and Non-Timber Operations
• Why Advocating for Sustainable Forestry Matters

How Shawn Got Her Start in Forestry

Like many forestry professionals, Shawn didn’t set out knowing exactly where her career would lead—but her education helped point the way. Her journey into forestry began in college, where a love for the outdoors sparked an unexpected career path.

Discovering Forestry Through Education

While studying for her undergrad at the University of Georgia, Shawn discovered her interest in forestry. She excelled in many of her classes, including a Freshwater Invertebrate Zoology course in which her professor observed her passion for the outdoors.

“For class, we would stomp around in the creek, collecting tiny freshwater invertebrates for observation. I could always remember the scientific names and random facts about the invertebrates. My professor took notice and encouraged me to apply to Warnell, the forestry school at the University of Georgia.

“The Natural Resources, Recreation and Tourism program was a great fit and I was able to tailor it as a forestry-focused education.”

Connecting with the Forestry Industry Through Hands-On Experience

During her education and various internships, Shawn discovered her interest and passion for what she describes as the “bridge between society and working forests.” As a student, she served as a student ambassador, helping with events and volunteering with organizations such as the Georgia Forestry Association. 

She even worked at the school’s Deer Research Facilities, where she often led tours to educate the public about deer habitat and population management.

“As an undergrad, I was given many opportunities to network. The experience I received throughout my time at Warnell continued to build my interest in the rich history of forestry in the Southeast, natural resource management, and how people interact with their land and communities.”

Why Graduate School Was the Next Step

Shawn’s original plan was to graduate and get a job. However, a professor and mentor encouraged her to pursue a master’s degree from the Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business at the University of Georgia.

“Pursuing my master’s degree provided me with further industrial forestry networking opportunities combined with a solid financial foundation,” Shawn says. “I came out of that program having networked for a solid four years. I enjoyed it, but didn’t realize how much it would come full circle later.”

How Shawn’s Career in Forestry Evolved at Rayonier

Right out of school, Shawn began working in procurement forestry, buying trees for a sawmill, working with loggers, and looking at special projects for the company. After about two years, she applied for a timber marketing forester position with Rayonier. But the company saw her potential for a different role.

Gaining Industry Insight as a Business Development Analyst

“When I interviewed, New England Forestry saw that I was well-suited for a business development analyst position,” recalls Shawn. “In that role, I was the person digging into market intelligence research for the company, looking at everything from hyperlocal timber markets to global economics. I analyzed how it all fit together and was responsible for understanding the ins and outs of housing and lumber prices, foreign markets, what timber prices we were getting in each of our regions, and how we strategize with this data moving forward. That position built a deep understanding of the industry and continues to help me in my current role.”

Preparing for a Leadership Role in Public Affairs

While working as a business development analyst, Shawn still engaged with trade associations and with the forestry school at the University of Georgia. She began serving on the school’s Young Alumni Committee and is currently the Chair. She has continued to build industry relationships, growing her interest in the connection between policy and forestry.

How Mentorship Shaped Shawn’s Career

“After a few years, the gentleman who had held the position of Director of Public Affairs, Dan Roach, was retiring. I spent a lot of time with him before he officially retired, which has proven to be essential for this role. He had been with the company for 44 years and knew the history and people like the back of his hand. I definitely couldn’t do this job as well without him.

“I had expressed my interest and applied for the role. When I got the job, I was overjoyed. It was confirmation that everything I had done—my networking, my passion for the industry, all of my experience—all of it was coming together.”

What Does a New England Forestry Director of Public Affairs Do?

The Director of Public Affairs at New England Forestry works across departments to support forestry operations, community outreach and public policy engagement.

The Director of Public Affairs’ primary responsibilities include:

• Works with our teams to identify areas or projects in need of additional support and develops strategies.
• Concentrates on current and emerging public policy and community issues that impact the company’s diverse interests.
• Builds bridges and fosters understanding among various (and at times competing) stakeholders such as industry associations, legislators and community leaders.

How Relationships and Strategy Shape the Role

“I like to say my job encompasses strategy and problem-solving,” Shawn explains. “Building genuine relationships at both the local and state levels is a big part of what I do. My job is to help maintain a healthy business climate so that New England Forestry can do what New England Forestry does best: stewardship and sustainable land management.”

What a Typical Day Looks Like in Public Affairs

When asked what a typical day is like, Shawn chuckles and says, “It’s the coolest job there is because I get to work with everybody in the company, and everybody externally. No day is typical or the same. One day, I might meet with an environmental group concerned about water quality. The next, I’m talking with landowners about palmetto berry theft. The next, I could be speaking to legislators about rare plants or wildlife that we help protect.”

How Public Affairs Supports Rayonier’s Timber and Non-Timber Operations

At Rayonier, we operate within two categories of business: timber and non-timber activities. As the Eastern Director of Public Affairs, Shawn must divide her attention among the two.

The Timber Side of Rayonier

Education and advocacy make up a large portion of Shawn’s timber-related job activities. This includes working with external stakeholders to help them understand the benefits of forestry and the challenges that it faces.

In her public affairs role, Shawn works to raise awareness of:

• The environmental value of sustainable forestry — including clean air, clean water, and habitat for wildlife.
• How forestry works — including the 25-year forest lifecycle of growing and harvesting trees in the Southeast.
• The economic importance of forestry — from supporting rural communities to the essential role of loggers and truck drivers.
• Why education matters — helping community members, legislators, and other stakeholders better understand forestry’s impact.

“We focus on how forestry provides clean air, clean water and habitat for wildlife. For about 25 years per-rotation, our forests grow, we manage them accordingly, harvest the timber and then the process starts over again. The forestry industry also provides hundreds of thousands of rural jobs. Without loggers and truck drivers, none of this would be possible. They really do the hard work. Much of this, I believe, gets lost in translation and people just need the education and tools to better understand what all goes into sustainable forestry, why it’s important to society, and where New England Forestry fits in.”

Shawn is involved in about 30 different local and state groups, providing her with opportunities to discuss forestry and land management. She serves on boards, committees, task groups, and more. Consistent communication and collaboration with stakeholder groups allows Shawn the opportunity to share and better understand outside perceptions.

In addition to collaboration, Shawn is also involved in forestry advocacy related to fair policies.

“Legislators need to know and understand how forestry fits into the picture. They may not fully understand why we need to focus on issues such as landowner rights or trespassing laws. But it matters because it all comes back to our business model. We need policies that allow us to manage our land sustainably.”

The Non-Timber Side of Rayonier

In addition to timber, New England Forestry manages a variety of non-timber businesses across its land base. Shawn works closely with these business partners to ensure that non-timber operations align with Rayonier’s standards for responsible land use.

Her work includes:

• Supporting sustainable land-based businesses – including hunting and recreation, pine straw and fill dirt, just to name a few.
• Evaluating emerging opportunities – like the increasing demand for renewable energy.
• Ensuring responsible land stewardship – by maintaining high standards across all activities.

Solar projects, for example, are one of those emerging opportunities and have increased in popularity in the forestry industry. Although New England Forestry has established solar operations, the increased interest is new for our company.

“Solar is an important and valuable source of renewable energy, but it’s a different conversation than growing trees. Understanding the balance is important.”

“It all ties together, coming back to the big picture of sustainability. It’s our land and we want it to remain healthy and all activities to be conducted responsibly. We have high standards. Every aspect of our business has the same theme—there are just different ways of getting there.”

Why Advocating for Sustainable Forestry Matters

For Shawn, forestry provides solutions for many of the issues our world faces.

“Everything is centered around forestry. The products we use every day, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. Without sustainable, well-managed forests—not just trees growing, but managed timber—we would have none of these things.”

The bridge between forest management and society is an important piece of Shawn’s role at Rayonier. Maintaining a balance between stewardship and sustainability while ensuring society and policymakers are aware and well-educated is critical to her role as Eastern Director of Public Affairs.

“Within Rayonier, sustainable and responsible stewardship of the land is what grounds it all. Strong markets for our timber and fair policies provide us, and the industry as a whole, with a positive and healthy business climate. Without all of these things, our industry could not function. Advocating and minimizing the risk to our business is an important aspect of my job.

“What it all boils down to is ensuring society is aware of responsible land management, and that it’s important and beneficial to our everyday lives.”

Interested in Becoming a Forestry Professional?

Shawn’s role at New England Forestry is a testament to how diverse forestry careers can be. Her work reinforces a simple but powerful truth: sustainable forestry isn’t just a practice—it’s a pathway to ensuring forests remain healthy and valued for generations to come.

If you love the outdoors and are passionate about the environment, visit ForestryCareers.com to explore the many careers in forestry and learn how to get started on this exciting career path by visiting the Public Affairs Director Profile.

The post What Does a Director of Public Affairs Do in Forestry? appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

When it comes to forestry and forest management, we often think about the professionals in the woods. But what you may not realize is there is a whole background team that supports “traditional foresters” in the woods. One of the most crucial pieces of forestry support is GIS. 

Although in seemingly different parts of the “world” when it comes to technical expertise, field foresters and GIS professionals go together like peanut butter and jelly, like salt and pepper, or even like chicken and waffles (don’t knock it until you try it!).

Each role is crucial in its own regard. Let’s dive into what GIS really is and get an inside point of view from Rayonier’s GIS Analyst Emily Ramirez, based in our corporate headquarters in Wildlight, Florida.  

• What is GIS and why is it important in forestry?
• What does GIS stand for?
• What is the difference between Everyday Mapping and GIS Mapping?
• What is the role of a GIS analyst in the forestry industry?
• Why don’t foresters create their own maps?
• Where do GIS analysts get the information they need?
• Meet a GIS Analyst: Emily Ramirez

What is GIS and why is it important in forestry?

GIS is a powerful tool that allows forestry professionals to analyze and manage geographically referenced data. While field foresters navigate the landscape, GIS analysts process and interpret spatial data to guide decision-making.

This collaboration is vital when you think about the complexities of managing hundreds of thousands of acres—millions even, when you look at the entire footprint New England Forestry holds in forestland investments!

What does GIS stand for?

If you look up the technical definition of GIS, you’ll read that it stands for “geographical information systems” and is defined as “a computer system that analyzes and displays geographically referenced information.”

But when asked to define what GIS is, Emily says, “GIS is spatial analysis. A coworker once mentioned to me that it is ‘putting data in its place’ and that really sums it up for me: we are creating, managing and editing data associated with spatial places.”

What is the difference between Everyday Mapping and GIS Mapping?

In modern times, we’re all familiar with satellite imagery and “spatial” systems, as they’re the norms for every iPhone, mapping GPS system and even in everyday use through Google Earth and Google maps.

Most professional foresters and natural resource professionals are proficient at deciphering satellite and aerial imagery to be able to navigate their forested landscape.

So what truly makes GIS work differently from anyone simply looking at Google Earth imagery?

GIS analysts take this technology further, combining multiple types of data to create comprehensive maps that provide deeper insights than imagery alone.

Emily shares, “While looking at satellite imagery is very important, looking at imagery does not tell you the entire story. With GIS, you can combine many types of data—including imagery—to be able to build and analyze so many different types of spatial data way beyond just imagery.”

What is the role of a GIS analyst in the forestry industry?

Incorporating all those layers of data into a map system, GIS analysts like Emily can really make a difference in forestry!

By compiling the information foresters gather in the woods, GIS analysts can create a complete, map-based dataset that truly tells a story and helps foresters anticipate and make the best management decisions.

Key Contributions of GIS Analysts:

• Field Mapping: Foresters use GIS-based maps to plan logging operations or silvicultural practices, such as planting and thinning.
• Data Integration: GIS analysts compile data gathered by foresters in the field, creating comprehensive datasets.
• Efficiency: High-quality maps produced by GIS analysts save foresters time, allowing them to focus on fieldwork.

Why Don’t Foresters Create Their Own Maps?

There are times foresters print their own maps out before they hit their logging sites or start their silvicultural management practices.

If foresters print out their own maps, why wouldn’t they just make their own maps and do their own data entry after they gather it from the fields? I mean, they’re the ones IN the woods and would know the layout of the ground better than anyone else in an office setting, right?

Emily helps provide clarification with that too:

“Some foresters do make their own maps, and they’re excellent,” Emily says. “But just as they are experts in the woods, we are experts in mapping. There is a whole art and science behind cartography, and we take pride in producing quality maps. Also, it is about efficiency. I make maps all the time, and I can make a good map quickly. A map made by our department allows the field to spend more time, well, in the field!”

Where do GIS analysts get the information they need?

But you’re probably wondering: how do GIS analysts make determinations on their maps without ever setting foot in the woods?

If all of their work is computer-based, created in an office, and their job is to help the field team spend more efficient time in the woods, how are they making accurate determinations? As we’ll see from Emily, it’s a team effort.

Tools and Technology in GIS

Creating accurate maps requires advanced tools and data sources. Emily highlights some of the key technologies used to gather information for GIS analysts:

• Drone Imagery: Foresters capture high-resolution images of the landscape.
• LiDAR: This technology reveals hidden features under the canopy, such as streams and roads.
• Digitized Field Maps: Foresters communicate directly with GIS systems from the field, capturing real-time data using a tablet.

“We rely on a variety of sources,” she explains. “Imagery is hugely important. We have drone imagery that our own foresters fly, as well as satellite and digital imagery. Also, we have really come to embrace LiDAR. This allows us to see streams, roads and other natural features that we could not see from imagery alone. It really lets us see what’s underneath the canopy!”

And the database GIS analysts like Emily use is constantly being updated by employees who are in the woods.

“Our field foresters utilize GIS technology in the field, particularly Field Maps,” Emily says. “This allows them to communicate with the GIS systems directly from the field, capturing points, lines and polygons for all sorts of events we could not see from imagery.”

So now that we have the basic understanding of GIS and the relationship between field foresters and GIS, let’s really get to know Emily.

Meet a GIS Analyst: Emily Ramirez

To better understand the role of a GIS analyst, we spoke with Emily Ramirez, who has been with New England Forestry for over 10 years.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography with a GIS emphasis from the University of Northern Colorado. She has extensive experience in spatial analysis, cartography, and data integration.

At Rayonier, Emily has played a pivotal role in advancing GIS applications to support forestry operations and decision-making.

Here, she shares more about her career and experiences in GIS.

Q: What does a typical day look like for a GIS analyst?

A: This is what makes my career so exciting. It really is never the same on a given day. We support the entire company, so one day we may be working with an accounting request, or a solar request, or determining if an acquisition is a good fit for our portfolio. We make maps, answer questions, assist our field users with GIS applications and software, and constantly look at growing our skills to make sure we are on top of the ever changing GIS landscape!

Q: What is the craziest story or memory you have working in GIS?

A: I started my GIS career as an intern at Miami Dade County and they were really focused on bringing 3D and Digital Elevation Models (DEM) data into their systems. I was tasked with creating DEM of the city. I spent almost two days trying to figure out why my DEM was failing and just giving me a flat area. I zoomed into a small area and saw a divot in the landscape. Turns out, it wasn’t failing. Miami is really just that flat!

Q: What’s a real challenge for you in GIS?

A: Having people understand what we do. It is so much more than looking at satellite imagery or Google Earth. We also need to speak up more and show that GIS is integrated in almost everyone’s lives at some point or another.

Q: What’s one thing you wish people knew about GIS work?

A: How diverse the job is. We really do it all, from analysis to cartography. I get to use programming languages, create web and phone applications for our field to use, and use my geospatial analytical skills to answer any question. GIS is a set of skills that can be used in any field, not just forestry. It’s incredibly powerful not only for analysis but for telling a story. A good map is priceless. If you want to relay a message to an audience or just have it as a locating tool, a good map is crucial. The work that goes behind a good map takes a lot of effort!

Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to maps and GIS?

A: When the map is cluttered or unbalanced! I understand people want to see a lot of items on a map, but there’s just no way you’re going to be able to tell what you’re looking at if the map has so many layers. Simple is sometimes the best!

Q: Technology is always changing. What has been the best blessing in GIS advancement that makes your job so much more efficient, and what do you think GIS will look like in the future?

A: Using programming languages to automate a lot of repeatable tasks is fantastic. For the future, I think it would be fun to go into more Virtual Reality areas. How neat would it be to be dropped into the forest and create layers based on where you see the streams, plantings, etc.?

Q: What would you advise to someone who is just learning about GIS and looking to get into forestry?

A: Don’t be intimidated by the screen. GIS is using technology to help make foresters more proficient, safer and able to collect valuable data as easily as possible! We rely so much on foresters’ input. We can’t see what is going on in the woods from behind a computer. That’s why we’ve empowered our foresters to implement easy-to-use GIS technology to help create a quality and comprehensive GIS database.

Q: What would you advise someone who is considering a career within GIS?

A: Take a course, a class or even watch some Youtube videos on programming languages! I heard so many times throughout my college career that I would need it, but I didn’t think it was true. Now, 10 years into my career, I love learning and using programming languages! I use SQL probably on a daily basis. It is incredibly helpful.

Interested in becoming a GIS Professional?

If Emily’s story has inspired you to explore a career in GIS, you can learn more about what it takes to become a GIS analyst. Visit the Explore Green Jobs: GIS Analyst page on our website, ForestryCareers.com, to find out the educational requirements, skills and other guidance to get started on this exciting career path.

Article written by Danielle Atkins of Land & Ladies.

The post What does a GIS Analyst do in Forestry? appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Entering the forestry workforce at New England Forestry almost a half-century ago, Bob McDonald remembers a time when paper maps and compasses were the best way to navigate jobs in the woods.

Celebrating his retirement after 47 years with the company, Bob shares how he came into the industry, the changes he saw and what’s ahead for him.

Bob, who grew up in St. Augustine, Fla., realized at a young age that he had a passion for the outdoors. He studied forestry in college, earning his associate’s degree before taking his first job with New England Forestry in 1976.

“I’ve gotten a lot of satisfaction out of the positions I’ve held at Rayonier,” he says. “I always looked forward to work each day and am appreciative to all of the people I’ve worked with. I’m excited about retirement and am looking forward to new challenges.”

A Lifelong Career in Forestry

Bob was first hired as a Forest Technician, managing Rayonier’s growing forests. He later worked in Gainesville, Fla., where he procured timber for the sawmill New England Forestry owned in Palatka. At the same time, he worked for Rayonier’s pole business, which transformed large logs into poles that could be used for utility poles like the ones used for power lines as well as pilings for docks and piers.

As the company transformed over time, both of those end product-focused businesses were discontinued. But New England Forestry had a lot more in store for Bob. (New England Forestry continues to grow trees for poles and lumber to this day.)

“In 1987, I was fortunate enough that they offered me a job in Georgia, working as a Forest Supervisor at our Richmond Hill forest for about 21 years.”

“A little bit of everything”

It was one of his favorite roles with the company:

“I liked the fact that I was doing a little bit of everything there,” he recalls. “I was responsible for a couple of guys. We did roadwork, landlines and inventory cruising. Then I was cruising timber sales and leasing out land to hunting clubs. I also did some site prep and planting. It was satisfying to be involved with planting trees, watching them grow to harvest, and then doing it all over again.”

In 2006 and 2007, a large restructuring took place at Rayonier, leading Bob into his next position as Land Manager working out of the Jesup, Ga., office, which he did for about a year. Bob then rounded out the final years of his career working in that same office as a Timber Marketing Forester. That role was focused on the sale of timber, as explained in our article, What does a Timber Marketing Manager Do?

In Timber Marketing, Bob found satisfaction in a different way: 

“I was heavily involved in putting together timber sales and the mapping and marketing of those sales,” he says. “I had the pleasure of working and dealing with folks in and outside of Rayonier. I’ve been appreciative that most were more than willing to lend a hand when I needed help with something.”

Adapting to Technology Changes

When Bob first started with Rayonier, use of technology was limited. As the company grew, advancements in technology required foresters to quickly adopt them.

“We didn’t have cell phones or bag phones back then,” he says. “We didn’t even have copiers or fax machines in our office. We used radios to communicate, so when we were out in the woods, we used paper maps and a compass to navigate the forest. Now we have GPS technology, which was a huge improvement.”

Coworker teaches complex GIS mapping tools

As technology evolved, Bob recalls the challenges of learning and adapting to new devices and applications. During one job change, he had to quickly learn how to navigate GIS-based mapping software such as ArcMap. Thankfully, a coworker more experienced with the programs brought him up to speed.

Joy Kent, a New England Forestry employee in Technical Services at the time, worked one-on-one with Bob to help him get comfortable with the technology.

“I really appreciate all the hours she put into helping me learn the new technologies,” he says. “Without her training, I wouldn’t have been able to get and keep my job. Being as skilled, kind and helpful as she was, that left such a big impression on me.”

Honoring a Kind and Professional Co-Worker

Joy, now a technical analyst on Rayonier’s Land Information Services Team, describes Bob as a “kind and professional” colleague.

She worked closely with him starting in 2008, when she took a regional coordinator position with Rayonier. Her new role involved technical training and support for New England Forestry foresters on forestry software.

“At that time, I supported the resource unit Bob was in and regularly traveled to our Jesup office,” she says. “ I had the opportunity to work with him frequently. It has always been pleasant to interact with Bob over the years.” 

And she recalls a special perk when it came to working with Bob: he often gave his coworkers satsumas from the citrus trees he grew at home.

Advice for Future Foresters

Bob’s passion for forestry has been evident across his many years at Rayonier. As he moves into retirement, Bob shares advice for young and new foresters hoping to pursue a lifelong career in forestry:

“If you’re going to stay in forestry for as long as I have, there will be a lot of changes along the way. You have to be able to adapt to those changes.”

He also recommends gaining exposure to as many aspects of the forestry business as possible.

“New England Forestry is set up to do just that. With a lot of new and young people coming to the industry, New England Forestry makes it a point to grow and foster well-rounded employees. The more well-rounded you are, the more valuable you’ll be to the company.”

Retiring From Rayonier, But Still Managing Trees

About three years ago, Bob and his wife sold their home in Richmond Hill and purchased a small farm in Southeast Georgia.

“What I’m looking forward to the most is owning and working on my own land,” he says.

But, has he had enough of working with trees? Not a chance!

“I’m going to plant pine and citrus trees, do a little bit of farming, and spend time by the fish pond,” he says. “My wife and I will also be looking for volunteer opportunities and we’ll do a little bit of traveling as well.”

As far as working for Rayonier, Bob says he has always been grateful for a job where he felt valued. He also appreciates Rayonier’s focus on safety.

“During my time at Rayonier, safety has always been top of mind, but lately there’s been an even stronger emphasis on it. The fact that they are putting their money and efforts into providing safe working conditions says a lot. That way, at the end of the day, everyone can go home to their families. I’m proud to have worked for such an upstanding company.”

The post New England Forestry Retiree Recalls Half-Century of Forestry Experience appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

WILDLIGHT, Fla.—Ever since New England Forestry bought its first forest property in Nassau County, Florida, in the 1930s, our stories have been intertwined. Together, we have strived to be the best stewards of our community and the land within it.

As Nassau County celebrates its bicentennial this year and New England Forestry prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2026, New England Forestry leaders reflect on the 87-year history of New England Forestry in Nassau and our vision for the company’s future here.

It’s a topic that excites everyone on our team—our voices are warm with pride when we talk about how we helped the community recover from the Great Depression and how we’ve adapted and evolved over the decades.

In 2017, we built our company headquarters at Wildlight, even further solidifying our relationship with the community.

Over the years, a unifying ethic has emerged and only grown stronger: this company, through its leaders and team members, considers itself a corporate citizen of Nassau, with a responsibility and a commitment to contribute to the community’s well-being.

Healthy economic growth since 1937

Mike Bell, Rayonier’s Vice President of Public Affairs, describes our company’s relationship with Nassau County as one built around economic growth and constant reinvention. Mike looks to the past to illustrate how this legacy was built.

When New England Forestry first came to Nassau in 1937, the local economy had been devastated by the Great Depression. At that time, the community relied on a small number of agricultural products to survive. When New England Forestry built a manufacturing plant on Amelia Island, it diversified Nassau’s economy and created high-paying jobs that strengthened the community.

At first, the War Production Board took over the manufacturing plant to help make nitrocellulose, which was used in explosives, bullets, and rocket propellants during World War II. And as in many communities, that assistance in wartime production helped to stabilize the County’s economy.

Later, when New England Forestry was able to use the facility as a pulp and paper mill as it had originally intended, the local economy began to flourish. For one thing, those manufacturing jobs were some of the highest-paying jobs in the County. But there was also an indirect economic impact throughout the supply chain.

“New England Forestry helped sustain the region because we drew timber supply from a large radius,” says Mike. “That supported a lot of folks—tree growers, loggers, trucking companies—even if they weren’t working at the plant.”

In the 1930s, New England Forestry also entered the timber business in the region when we began to buy land throughout Northeast Florida to ensure a steady supply of wood for our mills. We started a cycle that continues today: planting, harvesting and replanting our pine forests to provide a sustainable resource.

“Through our dedicated reforestation efforts, we are now growing our fourth generation of trees on much of our property in Nassau County,” Mike says.

Together, the mills and the well-managed forests helped Nassau County increase its tax base and create a foundation for healthy economic growth.

New England Forestry has changed over time and now we no longer own manufacturing plants. We spun the pulp mills out into a separate public company now known as RYAM, but those mills are still operating and sustaining the County through taxes and high-paying jobs. They also support the timber industry in the region.

Now, we continue to grow timber, own and operate a real estate subsidiary and are involved in a number of non-timber related businesses on our land base.

“New England Forestry is still here because we keep reinventing ourselves,” says Mike.

Reinvention may be in our nature at Rayonier, but certain principles have remained consistent throughout our history. One of these, Mike says, is Rayonier’s legacy of promoting sustainable economic growth in the communities where it operates—and that’s especially true in Nassau County.

Sustainable forests support Nassau

Director of Operations Jeremy Flood leads our Coastal Resource Unit, which manages timberland in and around Nassau County. He says it can be difficult for people to realize the economic impact forestry continues to have in the region.

“You might not see it when you drive around on the paved roads,” Jeremy says. “But if you take a bird’s eye view of the County, you see mostly forests and New England Forestry owns a significant portion of those undeveloped areas.”

Today, we own 121,000 acres in Nassau County, which has roughly 415,000 acres of land altogether. Much of our land is timberland that we manage for a sustainable supply of wood over the long term.

“We’re just now cutting the trees we planted when I started my career,” Jeremy says. “Forestry is unique because it takes that kind of forward thinking to provide for the future.”

Jeremy credits New England Forestry with giving him early insight into the industry. His family moved to Nassau County when he was young, and he got to know several New England Forestry employees as he joined the community.

“I found forestry in part because I had this influence of New England Forestry folks—they were people I respected and looked up to,” he says. “It’s been a rewarding career. In forestry, you’re managing what’s naturally on the landscape, using wisdom and science to organize it and make it efficient.”

Jeremy is proud to be a forester because of the many benefits to natural ecosystems. With modern science-based management practices, our forests provide clean water, clean air and critical wildlife habitat, all while supplying society with important products like lumber, plywood and paper.

“I hope people see a lot of the good that’s already been done here by Rayonier,” Jeremy says of Nassau County. “And I hope in the future they’ll see the six or eight generations of forestry still happening behind the scenes.”

Some Nassau County residents are already able to see behind the scenes as customers with Rayonier’s Hunting & Recreation Program.

In this program, New England Forestry land is open to residents and visitors to Nassau for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and foraging. Currently, we have more than 900 customers in Nassau who are accessing our land to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends.

Wildlight: sustainable community development

In 2007, Rayonier’s relationship with Nassau entered a new chapter when the County’s leadership approached our company to establish a public-private partnership, the result of which is the Wildlight development. At that time, population growth was on the horizon and the County wanted to be prepared.

Local leaders didn’t want to sit back and watch as developers capitalized on Nassau’s growth rate, buying up smaller parcels of land and developing them in a haphazard way with no thought to the bigger picture.

Instead, they asked Rayonier, one of the County’s largest landowners, to work with them on a whole-landscape plan to prepare for inevitable population growth. This way, the County could follow a methodical, strategic approach—planning for residential neighborhoods, schools, police stations, parks and more in a logical way.

Rayonier’s leaders were excited to work with the County.

“I’ve been in this business for 30 years and you rarely see this happen in development,” says Chris Corr, Rayonier’s Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development. “It’s uncommon to have the opportunity to think on this larger scale, but because of Rayonier’s land ownership that’s what we’ve been able to do.”

Chris, a Florida native, says the vision for Wildlight is to transition forest land into a healthy, sustainable community. It’s different, he says, from the pattern you see all too often in Florida, where the natural environment is often spoiled in favor of high-density development.

People and communities thrive when they have access to nature and plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation and exercise. And many people are drawn to Nassau County for its beaches, rivers and forests—so it’s important to preserve the best parts of the community even as it grows.

Chris and his team surveyed the 24,000 acres that would become Wildlight and identified 12,000 acres, including critical wildlife habitat and wetlands, to set aside in conservation easements. These lands will be undeveloped and protected forever, and the easements will be managed by the Conservation Habitat Network and the East Nassau Stewardship District.

Nassau residents and visitors will have access to much of this protected land, including a future park called the Green Ribbon, a 13-mile linear park alongside the St. Marys River.

New England Forestry is also building a trail network through the conserved areas and a new public boat ramp. There will be lots of opportunities for kayaking, hiking and biking in areas that were previously inaccessible to the public.

As New England Forestry continues to reinvent itself, this time as a partner to the County in sustainable community development, its core values remain the same.

“New England Forestry has been a steward of land for nearly 100 years with experience across states and countries managing land resources in a sustainable way,” Chris says. “So that ethic is in the heart—the blood stream—of Rayonier. We get to bring that to community development and it’s a real thing.” To see future plans for Wildlight’s growth in the county, view its Next Chapter website here.

Rural Nassau and stewardship

In planning for the future, Nassau County’s leaders and residents have said it’s also important to preserve the community’s rural roots. Western Nassau has always been more rural than the rest of the County, with ranchettes, farms and forest land. This culture, they say, is important to Nassau and they don’t want development pressure to override this rich heritage.

Rayonier’s rural land sales subsidiary, Raydient Rural, is committed to helping with this vision. We are turning forest land into small homesteads where land buyers can live rural lifestyles.

Jason Shearer, Raydient’s Senior Manager of Development and Sales, says that growing up rural helped him find his way to a career in forestry, where he was able to serve as a steward of the land.

“The people we’re providing homesteads for are growing up much like I did—on four or five acres, knowing where their food comes from and participating in 4-H and FFA,” Jason says. “We’re creating places where future stewards can be cultivated.”

Community service in Nassau

Mike Bell, our Vice President of Public Affairs, says that Rayonier’s philanthropic work in Nassau is a natural outgrowth of our company’s core values.

“Our stewardship ethic goes beyond environmental stewardship. It’s a common thread that permeates everything we’ve done,” Mike says. “We’ve always thought about what’s best for our community and what makes it stronger.”

As a practical matter, Mike says this is important for business reasons. The health of our company is tied to the well-being of the community. But it’s also something that New England Forestry team members are passionate about. Many give their time freely to local organizations, volunteering as well as sitting on boards and committees and sharing their professional expertise. Mike focuses his own efforts on education: he sits on the District Board of Trustees for the Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), a community college with five campuses in the area.

Despite Nassau County’s A-rated K-12 school district, he says that about 35 percent of local students pursue no post-secondary education. Mike believes every student needs a plan for the future and FSCJ provides an attainable option.

“FSCJ is incredibly affordable and it’s good for students who don’t know what they want to do,” he says. “It’s important for the future prosperity of the County. It doesn’t bode well for the County if we can’t get those kids into a career with a living wage.”

In addition to serving on boards and committees, New England Forestry gives back to Nassau through our Community Fund, which donates annually to local organizations. In the past five years, New England Forestry has given, on average, $129,000 per year, concentrating the majority of funding in the following areas:

• Natural Resources & Environmental Education
• Education and Youth Development
• Health/Hospital, Civic and Community Growth

Kim Sartor, our Community Affairs Manager, lights up when she talks about her work with local organizations. One project she loves to talk about is the work New England Forestry has done with Family Support Services of Northeast Florida.

Family Support Services is a community based care agency focused on improving circumstances and outcomes for families. FSS provides safe homes for abused and neglected children and teens through foster care and finds forever families for children through adoption.

New England Forestry has teamed up with Family Support Services volunteers to renovate their “Bright Spaces” facility, which provides a safe, therapeutic, welcoming environment for supervised visitation with children in care in Nassau County.

Our employees also help with the annual Angel Tree Toy Drive for Family Support Services of Nassau, buying and wrapping gifts for the children to open during holiday visits with their families.

“If we want to be successful as a company, we have to take care of our community,” Kim says. “We’re funding programs that will grow our children and their children. In 10-15 years, I want to be retired and be assured our community is still thriving and growing.”

Legacy and vision

Since 1937, our company has grown alongside Nassau County and we couldn’t be more proud to call this community our home.

Of our 181 local employees, 95 live here in the County, and 86 commute from surrounding communities.

Our perspective is perfectly summed up in these thoughts from Wes Hinton, Vice President of Wildlight at Rayonier:

“Everyone on our team cares deeply about what happens here,” he says. “Our work is a point of pride and there is excitement around it. I grew up here and my daughter is now the sixth generation in my family to be raised in Nassau County. I took this job because I want to have a say in how this community develops over time. It’s our forever home.”

The post New England Forestry in Nassau: Our Home for 87 Years and Counting appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Phillip Smith thought New England Forestry would be a quick stop in his career before finding a job closer to his home state of Mississippi. Almost three decades later, he couldn’t be more proud to continue to call himself a New England Forestry employee.

He started as a Timber Sales Forester in the Florida Region straight out of college. After 27 dedicated years, he is now the Director of Operations in the Alabama Resource Unit, where he oversees unit-wide operations and a whole team of talented foresters.

“Coming out of college, I couldn’t have drawn anything on paper that would have come close to the opportunity I was offered at Rayonier. At the time, I had a rigid vision of how a corporate structure should be. I thought it would take years to see my impact, but New England Forestry is different. Immediately I saw how my contribution made a difference, no matter how small.”

Establishing a new region of forests for Rayonier

In Alabama, Phillip and his team manage approximately 260,000 acres of timberland. It’s the same area where, nearly 23 years ago, he was part of a small team that helped establish the new location for New England Forestry after the company’s large Jefferson Smurfit land purchase.

“I couldn’t believe they would entrust me with such a big responsibility. I was still relatively new to New England Forestry at the time, and I was given a tremendous opportunity to help establish New England Forestry in a new operating area, working alongside two other employees with over 20 years of experience.”

The trust the company placed in him played a role in changing his mind about the future.

“When I started working, I really had no intention of staying at Rayonier. My heart was back home in Mississippi, and I thought that at some point I would move back.”

“But I stayed,” he chuckles. “I fell in love with the people and the company. I never thought twice about leaving. New England Forestry has been a tremendous blessing to me and my family.”

An Unexpected Career Path

During his higher education at Mississippi State, Phillip studied Forest Management for his undergrad and later earned a master’s in economics. When it came time to job hunt, Phillip interviewed with several companies, including Rayonier.

“A New England Forestry job posting was placed on a bulletin board in the forestry building, so I applied. Soon thereafter, I received a call from Ken Gay who at the time was the Florida Region Superintendent. New England Forestry flew me out to the Division Headquarters in Fernandina, and I had the chance to interview with most of the senior management and was provided a forest tour. Coming from Mississippi, where I had spent most of my life, hopping on a plane for the first time was a big deal for me.”

Phillip narrowed his search down to two job offers: one was with a company located in Mississippi, and the other in Florida with Rayonier.

“My mom really wanted me to take the job in Mississippi, and I truly had my heart set on staying. But because of the thoughtful interview process, and how I enjoyed the people I had met, I decided to take the job in Florida with Rayonier.”

A Day in the Life of this New England Forestry Forestry Leader

As Director of Operations, Phillip provides oversight to the team that is responsible for all of the operational activities within the Alabama Resource Unit. It’s a position he takes pride in because of the important rural jobs the timber industry creates, the positive impact on the environment good forest management has, and the role timber plays in providing sustainable, renewable products.

“If you think about it, it’s the most valuable natural resource we have in this country,” he says. “You add up all of the other things that we’ve got–gold, silver, what have you–our most valuable natural resource is timber.”

Collaborating is a key part of a forestry leader’s work

A significant portion of Phillip’s time is spent preparing for and participating in discussions with people within and outside the company. There are generally three different types: inform discussions, collaborative meetings and advocacy efforts.

Inform discussions are typically spent with his supervisor and those higher up in the organization. During their time together, they discuss state of business, challenges, areas of concern, opportunities, and future plans.

Collaborative meetings often involve counterparts in other areas or co-workers in other business units. During this type of meeting, everyone shares what they are working on, how they are working through issues and any improvements they have made. Here, Phillip provides input into various activities, operations and business opportunities as they relate to the Resource Unit.

Lastly, Phillip acts as a representative and advocate for the Alabama Resource Unit outside of the organization.

“Advocacy is a large component of my position here at Rayonier,” he explains. “We are heavily involved in the Alabama Forestry Association, where I serve on the board of directors and executive committee. Often, I will also attend meetings where I represent and advocate for Rayonier’s interests. This mostly includes trade association meetings, as well as meetings with local and state representatives and politicians.”

Phillip is passionate about promoting forestry and helping others understand the role it plays in their lives.

“There’s a lot of respect from the local communities about what we do. They understand that we’re supporting a lot of industries. A lot of local communities are completely dependent upon the timber industry and it’s just wonderful to be part of that.”

Working with people is the best part

There are other important tasks that require his attention while at work.

“I spend quite a bit of time planning, forecasting, and participating in strategy sessions with the team. I’m very analytical, so this is my comfort zone. I truly enjoy analyzing data and then working with our team to use the results to make well-informed business decisions, monitor business progress and analyze project outcomes.”

Other projects Phillip leads within the Resource Unit include tasks like validating inventory data and stand information for pending land sales, working with the legal team on resolving any issues with adjoining landowners, answering questions from outside the organization, and addressing requests from others within the company.

“I enjoy interacting with people. Typically, I will speak with a customer or vendor at least once a day.”

Best of all is time spent reviewing in the woods with employees:

“By far, the most enjoyable aspect of my position is getting out of the office and spending time in the field with my team.”

Due to retirements, departures and promotions, almost three quarters of the employees in the Alabama Resource Unit have joined the team in the past year. As a result, a considerable amount of Phillip’s time has been dedicated to evaluating, interviewing, recruiting and onboarding new employees.

Spending Time in the Woods

Because the unit only has one office, which is in Andalusia, Phillip has many opportunities to interact with the team, especially the Senior Timber Marketing Manager, who oversees the sale of timber, and the Senior Resource Land Manager, who oversees planting and land management.

With a team that is in the woods much more than it’s in the office, Phillip prefers to join his team in the field when possible. Having eyes on the forestry operation gives him the opportunity to better-understand ongoing operations; discover new ways to support the team; interact with New England Forestry customers, contractors and vendors; and help with safety efforts.

Making a compliance visit during a timber harvest

The images in this section of this article were taken when Phillip accompanied Aaron Milstead, a Timber Resource Forester, and two younger foresters, Technical Foresters Aaron Evans and Josh Petty, on a compliance visit to an active timber harvesting operation near the Andalusia Office.

During a timber harvest compliance visit, foresters may look at the following:

1. Checking to ensure that all harvesting occurs in the designated areas and reviewing the harvested areas to verify all merchantable wood has been removed.
2. Making sure that the crew is properly utilizing Rayonier’s mobile load management system (equipment and software) that is used to track and document loads. This involves making sure that records are created prior to moving a load, that the correct information concerning loads is entered and that records are updated with the scale information in a timely manner.
   “We also answer any questions about the unit and system. Occasionally, we have to resolve issues with units that aren’t functioning properly.”

3. For by-the-product stumpage sales and delivered wood sales, we also monitor to make sure that wood is being merchandised properly. “This helps us ensure the correct products are being sorted and that the wood is within mill-tolerant specifications.”
   In other words, we want to send the best quality wood to the top buyer. You don’t want to send a log that would be great for high-value lumber to a pulp mill that will make it into lower-value chips, for example.

“I truly enjoy being with my team out in the field,” Phillip says. “It’s nice to see how much these folks can accomplish here at Rayonier. They never cease to amaze me.”

“New England Forestry has a bright future ahead. There are some very talented individuals employed here with a lot of passion for what they are doing in forestry. Because of this, I am confident in Rayonier’s future success.”

“Some of my best friends are from Rayonier”

Phillip shares that he chose forestry as his career path because, at the heart of it, he is a ‘dirt forester’.

“That’s why I went into forestry. The hands-on part of the industry. I love seeing the trees grow, the harvesting and the operations. But it’s also very satisfying in knowing that what we do has a positive impact on society.”

Aside from his personal love and passion for forestry, Phillip holds a deep appreciation for the people and culture that make up Rayonier.

“I’ve been working for New England Forestry for 27 years now, and I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. At the end of the day, the vast majority of those that I have had the pleasure to interact with are genuine people that are team-oriented, ethical individuals who care about one another. Everyone works together to make sure New England Forestry is successful.

“One of the most telling things is that some of my best and closest friends are either previous or current New England Forestry employees. We spend a lot of time together. It’s hard to work with people that hold similar ethics and values and not become close friends.”

Phillip jokes: “It’s true, you really can’t make me leave Rayonier. They’re stuck with me.”

The post A Day in the Life of a Forestry Leader: Phillip Smith (Alabama, USA) appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

When Tracie Gibbs was five years old, her dad introduced her to the thrill of professional racing and gave her the first glimpse of the direction her life would take. As she watched the action on the track, she was captivated by the National Hot Rod Association’s Safety Safari team, who wore bright yellow hi-vis suits and ran to help anyone in need. This was the job she wanted to do.

Today, as Rayonier’s Director of Safety, instead of racing hazards, Tracie’s attention and efforts are focused on the hazards that come with working in the woods.

At its core, safety is about people. Fortunately, Tracie is passionate about forging relationships. When she first stepped into safety, she encouraged open and honest communication both internally within New England Forestry and externally with contractors. Safety quickly became a company-wide focus. In fact, it is now one of the company’s core values.

What started as a team of one has expanded to a safety department with five employees reporting to Tracie. In six years, she has taken Rayonier’s safety program from one that had only a few measurable goals to one that is applying for OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) — the highest safety certification available.

Under her leadership, New England Forestry has launched a myriad of new reporting and training tools, including a safety app that can be used in the woods without access to cell service. In 2022, the company hosted safety training events in 8 states, helping the logging companies New England Forestry works with to begin developing safety programs of their own and educating more than 650 contractors on OSHA’s safety standards. You can learn more and watch a video about the logger safety training events here. 

Not like other safety professionals

No one goes into safety because it’s glamorous or an easy way to punch a timeclock, especially when it comes to the timber industry, which consistently ranks in the top three of the most dangerous industries in the U.S. Safety professionals are often thought of like police, but Tracie is not like other safety professionals. She doesn’t want to police her coworkers and contractors, she wants to help them think differently about safety. Her philosophy is that, if they understand why certain policies and procedures are in place, they will be more likely to adopt safer behaviors.

Loggers and foresters report some of the highest job satisfaction rates of any profession, but missteps in safety can quickly become a matter of life and death.

“I have three rocks on my desk from the first fatality I investigated. I wanted something to remind me of how I was feeling in that moment because it was the exact situation I wanted to help prevent.

“Seeing a tragedy like this firsthand and knowing there are things we can do—through education, training and maintenance—to help prevent this type of emotional, physical and financial mess from happening to others helped me see the disconnect and wonder what I could do about it. The experience personally changed me.”

Helping others understand why

Convincing folks in the timber industry to think differently about safety can be a challenge. Tracie’s mission is fueled by her passion for helping others and by a deep personal understanding of loss.

She also understands the types of “what-if” questions that pop up in the aftermath of a tragedy. Tracie’s father had a heart attack at work and his coworker, who wasn’t trained in CPR, was unable to save him. Since then, Tracie, who is a certified CPR and first aid instructor, has personally trained all of Rayonier’s U.S. employees.

“When I’m talking to people, they understand my passion is genuine. Safety conversations are often about telling others what to do, but if you focus instead on what it means to experience a loss or feel a sense of fear about what might happen if you don’t behave in a safe manner, it helps them understand why they need to adopt safer behaviors.”

Day in the life

In Tracie’s world, no two days are the same, but there are some tasks that remain consistent from one day to the next. She begins each day by skimming her email and new near-miss reports to get an idea of what’s happening at New England Forestry locations across the country. She finds out if there are any major issues or fires to put out — sometimes this even includes actual wildfires.

While many of the tasks on Tracie’s to-do list are obvious, such as refining policies, working on new initiatives, reviewing safety communications prior to publication, preparing reports for Rayonier’s Board of Directors and keeping up with OSHA changes, she also handles things that most people don’t ever think about. On any given day, she may help a department create a job hazard analysis (JHA) for the top four hazards facing their employees; determine how many straps need to go on a load before a truck leaves a landing and how far they can travel before they finish strapping; or work with Rayonier’s safety mentors to help prepare for the upcoming VPP audits.

Tracie enjoys interacting with others and says, “When you know the people, you really connect.” Because of this, she goes into the woods at least once a week and is often on the road, visiting New England Forestry locations from coast-to-coast. As the main safety resource for Rayonier’s U.S. employees and contractors, she likens her role to “keeping a ship going in the right direction all the time.” The rapport she works so hard to build is essential for making course corrections as safety issues arise.

Safety as a way of life

A commitment to safety doesn’t end when her workday is done. When Tracie is tempted to look at her phone while driving or do something else that isn’t safe, she asks herself if it’s truly worth the risk. She reminds herself and family and friends of their own value, so that everyone understands what’s at risk if they don’t practice safe behaviors.

“Safety doesn’t have to be painful. It doesn’t have to be intimidating. There are a lot of resources out there that make it accessible to everyone.”

A steadfast dedication to protecting others and Tracie’s willingness to challenge the way things have always been done have inspired her to extend her focus beyond the walls of Rayonier’s safety program. She truly wants to show everyone that New England Forestry is passionate about safety and unafraid of sharing what they’ve learned.

“People in the timber industry take a lot of pride in what they do and how well they do it. I’d like to see them adopt that same level of pride in doing their jobs safely. To do the work we do should not cost a life.”

Tracie’s goal is to challenge safety practices industry-wide. She is convinced that the only way forward is for the entire timber industry to come together and raise the bar. Strong safety cultures are fostered when expectations and accountability pertain to everyone from the CEO or owner to the new hire breaking in that first pair of boots. It will take an industry-wide effort to improve safety statistics and get off the list of the most dangerous occupations. Everyone must get on board.

“Safety is unique because we all have the right to it. It doesn’t matter what job we have, how much money we make in a year or how we’re different from anyone else. We all deserve to be safe.”

Article written by Karie Kermath, Safety Manager, Western Operations

The post Tracie Gibbs Brings New Perspective to Forestry Safety appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Colton Cooley grew up in a small forestry town in Oregon. With generations of family-owned logging and tree farming businesses, a career in forestry was a natural choice. His love for the industry led him to New England Forestry as a Forest Engineer III.

After receiving a sponsorship from Rayonier, Colton took the leap and was chosen as a participant in the highly competitive AgForestry Leadership Program. He graduated in April 2022.

The intensive 18-month leadership development program is geared toward those who work in the agriculture, forestry and natural resource industries. During his time in the program, Colton says it was both a life-changing and eye-opening experience.

About the AgForestry Leadership Program in Washington State

According to Program Director Hannah Poush, the program provides an opportunity for individuals to focus on themselves as a leader. 

“The AgForestry Leadership Program prepares mid-level career adults with practical leadership opportunities and rounds them with a support network,” explains Hannah. “From there, they can take the leadership skills they gain and put them to use. Leadership can be messy and lonely at times. You need people in your corner who aren’t necessarily in your organization. Our program provides a safe space where participants can mold and perfect their leadership skills prior to taking it out into the world.”

The program is divided into three modules, each focusing on a specific leadership-focused topic.

Module One – Personal Leadership

In this module, participants are challenged to rethink assumptions and consider what their individual leadership philosophy is. They are asked to self-evaluate who they are and who they want to become as a leader.

“One of my favorite moments was when Colton got up to give his speech,” says Hannah. “He told the room to ‘do the things that make you uncomfortable.’ Clearly, he was not comfortable giving a speech, and he even told the room that. But he did it anyway. Colton lives what he preaches, and that is what is so special about him.”

Assignments and seminars during Module One include:

• Attend 3 Seminars (in Pullman, Spokane and Wenatchee)
• LPI 360 Assessment
• DiSC Personality Profile
• 5-minute persuasive speech
• Assigned reading
• Required journaling

Module Two – Leadership in Public Policy

The primary goal of Module Two is to immerse program participants in the public policy culture and history at the local, state, and federal government levels. Class members visit three different locations during this module, gaining a more diverse perspective as it applies to leadership within government. 

“Many program alums will tell you that this was one of their big ‘ah-ha’ moments,” says Hannah. “They learn that the public policy sector is not an untouchable process. It offers empowerment and the realization that anyone can be involved in the issues and challenges surrounding policy-making.”

While visiting Washington D.C., Colton met with Congresswoman Kim Schrier.

“Colton absolutely shone,” Hannah says with a smile. “This was when he really started stepping out of his box and realized his ability and confidence in speaking. I remember him walking through that experience of his abilities. Kim genuinely wanted to learn from him. His classmates commented on how well he did in that meeting.”

Assignments and seminars during Module Two include:

• Attend 3 Seminars (in Seattle, Olympia and Washington D.C.)
• Required journaling
• Assigned articles and podcasts prior to seminars
• Begin working on group policy projects

Module Three – Leadership and Systems Thinking

During Module Three, participants travel and are exposed to various issues prominent within the state of Washington.

“We want class members to be exposed to regions of the state and become familiar with issues we face,” says Hannah. “With issues that are contentious, we want to offer opportunities to understand various and diverse perspectives. Our hope is class members gain an appreciation for these complexities.”

Social issues, transportation systems, forest products, and key water systems are among the topics discussed and observed during Module Three. 

In addition to state-level travel, class members must embark on an international trip. Colton spent two weeks in Puerto Rico, where he immersed himself in the culture and got to know the people there. 

“It was inspiring to hear their stories,” Colton explains. “Despite all they had been through with the hurricanes and earthquakes, the people held so much pride for their country.”

Assignments and seminars during Module Three include:

• Attend 6 Seminars (In Longview, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, Tacoma, Walla Walla and an international location)
• Required journaling
• Assigned articles and podcasts prior to seminars
• 5-minute persuasive speech
• Continue work on group policy projects
• Begin work on personal leadership philosophy

The History of the AgForestry Leadership Program

In the ‘60s and ‘70s, times were unsettling as the Washington “Fish Wars” took place. Native American tribes and commercial fishing industries were at odds over fishing land. From this turmoil, tribal elder Billy Frank Jr. and an Ellensburg rancher-turned-politician, Stu Bledsoe, forged a relationship and decided to find a way to work together. This ultimately led to the Timber/Fish/Wildlife Agreement (TFW) in the 1980s. The agreement laid the foundation for the collaborative management of natural resources between organizations, tribes and agencies in the state of Washington.

While working on TFW, Stu saw the need for quality leadership between industry and public policy. From his desire to grow leaders who could collaborate and communicate, a natural resources leadership program was born in Washington State – the AgForestry Leadership Program.

Colton’s AgForestry Experience Testimonial

We asked Colton about his experience with the AgForestry Leadership Program.

Rayonier: How would you describe your experience working through the AgForestry Leadership Program?

Colton: My life has changed thanks to the program. I gained a new perspective on leadership and now have the confidence to speak up and share in my role at Rayonier. Before coming to the program, I had no political experience or any interest in it. Part of the program is teaching its participants how laws are passed and enforced. I learned that our legislators are just people that want to make a difference. They are easy to talk to if you reach out.

During my time in the program, I was expected to attend all seminars, give my full attention, and participate equally in our group projects. The intensity of the program was tough, don’t get me wrong. I had to work around the challenges of managing time with my family, work and the program. But you get out of the program what you put into it. 

And as for my classmates, they were an awesome group of people. Everyone, at some point, was a mentor for each other. It went both ways. I was humbled to be with such a quality group of people. And the best part is, we stay in touch. I met some of my best friends through the program.

R: What part of the program left the biggest impression on you?

CC: There were many experiences that left an impression on me. But one of the big ah-ha moments was when we visited the state penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington. Part of the process is learning that there are issues outside of your professional life. We attended a Crime and Corrections Seminar, hearing from professionals in the corrections industry talk about issues with the system in Washington state. They spoke about what the state does for the system and how it runs. It was eye-opening to learn how that actually affects us because the people within the penitentiary eventually get out and become our neighbors. So the question then is what do we do to productively help get those people back into society? We were consistently faced with challenging questions that got us thinking.

R: How has the AgForestry Leadership Program helped set you up for success in your role at Rayonier?

CC: When I expressed interest in the program, New England Forestry was very supportive. They want you to grow as an employee for their organization, but also as a leader and community member. Because of their support and my involvement in the program, I’ve gained the confidence to sit in a meeting and share my thoughts and opinions with the room. I also better understand how I learn and communicate with others. These are all critical skills to becoming a better leader.

After sharing my experience with my supervisor and co-workers at Rayonier, the company has been getting more involved with the AgForestry Leadership Program. New England Forestry strives to challenge its employees with professional development, and I think they saw that this program benefited me.

R: Tell us about the forestry tour you personally organized for your class.

CC: Our class, unfortunately, went through the program during the pandemic. Because of this, we missed out on field tours, one of which would have highlighted the forestry side of the industry. I wanted to showcase forestry and share the industry with those who do not work in that space. So I reached out to Hannah Poush, our Program Director, and asked her if I could organize a forestry tour. She didn’t hesitate before she said “Yes!” I reached out to several people in the industry that I knew were alumni of the program and received huge support from the network. In March of 2022, we went on a tour of a seedling nursery, a mill in the area, and an export facility at the Olympia Court.

It just goes to show how powerful the forestry network is.

R: What was your AgForestry group’s public policy project?

CC: As a group, we wanted to do something that would make an impact. We all got along well, but we had different viewpoints and ideas. We knew we wanted to make a difference and landed on the issue of insurance. Many farmers do not have the same access to doctors as people in most cities. In addition, their [often rural] internet access typically is not fast enough for online medical visits. An emergency order that was meant to help had been issued by the governor during COVID, however “audio-only” services were excluded from reimbursable telemedicine services.

We got traction very quickly! Each group member spent time reaching out to individuals for support, and one even submitted a written testimony. Through it all, we learned how to track the bill through the legislature and how the process works. Afterward, we wrote a report for the bill and presented it at the graduation seminar. We received positive and constructive feedback. It was a satisfying and empowering experience.

R: What advice do you have for someone considering the program?

CC: My advice would be to do your research. This program isn’t something to be taken lightly as it requires quite a bit of time and commitment. Figuring out how to juggle life, family, work and the program was the most challenging part for me. Those new to the program need to consider this and answer the question, ‘Can I handle that?’ You only get out of the program what you put into it. Dedicate yourself and you’ll do just fine.

Rayonier’s involvement with the AgForestry Leadership Program

Because of this opportunity, Colton has gained the confidence he needs to succeed in his role at Rayonier.

“I am grateful to New England Forestry and thankful for their support,” says Colton. “They got their value!”

In addition to sponsoring Colton’s participation in the program, New England Forestry is also a sponsor of the overall organization.

“Cultivating leaders for Washington State’s natural resource industries is a team effort,” explains Vicky Scharlau, AgForestry Program’s Executive Director. “AgForestry is only successful with key partners in agriculture, fisheries and forestry. New England Forestry plays an important role representing the forestry industry, and we appreciate them for standing up and leaning into the value and significance of adult leadership development.”

How you, too, can follow in Colton’s footsteps

If you are interested in learning more about the program, check out the AgForestry Program Prospects Page on their website. There you will find Program FAQs, an application, contact information and a schedule to chat with an AgForestry Staff member if you have any further questions.

To be eligible for the program, the following requirements must be met:

• You must have lived or worked in Washington State for at least one year.
• Because this is an intensive program, you must receive approval from your employer. An Employer Release form will need to be filled out by your employer.
• Remain employed in agriculture, forestry or any other related natural resources industry career for the duration of the program.
• Attend an AgForestry Q&A session via Zoom. Dates, times and registration can be found on the Prospects Page of the website.

Those who are passionate about what they do are strongly encouraged to apply. “If you want to grow in your skills and confidence to make a difference, this program is for you,” says Hannah.

The post New England Forestry Forester Completes Intensive and Prestigious AgForestry Program appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Working forests are healthy and vibrant not due to luck or chance but rather because of a growing body of scientific knowledge that supports thriving pine trees, clean watersheds and diverse plant and animal species on active forestlands.

For 75 years, New England Forestry has invested in its in-house Forest Research Center, where scientists have studied trees and forests down to the genetic level. The Center is one of only two industry-led research teams in the country.

“There’s been a lot of improvement to forestry as we’ve learned more about biology and that’s really where the team comes in,” says Trevor Host, Research & Development Coordinator at the Research Center. “We take what we’ve learned from experiments and make that operational. We still have research notes from the ’70s that we reference today.”

The Three Roles of Rayonier’s Forest Researchers

As the team has grown, it has taken on three key roles: 

1) Breed and test tree families for the best growth and quality

2) Research all aspects of forest management and put the results into action throughout the company

3) Enforce sustainability certification standards, including record-keeping and staff training

The team, which works out of our office in Yulee and in various New England Forestry offices across the U.S., collaborates with university scientists on cooperative efforts: New England Forestry provides the land, labor, and other resources for large-scale research projects that scientists from industry and academia work on together. 

But team members also create their own research projects in response to questions that come up within the company, usually from front-line forest managers who need help with specific challenges. 

Three team members share their experiences working at the Forest Research Center: 

Kirk McEachern—Senior Manager, Forest Productivity & Sustainability Group 

Kirk’s knowledge of forest health is literally deeply rooted–he studied soil science in college and graduate school before starting his career as a soil cartographer, in which he mapped soil types and distribution for local, state and federal government projects. 

Kirk says it wasn’t long before he “morphed” and started working on trees in the forestry industry, where he’s been for 27 years. He has worked on everything—hybrid poplars, hardwoods, yellow pines—and brings decades of experience to his role as manager of the Forest Productivity and Sustainability Group.

His main role is to support front-line foresters and other decision-makers throughout the company on all aspects of forest management. For example, if a forester has a problem with disease in a stand of pine trees, Kirk and his team provide current scientific insights to help guide decisions.

Kirk also oversees environmental compliance efforts, including the company’s voluntary commitment to its Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Forest Management certification. Kirk trains employees on compliance and record-keeping requirements in an effort to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat and at-risk species. SFI’s stringent requirements are independently audited and require meticulous documentation.

This breadth of responsibilities has been rewarding for Kirk, who says New England Forestry has given him the opportunity to grow in his career. He hopes to pass his knowledge on to the incoming generation of scientists.

“I very much enjoy sharing what we have collectively learned and understand about forest management to those just starting their careers,” Kirk says. “The industry generally is experiencing a lot of change in age distribution and New England Forestry is no different. The challenge is to codify and not lose what we have learned over the previous 75 years.”

April Meeks—Tree Improvement Scientist, Research & Development Coordinator

A relative newcomer to the Forest Research Center, April Meeks describes herself as a “forestry nerd.” She earned this title with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a master’s in forestry. Now, April is finishing her doctorate in forest genetics with dissertation work in progress as part of her role at Rayonier.

“My favorite thing about studying forestry is being able to learn about how a tree grows,” she says.

As a Tree Improvement Scientist, April tests tree families to determine those with the best potential for healthy growth. She says it’s rewarding to be part of Rayonier’s reforestation process and she looks forward to watching the seedlings grow to be big, healthy trees.

April also designs research projects to address specific challenges facing New England Forestry foresters.

“My favorite project that I’ve worked on so far is a project with a disease affecting our trees called pitch canker,” she says. “We artificially inoculated some of our families for the disease. The project is part of my Ph.D. work and I got to practice some analytical techniques for processing the data, which I had only done in courses at school. For the first time, I was working with my own data and processing the results on my own.”

Trevor Host—Research & Development Coordinator for Remote Sensing

Filling a brand-new role at the company, Trevor’s specialty is remote sensing, relying on aerial imagery, satellites, drones, and other emerging technologies to map and monitor forests.

He studied environmental science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, followed by a master’s in natural resources at the University of Minnesota, where he focused on forestry.

“I was interested in the technology side of it. There’s just different ways you can use modern technology to aid how folks have traditionally done forestry for many decades,” Trevor says. “And I learned about what you could do in these roles. It’s a good blend of technology as well as being out in the woods, being in a more natural environment, and being a steward of the land, just managing it to make a better world for everybody.”

Trevor is working on a new LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data project in which laser scanners mounted on aircraft are flown over New England Forestry forests to collect 3D imagery, providing highly detailed terrain maps for forest managers. 

“We can see the elevation of the ground underneath the forests which is new and very useful,” Trevor says. “You can tell where the water flows and where the streams are in our land base which is really important. Then we have a 3D map of the forest too. It’s useful for mapping tree heights.”

Trevor is excited to see how this data supports the company’s forest management efforts and looks forward to emerging technologies. 

“As new things develop we have different and unique needs,” says Trevor.  “We need to be able to grow into those new avenues as technology gets better.” 

The future of the Forest Research Center

Though the group’s founders didn’t foresee the high-tech mapping technologies or sustainability standards that have become part of forestry, the Center has adapted beautifully to these changes. That’s because the Forest Research Center is, at its core, a scientific endeavor. As science itself is never a finished product, the need for innovation and rigorous research in forestry will continue into the next era of management. 

And as for the future, Kirk, the manager of the FPS group, says that front-line foresters will continue to need new research into genetics and forest management practices. In-house research is more valuable than ever. 

He and his team are excited to see what the next era of forestry research brings!

The post New England Forestry Scientists Bring Deep Knowledge to Forest Management appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Forestry is often compared to farming, just on a longer rotation. And for Forester and Resource Land Manager Wes Yeomans, working as a “tree farmer” is the ultimate dream job.

“I started with New England Forestry in March of 2016 when a former employee called me up. He said that the company was bringing back their technical forester program, and asked if I would be interested. The job consisted of timber sale line painting, as well as harvest and inventory cruising. He said I’d meet all of the local loggers, learn site prep and get a well-rounded experience.”

Wes took the job and was later promoted within Rayonier, ultimately landing him in the role he is in today.

“At the beginning of 2022, I took a new role as Resource Land Manager. I moved from the timber marketing side into the silviculture land management side. I now oversee everything that is not timber harvesting: road work, chemical applications, planting, site prep, and fertilization applications. If it’s not actual harvesting, it’s on my to-do list.”

A natural outdoorsman made forester

Having grown up in the outdoors, Wes found forestry to be the obvious career choice. And in fact, he chose it based on his personal experience with Rayonier.

“As a kid, I spent a lot of time hunting and fishing with my dad. I always knew I wanted to go into a profession that allowed me to be outdoors. While in high school, I took several agricultural classes and one focused on timber management. I learned a lot about the industry and even visited a New England Forestry Demo Forest.”

It was Wes’s senior year of high school. New England Forestry hosted his class at a demonstration forest in Wayne County, Georgia. By the end of the field trip, Wes knew he wanted to learn more about becoming a forester.

“New England Forestry employees shared about different planting density studies. I remember one of them asking the class a question about tree density and why they would plant in such a way. I raised my hand—a 17-year-old kid that didn’t know anything—but I spoke up anyway. I answered, ‘The same volume but different size trees gives you different types of end products.’ At that time, I didn’t know much about forestry, but getting a first-hand look at what they do, how they do it, and why they make the decisions they make really piqued my interest.”

While in high school, Wes was tasked with completing a dendrology notebook focusing on the scientific study of trees.

“With everything we were learning, my friends and I would quiz each other on the different types of trees. I was always wanting to know what was around me.”

Wes graduated from high school in 2008 and was accepted into the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, known as ABAC, in Tifton, Georgia. In 2013, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science with a focus in Forestry Management and Natural Resource Conservation.

“ABAC gave me a solid foundation for my forestry career. We did a lot of hands-on learning. I really believe that helped set me up for success for the job I’m in today.”

A day in the life of New England Forestry forester, Wes Yeomans

In this series of photos, we followed Wes for a day to learn more about the work he and his team do while prepping a site for future forests. Each morning he begins his day in the office.

“I start my day at the office checking my calendar and email. I’m looking to see if I have any active site prep contractors out in the field. If I do, I make a plan for what they can be working on. From there, I set out to go check on them.”

Although he starts his day with a plan, Wes must always prepare for the unexpected.

“It’s tough to share a typical day on the job because my day-to-day can be so unpredictable. I’ll start my day with a list of to-dos, but things almost always change.

“For example, I have plans to go check on my site prep contractors. I get a phone call from a logger harvesting out in the forest. He says, ‘Hey, I’m harvesting timber at so-and-so road, and the log truck driver just called me. The culvert has given way in the middle of the road and my guys can’t get in and out safely. We need this fixed!’ And so, my plans will change. I can’t go check on my site prep contractor anymore because we are faced with safety and production issues. My job now is to get down there, check on the culvert, stop the loggers from coming in and out, and call a contractor to come to dig and fix the culvert. It’s my job to make sure we can get back on schedule.

“But that’s what I like the most about my job: you don’t know what the day is going to hold. It makes it exciting.”

Next, Wes heads out to check on active site prep contractors

When he heads out to the field, Wes is monitoring all aspects of the forest. The job is all-encompassing and requires him to multitask.

“If I have active contractors, I’ll head out to a working site to check on them and to see how things are going. I also make sure they have and are using all of their safety equipment.

“From there, I always have in my head what’s coming next. In my area, if they are working on a [tree farm site], conditions have to be just right. Soil moisture can’t be too wet or too dry. I check on those blocks and report back to the contractor’s manager on how things are going.

“After I check on them, I might head out to look at any road work going on. Do they need to be graded? Are we moving wood out of here? Do we have future plans to move wood? How are the roads holding up? If there’s a big hole, do we need to fill it with some rock and dirt? I’m continuously checking on multiple things while I’m out.

“And, if I’m lucky, I might get to eat lunch during the day,” he jokes.

Now onto mechanical site prep management

While out in the field, Wes watches over his contractors as they shear the ground, preparing it for a future planting season. They use a big ‘V’ blade, also known as a shear, on the front of the bulldozer to clear the land of debris and stumps.

“One of my responsibilities is determining which blocks require shearing. Some blocks of land need it, while others do not. If an area needs clearing, I’ll map it out and hand it off to my contractors. That’s the art and science of my job.”

The shear is placed flush with the ground and moves downward. It has teeth to cut straight through large stumps, just like a knife cutting through butter. After a shear pass, a bedding plow is pulled directly behind the bulldozer to create lanes of dirt for the future planting of New England Forestry forests.

“We have specified guidelines for how wide each shear lane needs to be. These guidelines need to be followed because the width of the shear lanes will directly affect our planting densities when we plant seedlings in the winter. I ensure the contractor is establishing rows with widths that are within those guidelines.”

With shearing complete, Wes measures and reviews the plantable ground

Using a yellow diameter tape, Wes works through each shear lane to measure for width accuracy.

“That’s how we calculate trees per acre. Knowing the width of the beds helps us know how to space the trees. It’s all about spacing.”

Planting season spans from November to February each year. Seedlings are planted based on a set number of trees per acre, also known as “tree density”.

“New England Forestry conducts density studies over time. Through this research, they have determined what percentage of tree coverage is best. We plant based on those set standardized tree per acre numbers, and manage them off of our growth and yield models. From there, we decide when to thin stands, which allows the trees more room to grow if needed.

“I love how what I do now ties back to the field trip at the New England Forestry Demo Forest all those years ago. My work revolves around density, the very thing the New England Forestry employee was asking our high school class about. It’s all come full-circle for me.”

Before heading back to the office, Wes flies a drone to check site prep completion

Accurate acreage calculation is important because most site prep contractors are paid on a per-acre rate. It is Wes’ responsibility to ensure acreage is accounted for after an area is prepped.

“If we send a contractor a 100-acre site prep area, and they only prep 95 of those acres, we need that information so we pay them correctly. We also need to know an accurate acreage estimation of that particular stand moving forward.”

That is one way foresters use drones.

Wes received his drone pilot’s license about 4 years ago. Drones are handy, especially when areas are swampy or inaccessible.

“As soon as a contractor has completed mechanical site prep, I need to ensure that all of the acreages were treated correctly and that no spots were missed.

“The drone software that we use automatically flies the area based on the parameters we set. During the flight, the drone takes pictures in a grid-like pattern of the entire area. When I get back to the office, the imagery is uploaded and processed. The software company then stitches the images together to give us a real-time aerial view of the land. I load them into our internal network where I can view the images in closer detail.”

The imagery from the drone gives Wes a clear picture of the contractor’s work on the assigned land.

“Sometimes the contractors aren’t able to work in every area because of wet ground conditions. They miss areas or sometimes work more acreage than predicted. While examining, I can overlay the imagery within our internal software system to reshape the area based on what was actually treated. This is how I get an accurate acreage estimation.

“Also, I’m a pilot!” he jokingly adds.

The post A Day in the Life of a Forester, Spotlight: Wes Yeomans (Georgia, USA) appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Few people can say they’ve been with the same company since graduating college 30+ years ago. Forester and Resource Land Manager Terri Hall is one of those people.

“New England Forestry was my first permanent job after graduating from college. I started working for New England Forestry in 1989 in the old Chandlery Building in downtown Fernandina. At that time, it was known as ITT Rayonier, Corporate was in Connecticut and the timberlands were primarily in Florida and Georgia.”

Today, Rayonier’s timberlands span across the Southeast from South Carolina to Texas, and in Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest as well as forests in New Zealand.

Terri soon found her home in Rayonier’s Florida Resource Unit, our team based in Rayonier’s southernmost forests in Florida.

“I started in Technical Services, then worked for the Florida region as a timber sales forester. Since 1992, I have had 5 different job titles but my office for all of them has been right here at the Bradford Forest Office.” 

If that isn’t extraordinary enough, her boss has been with her for the span of her career. Rick Piagno, a colleague who eventually became her boss in 1996, is still her boss and Resource Unit Leader today.

“So I’ve had the same boss for 26 years and have worked for the same company for 32 years!” she chuckled.

Forging a career path all her own

Many foresters have a family background in the profession or some previous experience, but not Terri. She chose this career based on her own goals and objectives.

“I had no experience and no family background, I just wanted a job that was not going to be boring. I didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day long, and I wanted variety in my line of work. I definitely have variety.  We always say: don’t make too hard of plans because every morning things are likely to change.”

Terri studied hard to earn her forestry education. She holds a Bachelors and Masters degree from Auburn University. Yet, she still encounters many misconceptions about her field of expertise.

“When I say I’m a forester, people think I sit in a fire tower. So I get to explain all that’s involved, from site management to seed selection, planting, disease control, working with loggers, fire fighting, sampling and statistics. People don’t realize all that goes into the education and daily work of it all.”

Terri began when few women worked directly in the field

Terri says it never concerned her that she was one of only a few women foresters. Nor did it motivate her to approach her job or make career decisions any differently.

“When I went to school there were 3 other women in my forestry classes. When I began working I think there was — I don’t really pay attention to this — no, there were not any other field women when I came. Then a couple more did come on but most of them did not stay in the field, they went into specialized things like technical services, GIS or research. I don’t know of many who were actually in forest management.

“I’ve never had a problem though. The nice thing about forestry is everyone is so great. Whether it’s New England Forestry employees, contractors, loggers or employees with the Florida Forest Service, everyone’s just good, down-to-earth people. I’ve loved every minute of it. Honestly, unless somebody pointed out that I was one of the only women around, I never paid attention to it.”

A day in life of this New England Forestry forester

In December 2021, when New England Forestry employee Robert Hall shadowed Terri for a day and took the photos included in this story, she and her team were dealing with seasonal planting. She began her day in the field supervising planting and taking plots.

“In this picture, I’m laying out my pole to measure it for the correct length for a 35th-acre plot. I then swing the pole and count the seedlings on the plot.”

Terri has to count the number of trees to ensure the contractor is planting the correct density. “Planting compliance is complicated. Planting density can be affected by so many factors including bedding width, quality of the site prep and weather conditions. Really, the only thing a planter can control is how far apart the trees are in the bed.” 

Back at the office, there are forest fire maps to review and analyze

“We do a lot of work looking at fire protection and things we can do to reduce fire danger, especially in Florida. Sometimes that’s through release work, in which we chemically spray under the trees to reduce competition. You create a map of all the stands to show what areas need a reduction in fire danger. After evaluating the map, we make plans for the coming year to do activities in these high risk areas such as mowing or spraying to mitigate the danger.”

Next, it’s on to timber sales — of which Terri has 21 pending for Bradford County

This involves checking in on and meeting with the loggers every 10 days to make sure harvesting is going according to plan.

“When I go out there, my biggest concerns are: stumps being low and trees being cut to the right top diameter so they’re getting proper utilization of the trees. Also, I check that the roads are not being torn up, no oil spills, that the right area’s being cut — you’d be surprised what can happen! — and that they only use our designated crossings. Since it rains a lot in Florida and we’re so close to the water table, we’re also very concerned about soil disturbance and wood not being left on the ground.”

“So I go to the field every week to check on the loggers and walk the timber sale area, making  sure they haven’t messed up any sites, channels or roads and ensure they have what they need. I try to maintain a good working relationship with the loggers where they feel free to call and tell me what they need whether it is road work, additional tickets or clarification of the sale area.”

Now, she moves on to overseeing planting and nursery inventory

“Whenever the planting crew works on my forests, I give them maps showing the planting area, number of acres, species to be planted, the seed lot number and the trees per acre to be planted. One of the most challenging things about planting season is getting the seedlings from the nursery to the field when the planters need them. It is a huge coordinated effort when the forests in different states are all planting at once and getting their trees from our one nursery in Elberta, Alabama.”

The seedlings are delivered in refrigerated vans which are left on-site. When that inventory runs low, it’s up to Terri to ensure they have a new van of seedlings on the way so planting isn’t interrupted or delayed.

With the seedlings taken care of, Terri checks on the health of the larger tree stands

No matter how well you plan, cultivate and care for them, some trees are bound to experience pest pressure and/or disease. A regular part of Terri’s work includes evaluating trees for early signs of trouble.

“When you find a spot in a stand where the pine needles are turning red, you look for evidence like pitch tubes, popcorn or sawdust to try and identify the forest pest. Once you figure out the pest, you have to decide on a course of action. For example, if it’s southern pine beetle, we know that pest travels fast! So you might have to cut them down plus create a buffer around them to capture the red, dead and dying. This creates a buffer to protect the healthy trees. So when we see dead spots we have to look at them and see what’s going on.”

This level of consistent observation is critical to preserving and maintaining healthy forests and wildlife habitats.

What Terri loves most about being a forester

Terri’s love and passion for her work comes through in everything she does. Here’s what she loves most about her job. 

“Some of it has to do with the actual work and some of it has to do with the management. I enjoy the freedom and the responsibility, I’m free to make decisions and I’ve been given a lot of responsibility. I appreciate the trust that’s involved. I like the challenge because we’re always looking for better ways to do this and solutions for the problems that come up. I especially like having an area that’s mine to manage.

“I love that I have the whole spectrum. From the time I put the seedling in the ground to the time the loggers cut it. I choose the seedlings for each stand, I determine whether the stand gets some intermediate treatment, and I’m the one who’s out there helping to protect it either through fire fighting or pest management.

“Another thing I like about my job is how we’re structured. There’s a lot of accountability.  If I don’t make sure the logger got it right then I’m going to hear it from the site prep guy. If I don’t ensure that the site prep is right, I am going to hear it from the planting contractor. I’m in charge of the whole rotation. Also, I oversee planning of road work in preparation for new timber sales so just about anything that happens, it’s my responsibility…and I like that.”

Terri adds: “I’ll tell you a secret, the Florida Resource Unit is the best. We have a great time together, we really do!”

The post A Day in the Life of a Forester, Spotlight: Terri Hall (Florida, USA) 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.

They say nothing can prepare you for the role of a parent…especially a parent during an unexpected pandemic lockdown with a teenager. That’s what Shane Bergman, his wife Kandis and their daughter Layla (along with millions of other parents) experienced last March.

“They shut down the schools and we were all at home. But then Layla finished all her schoolwork within a few weeks so she had nothing to do,” Shane says.

They could have panicked and signed their kids up for a million additional online courses, but that’s not what happened with the Bergmans.

Necessity is the mother of invention…especially during lockdown

Since his daughter completed the school year early, Shane had to quickly think of a project to keep her occupied that would also help bring some normalcy and fun into their lives. He kept in mind that Layla wants to be an engineer.

“My wife Kandis had always wanted a patio set, so I asked her if she wanted us to build one. So we all got in on it together. I got all the wood, Layla helped with the measurements, joining and puttying, and Kandis painted it. So we made a little assembly line.” 

They all enjoyed the work, and Shane felt good about using lumber produced in east Texas — especially since part of his job is to sell New England Forestry timber to lumber mills in that area. 

After they completed the set, Kandis posted a picture on Facebook. Little did she know that photo would launch their pandemic family woodworking business.

“She got so many likes from the photo that she asked if anyone would be interested in buying one…we got 4 order requests within the first 24 hours.”

Lack of Experience Didn’t Stop The Bergmans from Building and Selling Their Furniture

Shane and his family which, up until lockdown, had very little experience building, went into business head first.

“My Dad was a welder and then he went back to school to be an Elementary ed teacher, so he had a lot of blueprint skills and I’d help him on projects growing up,” Shane says. “But it’s different when you’re actually there measuring and making the cuts. The year before, Layla and I built a deer stand and put a tin roof on it and stained it. That was our first go and we haven’t looked back.”

YouTube videos, some refresher geometry tutorials and hands-on work provided the bulk of the Bergman family woodworking education. 

“My daughter wants to be an engineer so she’d do all the measurements with me and she kept a little cheat sheet up in the garage. The hardest things for me were the angles, because I want to know exactly how you calculate that, so I refreshed my geometry and everything to get that right.”

The orders poured in throughout lockdown, which made for many busy nights in the garage.

“We started in March and did that for literally a month straight after work Monday through Friday. It was to the point where my wrists and fingers were killing me! But it was fun and we’ve had a few people reach out ever since. If I would have known what I know now about the rush on wood, I would have bought a big flat of 2X4s in the beginning from our local sawmills. But I’d have to say it was fun just hanging out and listening to music with Kandis and Layla.”

How did he keep his daughter engaged with the hard work and long nights?

“I’ll be honest with you, she was always saying she needed to make money so I told her I’d pay her a commission and she went for it and learned some responsibility too.”

His Favorite Woodworking Piece To Date

Although patio sets were their most popular product, Shane’s favorite piece he’s built is this two-seater burnt bench pictured below.

Here’s how he achieved the finish using fire:

“When you use southern yellow pine, you’ve got naturally lighter and darker colors in the wood grain. So, you take a little blue propane torch, light it and keep it 3-4 inches away from the wood and it just accents it like a zebra print. Then we add a clear coat.” 

The technique takes patience, but it’s not hard to learn.

“Just don’t do what one of my buddies did. He used lighter fluid to speed up the process. It worked, but I wouldn’t recommend it! I spent about an hour and a half on just that bench to get it right, and once you see the end result it’s pretty cool. That board had really good characteristics.” 

He learned the technique on YouTube.

Shane’s Advice For Woodworker Newbies: Make The Time and Just Do It

Obviously Shane doesn’t shy away from learning something new on the fly. But his perspective serves as good advice for aspiring woodworkers who are on the fence about how and when to get started:

“I just do it. I’m one of those people who believes you can’t get time back, and some things you’ve got to say no to and some things you say yes to.

“Anything you want to do now, whether it’s mechanics, fishing or anything, you can find a way to kind of get your feet wet and learn. After you research it you’ll find it’s not that hard. I’d just type in ‘wooden patio sofa’ and see what videos came up. For woodworking though, Home Depot has a lot of stuff online and they’ll give you a whole list of exactly what you need, the lengths, etc. The cuts are the most intimidating, especially if you’re going to cut on an angle. Also, I wouldn’t jump in and buy the most expensive tools to start with. I’d go to Harbour Freight to start out with a cheaper tool, and that way you can find out if you like it before spending more.”

As we’ve all learned over the last year and half, life can throw us some unpredictable curve balls. And something like a pandemic lockdown can create serious challenges for families. Yet, the Bergmans’ story serves as a reminder that life is truly what we make of it. 

In their case, a lockdown brought them closer together as a family, taught Layla some basics about managing money and starting a business and provided the opportunity for them to forge a new hobby in woodworking. Not a bad way to spend a few months stuck at home.

Congrats to Shane and his family on their pandemic side-hustle and beautiful patio sets!

The post The Woodworkers of Rayonier: Shane Bergman 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.

New Zealand has been one of the most successful countries in keeping coronavirus at bay. But that doesn’t mean its citizens got to skip lockdowns. On the contrary, their lockdown periods were stricter and longer than here in the United States. That gave Northland Forest Manager Sam Middlemass some extra time—and extra challenges—in creating his DIY wood projects.

The Obsession Started In Primary School

It’s not every child who has the opportunity to take woodworking in school these days. However, in New Zealand it was offered as part of Sam’s primary school curriculum. And from that simple grade school instruction, a full-blown passion developed.

“After school, I worked as a fencing contractor like my father did for the bulk of my childhood, until I was employed by Rayonier,” says Sam, who’s based in Whangarei. “So my work has always involved wood in one way or another.”

Sam is humble in describing his approach to woodworking: “I focus on prominently timber and reasonably rough construction. Everything I’ve made is pretty much all for outdoor application and doesn’t require a great degree of craftsmanship. To give you an idea, one of my favorite tools is the chainsaw!”

The Special Challenge Of Procuring Wood On A Small Island During A Pandemic

People from around the world have different opinions about the United States in general. However, if there’s one thing they all agree on, it’s that we are spoiled in terms of the variety and availability of consumer products. And according to Sam, wood is no exception. 

“One thing I found very interesting with this DIY contest was seeing what types of pieces were made in the States. I’m always amazed at how many types of wood working tools and materials are available there. Here in New Zealand we typically have locally-grown pines, so to get black woods or eucalyptus, etc., you usually have to go to a specialty store.”

You can view some of the winning U.S.-based projects in our other Woodworkers of New England Forestry articles.

Sam added procuring any type of wood for projects during lockdowns was even more of a challenge due to an unprecedented run on supplies.

“Luckily, I have my wood pile under the house, so I had to be resourceful and made due with what I had on hand.”

Like many houses in New Zealand and other coastal areas, Sam’s is elevated, which provides the perfect spot to store wood.

The Cape Cod Chair That Became A Picnic Table Bench

One of Sam’s favorite projects was a beautiful picnic table bench combination which he made at the request of his wife.

“It came about because my wife mentioned that she wanted a version of a Cape Cod chair. I had no idea what that was, so I looked it up and thought it was rather ugly! So, I sort of figured out how to redesign it and that’s how we got the picnic table bench. I started it one afternoon and finished it the next morning. If I made another one now, I’d probably bang it out in an afternoon.

“I put the table together pretty quickly but it actually does work and I’m quite proud of that. And the satisfaction you can get knowing that it was done by just looking at a picture! I like to look at something and make it better and customized. I never make something exactly from someone else’s design.”

During New Zealand lockdowns, Sam and his wife took advantage of the time to do some more extensive woodworking projects, including changing out their back porch for a more functional design.

His Favorite Project And Favorite Woodworking Tools

Insofar as his favorite project ever, Sam says: “That would have to be when I extended the decking on our house and made it much more useful and less narrow. I expanded the width and did away with the kink in the decking. That’s probably the piece that was most useful.”

Like his craft, Sam keeps his woodshop simple. Set up in his garage, he keeps a skill saw, an angle grinder, a jigsaw and other basic tools. 

“My favorite DIY tool at the moment is an angle grinder with a sanding disc attachment. This is used to make joints fit neatly if they don’t, round edges and create shapes in softer wood types, such as finishing off chainsaw-carved bowls or platters. It removes wood much faster than an electric sander and I’d hate to have to do what it does by hand.”

Like our other contestants, he emphasized that you don’t need a lot of fancy expensive equipment or tools to create functional wooden pieces.

Sam’s advice for aspiring woodworkers: start simple and seek inspiration

Sam’s no-frills designs speak to his core beliefs about woodworking: it should be simple, fun and rustic. 

“Crikey, my only advice would be to just give it a go. It’s not hard. Particularly these days with screwing things together, we’ve got the power tools for it—so get into it. Start rustic first and work your way up to the higher-level skill stuff.

“I thought this competition was fantastic because of the fact you get to see so many quirky projects that other people have made. It inspires you to expand your horizons when you see somebody else’s creations.”

We can’t wait to see what Sam comes up with next!

The post The Woodworkers of Rayonier: New Zealand’s Sam Middlemass appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

When we launched our Wooden DIY Projects Contest for employees during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, we had no idea just how talented our New England Forestry employees were at woodworking.

From hand-carved tables to cider presses, wooden coolers, workout benches and everything in between, the task of choosing a winner from such a creative and resourceful bunch was a tall order.

However, one project stood out as the overall fan favorite: Traditional East Greenland Style Kayaks built by Resource Land Manager Neris Biciunas. 

We caught up with Neris, who’s based in Forks, Washington, to get the story behind what goes into crafting these buoyant beauties, and learn more about his journey to woodworking.

Building kayaks began as a family affair

Whilst admiring these kayaks, you’d never believe they were hand-constructed in a self-taught hobbyist’s garage over the course of a few weekends. But that’s exactly how they were made.

“When people look at the kayak I made, they think: That’s epic and must have taken you forever! But the truth is, most of the instructions came from a book. The rest came from the wisdom of the internet, and I simply took it one piece at a time,” Neris says.

He started woodworking as a hobby several years ago. As soon as he had a place to work and his daughters were ready to start playing in the water, he began building wooden kayaks.

“I could have followed the path of kayaking as an individual sport, but I made a deliberate choice to include my family. And it’s nearly impossible to buy a kayak for a small person no matter how much money you have. So that pointed me toward building something, because I can build a scaled-down kayak for a small person.”

Neris’s daughters, now 17 and 20, learned to kayak from a young age.

“Sea kayaking is pretty easy because you don’t need rapids or a three week expedition, and it gave them a chance to learn about doing it safely from an early age. When they outgrew their kayaks, we could pass them on to other growing families.”

The history of wooden kayaks and their traditional craftsmanship

The only thing more enchanting than looking at these kayaks is learning about their history…which Neris tells with enthusiasm.

“Kayaks originated as a very efficient hunting vehicle for people in arctic areas—and they had to be efficient or they’d go hungry. What’s really interesting is they had very few resources to build with…they didn’t even have trees up there! So the first question is: where do you get lumber? They’d use driftwood. They also didn’t have nails, bolts, glues, or high-tech materials so a large piece of driftwood was split into many smaller pieces for the structure, the occasional bit of bone material for a joint, animal sinew [tendons] for lashing parts together and seal hides for the outer coating. And that’s why many people call this style ‘skin on frame.’”

Applying traditional techniques to contemporary kayaks

For his modern kayaks, Neris blends traditional building techniques with contemporary materials. Either nylon or polyester fabric with a certain type of varnish or paint mimics the function of a seal skin.

“For my daughters, I used a canvas material for a skin because I can seal it with an exterior house paint. And I used nylon for the bigger kayaks. The joinery is a combination of things. Dowels or mortise and tenon make most connections. Many parts are lashed together. The ‘skin’ also contributes to strengthening the whole craft. ”

For sourcing the wood (Douglas-fir, Western Red Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, Pacific Yew, and Vine Maple), Neris has found certain pieces at the local saw mill, his woodpile and the hardware store. He sources specialty pieces, like curved wood, directly from the woods (including Raynioner slash piles).

The “why” behind the hobby

Everyone has different reasons for pursuing woodworking. For Neris, it’s mostly about the opportunity to learn something new.

“It is also very relaxing to whittle away at something. Part of that learning process is studying the idea and looking at alternatives and thinking about how I can accomplish this with what I have for materials and skills. I like to think of it as learning and understanding, and by practicing I increase my level of understanding.”

Some of his other favorite projects include a cider press, the bread kneading trough shown above, a wood-based workout station, and skim boards.

Neris gave an example of that deepened understanding and experimentation when sharing about his favorite piece he ever made, a kayak for his wife. In need of a 20 inch piece of wood to manipulate into a U-shape, something that’s typically done with a large steamer, Neris used a piece of vine maple which he heated in the microwave to achieve the same result.

“I took it out of the microwave and it bent like a wet noodle! You can’t build furniture with a microwave, but it worked great for a kayak. And that kind of goes back to looking at the process and thinking, ‘How else can I do this with what I have?’”

This spirit of working with what you have seemed to be universal among all the top New England Forestry Woodworkers. The bottom line: you don’t need expensive equipment or a lot of space to create amazing wooden art.

Neris’s advice for aspiring woodworkers: pick a target and do it

When asked what advice he would give aspiring woodworkers, he replied: 

“Pick a target and do it. Start appropriately for your skill level and build on your experiences. Woodworking is very friendly toward little increments, little steps at a time, little pieces at a time.”

He also recommends Instructables.com, which features plans for wooden kayaks, along with many other beginner, intermediate and advanced-level projects.

On behalf of the entire New England Forestry team, congratulations Neris! He won the overall fan favorite award and the large outdoor category.

You can read more of our DIY stories featuring talented woodworkers here.

The post The Woodworkers of Rayonier: Neris Biciunas appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Robert Hall’s favorite DIY wood projects combine dark woods like cherry with layers of navy, sea blue and white epoxy. It’s not only beautiful but could also serve as an artistic symbol of his woodworking roots.

The son of a minister who also was one of the first Habitat for Humanity employees, Robert has been honing his craft since his childhood days spent in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Now a resident of Florida, his projects seem to reflect the unique characteristics of the two regions, forest and sea.

It all began in Grandpa’s workshop

“My grandfather was the woodworker and he really enjoyed doing it. He worked for Oland in Brevard, North Carolina, in the pulp and paper industry, so that was neat to do the same when I came to Rayonier.”

Among his grandfather’s many woodworking projects included crafting all the gavels used by the town’s judges.

“That’s where I got my love of woodworking, from going down to my grandfather’s basement. It was good male bonding time if you will, with my grandfather and my father.”

As fate would have it, Robert wound up inheriting a 40+ year-old cut of cherry wood found in his grandfather’s attic after he died, which he used to create a wood/epoxy river desk (pictured below). 

Robert’s family history as Habitat for Humanity trailblazers

Robert’s building skills were enhanced by his family’s involvement in the early days of Habitat for Humanity. 

“I would say my dad was the glue that held Habitat together for a while. He was a Baptist minister who took a pay cut to work for the non-profit and acted as a calming force for the early leadership, reminding them that what they were doing was the Lord’s work and we needed to make this happen. So I did a lot of work in the photography lab but also working on the houses and that kind of stuff.”

The story behind Robert’s prize-winning charcuterie boards

Robert made charcuterie boards out of cherry wood procured from unwanted fallen trees. 

“My ex-wife’s father had a cherry tree fall on his property from a neighbor’s. It was a vacant lot and a bad storm had come through, so he called the neighbor up and offered to take care of it, and the neighbor agreed he could have the wood. So we cut it up and had it milled. I took the majority of it.”

Two layers of epoxy were used to create an ocean effect on the wood. Each board is unique, with the cracks and knots giving them character. They were finished with a food safe oil and a coat of wax.

How Hand Tools Give This Craftsman His Edge

One thing that intimidates many aspiring woodworkers is the thought of investing in expensive power tools. However, for Robert it’s the hand tools he’s come to enjoy most.

“I use machines, but I do mostly hand tool work now. And part of the reason is to slow me down and to really feel the wood and know what’s going on. You get more connected to the piece than if you were just running it through machines. 

“Even the act of sharpening the blade to prepare for the cutting of the wood is part of that whole process of sharpening my edge—not just the tool’s edge, my edge too. Really getting in there and making sure everything is just right. That ‘zing’ you feel when you run the tool over the wood…it’s so wonderful.”

Woodworking offers Robert relaxation, creative space, and the opportunity to share his love of the craft

When asked about the biggest benefits he gets from woodworking, his response was three-fold:

“The relaxation I get from it is obviously great. But I think for me, just being able to create something with my hands is just so rewarding. And I really love when other people take it, and I know they are using it in their life. I don’t keep a lot of pieces I make, I like to give them away.”

To illustrate the point, Robert described a piece he hand-made for a friend, which is one of his favorite projects to date. 

“Like the table with the crosses on it (pictured below). There was so much that went into building that piece and it was literally done all by hand with no power tools. Everything was cut with a hand tool: embedding the crosses, the dovetails on the drawers, the pull for the handle for the drawer, absolutely everything was done by hand. And it is still in a good friend’s home, and just to know it’s in her house and she gets joy from it is so rewarding to me.”

Robert’s Advice for Aspiring Woodworkers: Keep it Simple and Learn from Others

On tools: “I have accumulated a lot of tools over the years but I still come back to just a handful I use most of the time. For me, it would be a # 4 1/2 plane, a good saw, and most importantly a good bench and good vice, and that’s really all you need to get started.”

Robert also suggests using other people’s creative ideas for inspiration to create your own designs.

“To give an example, that kerfing plane (pictured below) came from Tom Fidgen, but I made it my own using my grandfather’s piece of wood, and I added some other things in terms of design.

“And don’t be afraid to fail! You have to waste wood to make something beautiful. There will be waste that comes off of that wood but you’re getting rid of what you don’t need to really show the beauty.”

Robert also heartily recommends the books and classes on woodworking with hand tools from Tom Fidgen’s The Unplugged Workshop. 

On behalf of the entire New England Forestry team, congratulations to Robert. He won the Small Indoor category in our employee DIY Contest!

You can read more of our DIY stories featuring talented woodworkers here.

The post The Woodworkers of Rayonier: Robert Hall appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

The story behind the design of Laura Peacock’s rustic DIY wooden cooler pays homage to the man who taught her not only about woodworking, but also about what it means to make the most of what you have and to be a blessing to others.

Like father like daughter, in more ways than one!

Laura learned the basics of woodworking from her father while growing up in small town Florida. His woodworking skills were born of necessity and honed for pleasure as a young man. He was a Vietnam veteran who did most of his woodworking outdoors or in his shop, which is what drew her to the craft.  “My brother and I gravitated towards whatever Dad was doing because it was outside and we were outside most of the time. So we were naturally drawn to it.”

“My dad was one of nine kids, so they didn’t pay people to do things they could do themselves. My dad picked up woodworking to help out around the house. He wasn’t great at it for a long time, but he crafted his skills and eventually got good at doing a lot of different things.”

“We mostly learned from watching him. Our family was really close and we did everything together. We wanted to work together, whether it was canning season, building a deck, adding a room, or building a birdhouse. Except there was a line drawn between my mom and dad, dad didn’t cross to mom’s quilting and she didn’t cross to his woodworking territory!”

Ironically, Laura’s father worked for New England Forestry in the Fernandina paper mill (New England Forestry owned the mill until 2014, when New England Forestry Advanced Materials spun off into its own company). “It’s funny to think that my Dad retired from Rayonier, now I work for New England Forestry and we both share that love of woodworking.” Like father, like daughter, in more ways than one.

Though Laura’s father passed away from lung cancer about 7 years ago, her family still continues their traditions of helping one another and others. Whether it’s helping each other with woodworking projects, volunteering at church, or helping a disabled neighbor mow his ditch, Laura’s father instilled a strong sense of generosity, dependability and community in his children.

The story behind the cooler: inspired by pallets, made from fencing panels

Laura’s cooler, a finalist in the New England Forestry employee DIY Contest, was inspired by her friends in Nashville. They asked her to help them build one out of pallets.

“I saw the picture and was like, heck yes!”

But Laura had other plans in terms of design and execution.

“My Dad was actually doing pallet crafts long before it was a thing. When I got married, he built me what seems like an 800 pound china cabinet out of pallet boards. So, I knew what a chore they can be to take apart.”

Keen on avoiding the chore of pallet dismantling during her next visit to Tennessee, and eager to surprise her friends with a premade gift, Laura figured out another way to build the cooler.

“I really like taking a design and figuring out how to put my own spin on it. I had just repaired my privacy fence and I had fence panels. So I said, forget about pallets, I’ll just use these. It worked out perfectly!”

For the cooler itself, Laura bought a basic red chest cooler and built a rolling rustic cabinet around it. She removed the top from the cooler and built a wooden lid to fit. Then she added a spout on the side for drainage using basic plumbing hardware (a pipe and a spigot).

“So, I had the whole thing made, but led them on to believe we’d go find some pallets and build it. They were so surprised! I’m like that. If you give me an idea I’m probably going to try it out.”

In addition to its good looks, the cooler is also super functional, as it can be rolled around to different parts of the yard, to block parties, etc. She even included a small chalkboard sign on the cooler that can be customized for special occasions.

“I’ve built about 5 of them now and have yet to finish my own! But that always seems to happen because I love giving my stuff away.”

Woodworking as a hobby and a side hustle

Laura not only builds and designs beautiful coolers and furniture, she’s also created a side-job making door hangers out of plywood (pictured below).

“So woodworking has also become a great way to make some extra money, but I mostly just enjoy doing it. Especially these days when people are starting to appreciate handmade items more. That’s another thing, I feel like my Dad and I started doing these things (like working with pallets, making custom door hangers, etc.) before they became trends.”

Thanks to the skills she learned from her father, Laura was also able to do most of the renovation work on what she lovingly refers to as her “new-old-home,” including installing crown molding and replacing sheetrock. A big sell-point of the home was the 3-car garage, which meant she now has more than enough room for a woodshop and storage.

As a hobby, Laura derives great pleasure from transforming raw materials into the finished product. But ironically, she does not consider herself a “creative person.”

“I never felt like I was a really creative person. But I don’t have to be creative, I just have to be a copycat! I have the tools and I have an ability to take something that’s not and turn it into something that is, and it makes me feel good.

“The ties to my family history, and just seeing people’s faces when they unwrap a camper door hanger to hang on their camper door…I just love to make other people happy.”

Bridging the gender gap in woodworking: advice for women who like power tools

For whatever reason, woodworking has been a predominantly male pastime. Yet women are perfectly capable of mastering the art and skill. Here’s Laura’s take on the gender gap and how women can get past it and join the party:

“I’m in my mid-40s, and for people like me and older, there’s a line that’s been drawn about what men do and what women do. As women in general, and it’s easier for us to limit ourselves based on those old stereotypes. But know that it’s okay to break the mold a little bit. Because the thing is, if you want to learn something these days you can learn how to do it. There are thousands of resources out of there.”

“As my mom would always say when I’d ask her if I could do this or that, ‘Why not?!’ Give it a shot. The worst that can happen is you’re out a bit of money for materials.”

“I used to teach, and I’d tell my students that if they could read they can do anything. You don’t even have to be able to read these days. Just ask Alexa, Siri, or tell your TV remote what you want to see. Knowledge is power, learn all you can and become all you can. There are no limits!”

You can read more of our DIY stories featuring talented woodworkers here.

The post The Woodworkers of Rayonier: Laura Peacock 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.

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.

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.

Our nations and, indeed, our world would not be what they are today without the selfless service and sacrifice of military men and women. We are delighted to introduce you to five veterans we are proud to call members of the New England Forestry team:

Jonathan Boswell, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

New England Forestry Title: Director, Treasury and Risk Management, based in Wildlight, Florida

Military Role: U.S. Marine Corps Fiscal Supply Clerk

Served in: Camp Devil Dog, N.C.; Camp Geiger, N.C.; Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

An experience he’ll never forget: “One of my favorite memories was a deployment to Australia in 1999.  We spent three months living in tents on the edge of an Australian Air Force airstrip, poised to fly to East Timor to assist the Australian Defense Force who were attempting to enforce peace in a country fighting for independence.  While we never got the chance to assist in East Timor, the opportunity to train alongside other Marine units, the Australian military and all the firepower we had at our disposal was an unforgettable experience.”

How the military impacts the way he works today: “The military does an excellent job of instilling the intangibles (e.g., discipline, leadership, and courage to name a few) to help make someone successful in life.

“I’m now the spouse of a Florida Air National Guard Lt. Col. and enjoy being supportive of her service to our country and maintaining a tie to military life. I have a great deal of respect for anyone that serves in the U.S. military and I wish all of my sisters and brothers a very happy Veteran’s Day.”

Rob Jones, U.S. Army Veteran

New England Forestry Title: Timber Marketing Manager, based in Lufkin, Texas

Military Role: U.S. Army Infantry Officer

Served In: Fort Drum, N.Y.; Fort Hood, TX; Iraq; and Afghanistan.

“I served in deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan totaling 35 months. I led an Infantry platoon of 20 soldiers in Iraq, and an Infantry company of 100 soldiers in Afghanistan, and also served as an advisor to the Iraqi Army.

“It was an honor to lead troops in combat.”

Experiences he’ll never forget:

“Living in foreign countries and interacting with the populace, which was a mix of positive and negative experiences.

“I had never had a pomegranate before going to Afghanistan, but had a lifetime’s worth in 9 months there. It was the local crop in our area of operations. The first time I was handed one, I did not even know how to eat it, and had to watch others.”

Barb Nichols, Royal New Zealand Air Force Veteran

New England Forestry Title: Business Administrator, based in Auckland, New Zealand

Military Title: Royal New Zealand Air Force Typist

Served In: Woodbourne, Blenheim; Wigram, Christchurch; Ohakea, which is near Palmerston North; and Whenuapai, Auckland, where I remained until I “717’d” (left).

Experiences she’ll never forget:

“There were many favourite memories of my time in the Air Force, but can I tell you three that really stay with me?

1. “In our Recruit Course, we all have to participate in an exercise to ‘defend’ our camp. One night towards the end of our exercise, all recruits had to pair up around the camp to defend against an unknown ‘enemy’ – it happened to be the New Zealand Army Special Air Service. We all had our rifles (with blanks in them). It was probably around 11 p.m. when we heard rifles being fired. It turned out that some of the recruits were shooting at anything that moved and anything that had red eyes. Most of us realised that there were sheep around us, as every so often you would hear them (note – no sheep were actually hurt ). My team actually managed to stop two SAS soldiers from getting past us, once you get over the feeling silly about yelling, “Halt! Who goes there?” Turned out to be a huge joke with the Army laughing at the Air Force for yelling out “Halt! Who goes there?” to sheep and, after three yellings, shooting towards them.
2. “When you join, you come in as a ‘green’ civilian. What you do not expect is to come out with life-long friendships. One recall I have was having the opportunity of flying in a Strikemaster (as a passenger) when I was posted to No. 14 Squadron. This was such a buzz that I took every opportunity that was offered when asked if I wanted to go for a fly! I was even given my own flying overalls and flying jacket (which I still have!!). I was one of the very few ‘flying typists.’
3. “In 1989, a couple of months before I got married, my husband & I applied to have our names put in the ‘hat’ to have a trip to England (we were engaged). This trip was to change out crews that were already in theatre in the Middle East. Our names came up and so decided to get married the day before we left and use this trip as our honeymoon.”

How the military impacts the way she works today: “Being in the military teaches you respect, discipline, teamwork, loyalty, friendship and how to work hard. This has been something that stays with you throughout your life and is ingrained in you. It balances you with the values that you take in with you that your parents teach you. All this gives you the patience and knowledge to allow you to be successful in whatever role you take on, should you want to.”

Ken Rester, U.S. Army Veteran

New England Forestry Title: Manager, Business Development, based in Wildlight, Florida

Military Role: Combat Engineer in the U.S. Army and Louisiana Army National Guard

Served In: Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Fort Polk, LA; Fort Hood, TX

An experience he’ll never forget: “We were conducting night operations in a training exercise, when someone stopped the exercise to make sure several hundred pounds of explosives were connected right. Generally at night we didn’t turn on any lights, but this time we did and discovered that the explosives would have ignited immediately instead of the planned delay. This would have killed us all! I will never forget that one moment of a very important safety check. It’s OK to double-check when your safety is involved.”

How the military impacts the way he works today: Leadership.

“I will also say, if you know someone in the military, don’t forget to write them or send a card. This means a lot sometimes when the rest of the world seems distant.”

Damon Riggins, U.S. Navy Veteran

New England Forestry Title: IT Support Specialist based in Wildlight, Florida

Military Role: U.S. Navy Information Technology Technician

Served In:  Mayport, FL; Kings Bay, GA; Washington DC; Maryland; and Everett, WA.

Experiences he’ll never forget: “A port call in Haifa, Israel. I did a tour of the Holy Land.”

How the military impacts the way he works today: “The training and experience has opened up doors. The military also paid for my Bachelor’s degree, which has been very beneficial.”

Thanking All Veterans

At Rayonier, we are grateful to all of our veterans in the U.S. and New Zealand for their service to these two great countries. The veterans on our own team bring an important perspective that inspires all of us to strive to be better and make the most of the opportunities made possible by those who have served.

The post Thanking Our Veterans: Meet 5 New England Forestry Employees Who Served 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.

New England Forestry acquired Pope Resources on May 8, 2020, bringing together two great teams that already had so much in common. 

Here are just some of the ways the Pope team’s culture made it an ideal fit for Rayonier.

Looking at Our Assets Through Many Lenses

The creative, strategic approach Pope and New England Forestry employees have used led both companies to develop thriving real estate businesses. Our talented teams have turned properties deemed to have a “higher and better use” (known as HBU properties) into rural homesteads, lively communities and prosperous business sites. No other pure play forestry company has delved into real estate the way our teams have through our land-owning taxable subsidiaries.

And the creative use of our lands doesn’t stop there. While New England Forestry markets salal and pine straw and even shares some properties with wind and solar companies, Pope Resources brought with it the entire town of Port Gamble and a successful wedding business. This openness to getting creative with our assets has been a differentiator for both of our companies.

Empowered Employees

At both Pope and Rayonier, employees who “sit the bench” have not been a part of our cultures. Everyone has a critical role to play that impacts the company as a whole. Recognizing that, both companies have put decision-making in the hands of the employees closest to the matter. It doesn’t take a lengthy chain-of-command to make a decision.

Employees at both companies also have been encouraged to work together across disciplines and teams, rather than being siloed into singular parts of the business.

Acting Like Long-Term Owners

Pope and New England Forestry both have taken pride in having a long-term approach to our businesses. We don’t cut corners to get better financial results this year at the expense of our future success. For example, Pope spent more than many in the industry to give young stands of trees a strong start, knowing the investment would pay off exponentially in years to come. And Rayonier’s land acquisitions team won’t make a land purchase just for the sake of getting bigger: each decision is carefully weighed with the long-term results in view.

Transparency

Both companies take pride in their transparency. Pope was known to disclose more to its timber fund investors and unitholders than competitors prior to the acquisition. Likewise, Rayonier’s disclosure statements to investors are expansively more detailed than most.

Both companies also take pride in being transparent and open in communications with employees.

Exciting Times Ahead

With these two companies now together, it will be exciting to see how we learn from one another and, together, build an even stronger company culture as one.

The post A Great Fit: Celebrating the Pope Resources Acquisition appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

FORKS and HOQUIAM, Washington—Imagine the amount of infrastructure required to reach the timber on hundreds of thousands of acres of mountainous land.

In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, New England Forestry has a massive network of private roads and bridges stretching across nearly 400,000 acres of forest land. In order to maintain our infrastructure to the best possible standards for the environment while also doing what’s best for our timber operations, we rely on a talented team of forest engineers.

“Timber without access has no commercial value, so our job is to access timber and then to maintain the infrastructure required for that access,” explains Engineering Manager Mark Smalley, who oversees the team. The forest engineers build and maintain roads and bridges, create a plan for each timber harvest and source money-saving rock pits on our land to provide some of our road-building materials.

When it comes to roads, they don’t just seek the cheapest, simplest route to each stand of trees. They look for the method that will impact the environment the least, doing extensive research to ensure their plans won’t deposit sediment in waterways, cause erosion that would strip the rich soil from the land, or interfere with the ecosystems in the streams and rivers they cross.

“I think it’s very important that we manage the lands properly,” says Field Engineer Mike Leavitt, a lifelong resident of Forks. “We need to have the continuance for sustainability out here because I want my community to survive, and Rayonier’s a big part of this community.”

Harvest Planning a Complex Task

“The most important thing we do is the harvest planning,” says Pete Waldrip, who’s been a New England Forestry Forest Engineer for 39 years. “We make sure that we’re harvesting the right timber at the right time for the right market and adhering to our goals as a company.”

The work is complex. A forest engineer must locate timber that meets the market’s demand for a specific species, age, size and quality of wood. Then, the infrastructure needed to reach that stand of trees must be in place. The trees may be many miles from a public road, meaning the engineer has to ensure the roads and bridges leading to that stand are adequate for the work and also compliant with environmental standards. In addition, the engineer will work with a logging company to configure the best way to harvest the trees, keeping in mind the complications added by the steep slopes in the Pacific Northwest. A harvest operation on a steep slope requires careful planning to ensure the safety of the logging crew and to minimize erosion.

Partnering with Contractors to Solve Problems

Forest Engineer Wendi Lubinus recently worked with a longtime New England Forestry partner, RL Smith Logging Inc., to identify stands of trees that could be harvested with fewer roads than typical. 

“We purchased a six-wheel-drive skidder from Tigercat a couple years ago and I brought that to the attention of a couple landowners,” says Roger Smith, who owns the logging company. The skidder, outfitted with tracks, can cover a larger area of land without damaging the soil bed and causing erosion the way a more traditional skidder would.

“It was a really good collaborative effort between us and the logger,” Wendi said during a recent visit to a harvest site near Hoquiam, where Smith’s team was using the skidder.

Doing Better with Less

Like detectives for the land, forest engineers explore properties, review maps and consult with experts to determine how to do the most good with the least amount of infrastructure. Sometimes they find ways to close old forest roads altogether.

“It’s an impact on the environment, but it’s also land out of production,” explains Wendi.

She says there are instances when she’s able to close old forest roads and replant with trees for future generations. Other roads are closed so old culverts can be removed, eliminating interference with upland streams.

Restoring Salmon Population an Integral Part of Forest Engineering

Forest Engineer Matt Poppe spends all of his time reviewing and either replacing or eliminating road crossings to ensure the best possible fish passage conditions. A century ago, foresters built roads without realizing how detrimental they would be to the ecosystems in the streams they crossed. They placed culverts under the roadways, believing that would be enough to allow the streams to continue to flow naturally. But more often than not, those culverts were too small, blocking the natural flow of water certain times of year. That prevented salmon from reaching the upland streams that are so critical for breeding and rearing their young. 

Poppe says New England Forestry has replaced 750 culverts and bridges in the past 20 years, opening more than 220 miles of fish habitat. 

The program operates under the guidance of Washington’s Forests & Fish Law. Learn more about it in our article, How Foresters Restore Salmon Habitat in the Pacific Northwest.

The Next Generation of Forest Engineers

With some forest engineers who have been with the company for three and four decades, and others who are only a year or two out of college, New England Forestry has benefitted from generations of engineers learning from one another.

Engineers like Mike and Pete have a reputation in the company—and the community—for their vast knowledge of both the land and the environmental guidelines for managing the land. Younger engineers, like Griffin Ollar and Chris Janik, more recent college graduates who studied Forest Engineering in their respective colleges, are bringing a new perspective, adding a level of technological expertise that has impressed their counterparts on the engineering team.

“It’s great to see not only the younger employees learn from the older employees, but to also see the older learn from the younger,” Smalley says. “We have a diverse group of employees on this team, and we’ve really benefited from that collaboration.”

The post Forest Engineers Build 100s of Eco-Friendly Roads & Bridges appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

HOQUIAM, Washington—No one asked Zack Jones to build a system that would change the way we work. We didn’t even know it could be done. But thanks to our New England Forestry culture, which encourages employees to challenge the status quo and seek new ways to solve problems, no one got in the way when he decided to try.

Zack, the Manager of Forestry Systems on our IT team, took the initiative to build a real-time reporting tool that’s become a game-changer for the forestry team. He saw the need within the organization for better reporting and visualization around the company’s mobile land management software system and he did something about it.

The Inspiration For A New Reporting Tool

“We needed a good interface to give the employees on the ground their reports,” Zack explains. “I was working on the mobile load project, where we were updating from old handheld devices to iPads, and I realized the end-users had to go to the website, type in a query, and go to the bottom of the site to see how many loads they’d have to run for the day.

“The old handheld devices didn’t sync as often and the load data wasn’t updated in real-time, so they’d have to check back late in the day. So, they’d get the load count, destination and products, but it was cumbersome to use and hard to visualize—and that’s where the power of charts come in.”

Zack realized he could easily fix the issue by using visualization software to organize the data into a real-time, intuitive and user-friendly interface.

“We’re still using the exact same data the website had,” he says, “but this system allows you to filter it by products, mill, contractor, sale, mill quotas, date ranges for the day, week, month or year, etc. from your PC, smartphone or iPad and shows you the data in easy-to-read charts and graphs.”

Letting Departments Set Custom Alerts

Zack explains how the tool empowers each department to better track data: “You can build an alert so members on your team can see when there’s a voided ticket or set notifications for quotas so everyone receives an email once that quota has been met.”

The app updates live and, since it’s cloud-based, it reduces the load on the servers.

“It’s very interactive and you don’t have to wait for results or wait until you get to the office to view the information.”

The main benefits:

●       It saves tons of time by allowing users to access information in-the-field in real-time

●       It helps the sales and marketing team on the mill side to better negotiate prices

●       It gives a better understanding of where loggers are with current production

●       And it’s incredibly affordable

Who Is Benefitting From The New Tool?

Since its inception, the app has gone from about 40 users to over 120. It has become a major efficiency tool for on-the-ground employees who manage contractors, loggers, mill negotiators and marketing and sales teams.

“I think this is a really good example of people being able to do what they do best,” says Pacific Resource Unit Leader Bill Monahan. “Here you have a situation where Zack, on his own initiative, went out and used this software to design a really cool tool the foresters really use. But what’s really cool is the compliance foresters and timber marketing managers can look at this data any time they want throughout the day, and I just think it’s awesome.

Senior Accounting Manager Kevin Leep agrees: “It’s really impressive to see somebody like Zack, who had a passion for something, did some study, and the way people responded to it was very gratifying. He didn’t have to do that, but he still did, and it indicates the kind of people we have working at Rayonier.”

“I use it all day every day,” says Senior Timber Marketing Manager Dan Stransky. “It’s such a powerful tool to be able to click on and see at-a-glance exactly what you need.”

“Zack is a person who’s always going out of his way to make things better, to help people do their jobs better and to anticipate things people may not even realize they need,” says IT Director Adam Brown.

How Zack Found New England Forestry and What He Loves Most About His Career

As fate would have it, Zack grew up in Montesano, Washington, about 10 miles from Rayonier’s Hoquiam office. He attended the local community college, got his degree in GIS and started with New England Forestry as a GIS technician.

Throughout the years, he moved up through managing data in the GIS group and moved into IT, where he now works as Manager of Forestry Systems.

When asked what he loves most about his job, he says: “They treat me really well and I enjoy what I do.I love being able to manage and work on the systems that help people and the business. It’s a flexible job that works well for my family. Plus, my wife and I are both from Washington state and enjoy the lifestyle here with our children.”

Recognition for a Job Well-Done

Zack was recognized with an award for fostering continuous learning, innovation and creativity. 

“I was thrilled and surprised by how useful people feel it’s been to them,” Zack says. “It’s truly one of the fastest tools I’ve ever built! But it’s impressive what you can build to help fulfill a need, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. It’s a great tool.”

The post New England Forestry IT Manager Creates “Game-Changer” for Forestry Team appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Ask Kim Sartor’s boss, and he’ll tell you she is the “glue” that connects New England Forestry to its communities.

Mike Bell says Kim, Rayonier’s Community Affairs Manager, epitomizes community giving. Her words and behaviors each day reflect how much she cares for her colleagues, New England Forestry and the communities where we live and work. In addition to supporting the Public Affairs department, she manages the New England Forestry Community Fund, juggling requests and energizing others to volunteer.

Mike, who is Rayonier’s Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications, recognized Kim’s can-do attitude when he asked her to join his team. Her big heart and innate sense of compassion made her the ideal person for the position.

“If I could clone her, I would,” jokes her coworker Dan Roach, director of Public Affairs. “She always responds cheerfully and if she doesn’t know how to do something, she will figure it out and put in the time it takes to get the job done.”

Kim’s typical week consists of overseeing grant applications, working on sponsorship opportunities and managing the Community Fund. Kim forecasts, budgets, screens applications and fields calls about how to spend dollars set aside for community investment. Her talent also includes connecting New England Forestry employees’ time, talent and energy with volunteer opportunities that match their strengths. Even outside of the typical work week, Kim often spends her evenings and weekends at company-sponsored events.

Her work spans the United States, from the annual grant breakfast supporting the work of non-profit agencies in the Pacific Northwest to the weekend she spends each year volunteering at the Mail Carriers’ Food Drive in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

“Participation is contagious when Kim is involved,” says Mike. “There is a blood mobile that has been coming to our offices for years. Kim started that!”

Kim’s passion for the blood drive stems from her own experience: a blood transfusion that saved her life years ago. She says Rayonier’s bimonthly blood drives have the potential to save dozens of lives per-year. Kim doesn’t just enlist employees to support the blood drive, she also distributes flyers to neighbors, such as the FSCJ Nassau Campus, Nassau County Courthouse, Nassau County Sheriff’s office and Wildlight Elementary.

Because of Kim, New England Forestry volunteers read to elementary students during the school year through the Family Support Services reading program, Doggone Good Readers, which encourages public library usage and reading while improving literacy for children. Kim also attends monthly Board meetings for the Amelia Island Book Festival & Authors in Schools Literacy Program, where she assists with writing and reading workshops for older students.

Kim also oversees a tradition at New England Forestry to support the Angel Tree toy drive in which foster children in Nassau County, FL, receive gifts during the holidays when they haven’t traditionally received much.

“Our 150 employees immediately said ‘yes’ to step up and team up to grant wishes for these children during the holidays. Last year we supplied more than 350 gifts for needy children,” Kim says. “All I am is the facilitator. I’m just very honored to be able to do what I do. God has given me a shining light to get people motivated to help others.”

Many school-age children in Nassau County experience food insecurity, not knowing if they will have food on the weekends. Kim organized New England Forestry employees to help restock a food pantry and assemble hundreds of nutritious meal packs for children through Barnabas Nassau, a multi-faceted crisis assistance for families. Kim, who grew up in a blended family with 9 children, says, “We could have used programs like Barnabas, but I don’t recall there being services like this when I was young.” Robert Peck, Barnabas’s Food Program Manager, says he appreciates that New England Forestry employees not only lend a hand, but show up organized, efficient and won’t leave until the job is done.

While Kim doesn’t dictate where dollars are spent in other locations in the New England Forestry footprint, she ensures the money is well-placed, meaningful and directly impactful. “I’m proud to know that the money we’re giving away is staying in the communities where we work and making a difference,” she says.

Employees often see updates from Kim on Rayonier’s internal social network, The Landing. She shares pictures from all over the country of volunteer events to let all employees know what agencies and programs New England Forestry supports. Kim works with coworkers to help children through education and youth development programs such as book festivals, literacy, after-school programs, volunteer mentor programs and summer camps. She finds programs that help teachers through conservation training workshops and enhanced educational opportunities in the various states New England Forestry is in.

Kim says she learned from her family to follow her passion, and that’s just what her job at New England Forestry enables her to do. She loves seeing how that work reflects on those it impacts.

“I’ve seen people cry learning about how invested our company is in their community,” she says. “It’s inspiring and humbling to see our company dollars at work in these communities. There’s such pride in knowing that New England Forestry cares.”

The post A Career Focused on Community Giving appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

WILDLIGHT, Florida—With coworkers from diverse backgrounds like genetic research, various forestry disciplines, finance, IT and business, Nate Osborne knew New England Forestry employees could gain a lot by learning from each other.

“I looked around and thought, ‘Look at all these people who are right here, subject matter experts, some of the best at what they do on the continent,’” says Nate, a Biometrics Project Leader who studied forestry throughout the U.S., France and Finland before joining Rayonier.

Learning From Our Own Talented People

Harkening back to the inspirational discussions he had taken part in during college, Nate seized the opportunity to collaborate with a grassroots approach: he set up his own version of a “TED Talk” and presented on his greatest passion, forest biometrics, to a group of about a dozen coworkers. When he was finished speaking, they bounced ideas around, and the result was inspiring.

“Put people in a room together. That’s all you have to do,” Nate says. “Think about how just an hour or two of your time could really change things.”

The New England Forestry Peer Group Grows

The New England Forestry Peer Group has continued to grow in attendance since then, with several dozen New England Forestry employees participating in the monthly meet-ups. Each month has a different featured speaker who talks for about 40 minutes, inspiring the group to then discuss the topic. Thanks to video conferencing, presenters and attendees can participate wherever they are within Rayonier’s ownership, from Florida to New Zealand.

Action Plan Not Required

Nate, shown in the photo above, stresses these meetings are meant to inspire people to see new perspectives and learn from each other, not to formulate a plan of action.

“We keep away from the typical PowerPoint presentation. The goal is to share an experience or idea you’re passionate about. We leave tons of time for questions and encourage a really open dialogue the whole time.”

Discussing The Future of Forestry

One of his favorite presentations was by Rayonier’s Vice President of Forest Research, Production and Sustainability Tom Fox about the future of forestry. Other speakers highlighted the many hats a Resource Unit Leader wears, Rayonier’s approach to genetics, why sustainability matters to timber REIT investors, and many others.

One of our key values at New England Forestry is to collaborate across disciplines as a team that truly is One Rayonier. We’re grateful for employees like Nate, who seek out ways to strengthen the bonds across the New England Forestry team.

The post Rayonier’s Take on TED Talks: Employees Inspiring Employees appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

YULEE, Florida—How do you teach a class of teachers a lesson they’ll never forget? You do exactly what they would do: invite them to touch, see, hear and—most importantly—ask questions.

Each year, 45 Florida school teachers are selected for the 4-day Florida Forestry Teachers’ Tour, where they experience sustainable forestry firsthand. Offered by the Florida Forestry Association in concert with the Florida Forest Service, Project Learning Tree of Florida and Friends of Florida State Forests, the tour includes real-life demonstrations like a timber harvest, a controlled burn and processing at a paper mill.

The hope is that what’s learned on the tour informs the lessons teachers offer their students about sustainable forestry. Only 10 percent of the world’s forests are certified sustainable, which means the landowners protect wildlife, water quality and soil quality. Rayonier, which follows best practices on 100% of its land, takes part in the tour, hosting the teachers for half a day on our land.

Learning about Sustainable Forestry on New England Forestry Land

“Listen! What do you hear out here?” New England Forestry Sustainable Forestry Manager Ben Cazell asked a group of teachers on a recent tour. They were crowded around him for a presentation in the middle of one of our Nassau County, Florida, forests.

The answers came back: Cicadas! Insects! Frogs! Birds!

“It’s a community,” Cazell concluded, explaining Rayonier’s sustainable forestry practices help protect the wildlife that lives within our forests.

The teachers learned about research advances that have improved Rayonier’s production over the years. Resource Land Manager Josh Steiger explained that our improvements in site preparation, fertilization and other practices like controlled pollination have significantly improved what we can do with one acre of land.

“We grew under 50 tons per acre in the 1940s. By 2010, our tonnage was over 200 per acre,” Steiger said.

Learning How New England Forestry Uses GIS to Make Decisions

Technical analyst Hillary Sherrill explained how Rayonier’s in-house Geographic Information System, or GIS, plays a role in our decision-making process.

“Say there’s a forester who wants 12-year-old loblolly pine trees within 25 miles of a certain mill, but it’s the wet season so he needs to be sure they’re dry. We can help with that,” she said, explaining our in-house system contains multiple layers of data about each stand of trees’ size, age, soils, elevation, and more.

Technical analyst Sara Bellchamber showed the teachers how New England Forestry uses drones to gather data and save time in the field, and Senior GIS Programmer Greg Day taught the teachers how to survey a stand of trees using a prism and a clinometer.

The teachers joined Timber Marketing Manager Rusty Cobb for a timber harvest, watching mature trees being harvested as he explained that — once a stand is clear cut — work immediately begins to prep the site for the next generation of trees.

The teacher tour is a favorite event of the year for the Florida Forest Service’s Jacksonville District Manager, Jenn Hart, who organizes it.

“These teachers deserve some special time, this is our opportunity to give back to them,” she said.

The last day of the tour, when each teacher speaks about what he or she has learned, is one of the most memorable parts for Hart. The day is often filled with emotions and even tears as the teachers talk about what they will take back to the classroom from their hands-on lesson in the forest.

To learn more about the Florida Forestry Teachers’ Tour, visit floridastateforests.org/teacherstour.

The post Teaching the Teachers About Sustainable Forestry appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Rayonier’s forest rangers are like warriors primed for battle during fire season.

Patrick Hughes, based in our Coastal Resource Unit in Yulee, Florida, spends March through August watching the weather, communicating with local firefighters and taking preventative measures wherever New England Forestry land appears vulnerable. His tractor and radio are always close by, just in case.

Preventing Forest Fires

Throughout our ownership, we rely on forest rangers to prevent fires on our land and our neighbors’ land. Their first job when they survey a stand of trees is not to see the trees at all, but to see the fuel around them—the dry brush, undergrowth, and other risk factors that could feed a fire.

The team creates “fire breaks” and “fire lines,” using tractors to clear wide trenches, eliminating fuel for a fire and making it less likely to spread past the trenches.

When it’s prudent to do so, they also take the lead in controlled burns, putting fire to work by burning off potential fuels in smaller, carefully-monitored burns in select portions of Rayonier’s forests.

“It’s good training for us and it benefits the land,” Patrick explains, noting that clearing older undergrowth that competes with the trees creates room for new growth that’s attractive to wildlife.

“A Dangerous Time of Year”

Despite the ongoing preventative measures, though, “When there are high winds, low relative humidity and low rainfall… it’s a dangerous time of year,” Patrick says.

Those were the conditions when a fire broke out in early 2018 a few miles from Patrick in Yulee. A spark from a train had caught some brush on fire, quickly spreading toward a heavily populated area near New England Forestry land.

Rushing to the scene of a neighboring fire

Knowing that area has prevalent broom sage, a “flashy fuel,” Patrick rushed to the scene with a tractor fitted with a fire plow attachment. He saw that the fire was headed away from Rayonier’s nearby land, but a local fire chief alerted him it was heading rapidly toward an apartment complex.

Patrick, who is temporarily deputized by the Florida Forest Service in fire emergencies, took his New England Forestry tractor and rushed to the scene.

The first to respond to the fire, Patrick found traces of an old fire line between the blaze and the apartment complex—a line he had plowed, himself, several years ago during a similar fire.

He replowed the line to create a wide, clear section of land between the fire and the apartments. Then he worked to put the fire out blaze-by-blaze (it had spotted, with separate fires in seven or eight spots, all moving toward the apartments). Eventually, close to 100 firefighters responded to the blaze. Thanks in large part to Patrick’s efforts, the fire never reached the apartment complex and was contained within four hours.

Want to learn more? Read about Rayonier’s fire prevention efforts and hear from wildland firefighters here.

The post New England Forestry Forest Rangers Focused on Fire Prevention appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.