Stories from Women in Wood

Ladies of Landsat is a Twitter-based organization that got its start officially in 2018. Led by a group of women hoping to increase inclusivity in the field of remote sensing and earth observation, we have grown our following to over 5,000 members since we first began! Our efforts include a weekly Twitter series highlighting research led by women in remote sensing, in-person and virtual networking events, conference symposiums, member highlight videos with the USGS, and more.

When I meet new people, the second question I inevitably get (the first one being if they pronounced my name correctly), is where my name comes from. It’s Dutch – I was born and raised in the Netherlands, and even obtained my degree in forestry from the Netherlands (and yes, the Netherlands does have trees…). So how did I end up in Canada, working for the Canadian Forest Service no less? Well, here’s my story. When I was a young teenager, I told my parents I wanted to live in

Like everyone else, we’ve been living much of 2020 in a virtual world. We’re making the most of it, and a positive has been the opportunity to reach further through digital means, and bring WIW together from opposite sides of the continent and world. The Women in Wood Facebook group has grown to more than 1,900 women - That’s 700 more than last year! We’ve held 6 WIW Virtual Meet-ups via Zoom. 4 were informal, simply providing an opportunity to chat with WIW from all over, on

A number of recurring gear discussions happen in the Women in Wood (WIW) Facebook group. A very “hot” topic in the WIW group in recent months has been WINTER BOOTS. There are some key questions for you to consider in your choice. Can you find men’s boots that will fit you? If so, your opportunities are vast and your quest will be easier. Popular choices seem to be Baffin, Muck and Dunlop cold weather rubber boots. They’ll keep you dry in shoulder season, and bulk up those cal

At 17 years old, I wanted to move to downtown Toronto, go to university to become a journalist and write for Rolling Stone magazine. After all, what better way to meet all the talented musicians that I idolized as a teenager. What the heck was forestry and why would I want anything to do with it?? So how did I end up working in the forest sector fueled by a strong passion to tell the good news story of sustainable forestry? Well the simple answer is by complete accident. Due

When we first developed our logo, we were excited about the idea of having something fun that would bring women together who are passionate about working in the forest. We didn’t know it would take off like it did, and really become a symbol of women empowerment in the forest sector. Since we first launched the logo and starting putting it on swag, we have sold over 1,000 t-shirts around the world, along with a few hoodies, stickers and a couple of toques. Our logo is more t

Never in a million years did I think I would end up working in Forestry. As I was growing up, I had never heard of anyone working as a Forester or that it was even a profession. I grew up in Toronto. I had never gone camping, never gone to ‘the cottage’ with any friends and had never even been ‘up north’ where all the trees and wild places supposedly were. When asked what I wanted to be when I finished school, I would say that I planned to go to Royal Military College, j

You applied for a position and just found out you got an interview! No doubt you are excited and nervous at the same time. It is a big deal for you and for your future employer it may be a million-dollar decision. You definitely want to be on your game on the big day. You have an hour to make a lasting impression! Both Riet Verheggen and Faye Johnson are Registered Professional Foresters, who have spent many hours on both sides of the interview table. One observation th

My name is Hunter Corbiere, I am 19 years old, and I am from a small town called Waubaushene, ON. I’m an Indigenous student from M’Chigeeng First Nation and I am in my final semester of the Forestry Technician Program at Sir Sandford Fleming College. I will be continuing my education in Forestry, at Lakehead University in the fall and want to specialize in forest management. After schooling, I see myself becoming a Registered Professional Forester and an Indigenous Liaison Fo

Over 5 years ago, we decided that it was time to bring women together to celebrate and elevate those working in, with and for the forest and to inspire the next generation of women to consider a place in the woods. At this time, gender was not really being discussed in the forest sector. While there was an overall understanding that there weren’t many females in the sector, it wasn’t something that was identified as an issue, nor were actions being taken to make any change. S

The first time I came across loggersports, I was immediately drawn to it. Three years later, I’m now captain of Lakehead University’s jack and jill timbersports team. Loggersports consist of a multitude of events such as chopping, sawing, cutting, climbing and axe throwing. Collegiate teams from all over Canada travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometers to compete in team, pair, and individual events. Every November, Fleming College in Lindsay, Ontario hosts a loggersp

My current role is a Transportation Coordinator with Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (Al-Pac). My main focus is the Retention and Recruitment of professional truck drivers. This role comes at a critical time as there is a national shortage of drivers and log haul is not immune from the shortage. This role is rewarding and challenging; developing strategies to action the barriers related to the image, capacity and sustainability of professional truck driving. So how di

“So…what exactly do you do?” is usually the first response when I tell people that I’m doing a degree in forestry. I don’t blame them as even growing up with a father as a forester I always struggled to clearly explain what Dad’s job was, which can’t have been a great encouragement for others to investigate this career path for themselves. After meeting Lacey at the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) national conference in April, I’ve finally found time four months later

Growing up half my life on the sugar bush-covered St. Joseph’s Island, Ontario and the other half in the heart of the log-driven Ottawa Valley, drilled into my entire being were the benefits of forests and the importance of protecting them. I had spent my childhood exploring the bush, four-wheeling, hiking and [trying] to climb the biggest trees. Eventually I knew that I wanted to work in an industry that would allow me to give back to forests what they have given to me (an

“I expected you to have an accent, but you spoke the clearest out of all the speakers” We often think of people in forestry as two units “women vs men”, but undermine the importance of heterogeneity and diversity within genders. Diversity is a complex term that also includes race, and age. Having a diverse group within a field brings forth different experiences and perspectives towards a common good. As a young woman of a minority group, getting into forestry was a surprise

Fiona is a Communications Specialist with Conifex Timber Inc. She has over 5 years experience communicating about the forest sector, holding roles at the Forest Products Association of Canada, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and currently as Communications Specialist at Conifex Timber Inc. Fiona lives in Vancouver, BC and spends her free time hiking, bird watching, and drinking wine with her cat, Nacho. I grew up outside. Camping, kayaking, bird watching – I had a passio

Reprinted from City Trees, the magazine of the Society of Municipal Arborists” As part of my postdoctoral research through the University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Forestry, I’m currently examining the role of women in arboriculture and urban forestry in North America to understand the barriers they face and the strategies they use to overcome them. This research and sharing progresses the goal of improved labour and education practices in urban forestry and arbor

Lindsey is an arborist in London, Ontario and the creator of Arb_comics on Instagram. She graduated from Humber College’s Arborist Apprenticeship program in 2018. I stumbled into Arboriculture much the same way Julie Tucker did, as she explained in her blog. I was trying to get in to Adventure Tourism, but had a hard time finding a job (at least one that paid well). I was searching through a job board and found a posting for an Arborist Pre-Apprenticeship program. I’d heard o

Hello Women in Wood! Maria Church here, editor of Canadian Forest Industries magazine. I’ve been heading up this century-old publication for about two and a half years, and let me tell you, it’s been quite the learning curve! While CFI is very much an operations magazine, now and then we wade into industry issues, and this is a big one that I wanted to share with you all. Over the past month, in the lead up to International Women’s Day on March 8, I’ve been working on a proj

Barb Spafford lives near Hastings, Ontario. She graduated from Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology and Sir Sandford Fleming’s Women in Trades and Technology program. Barb has been logging with horses since 1989, and has contributed to the sustainable forest management of many private woodlots in Hasting’s Prince Edward and Northumberland Counties with her company, Spafford Horse Logging. I have been very fortunate to have been able to work as a logging contractor, i