Stories from Women in Wood

My name is Cassandra Bananish, and I am a bilingual Indigenous woman with a passion for the forest. I am from Longlac 58 First Nation and am currently living and studying in Ottawa, Ontario. I am in my second year of college in a three-year program at La Cité in the Forestry and Fauna Program. I always had an affinity for the outdoors and most of my favourite memories were spent outside. I especially enjoy going fishing and hunting with my grandpa or going on hikes and campi

The forest industry is well aware of the importance of diversity when it comes to forest management through the general understanding of the importance of having a diversity of trees, species, and habitat types. However, when it comes to diversity in the workplace, this has been an evolving conversation in our sector. While there has been great strides in creating a more inclusive environment for women and individuals from many different backgrounds and ethnicities, it seems

Well, another year has come and gone and the Women in Wood community continues to grow and support one another. More than 2,500 women across the globe have joined the Facebook network – an increase of 25% since last year! These women continue to step up to support one another, offer advice, share job opportunities, encourage newcomers and share a laugh. Although most members are in North America, there are women tuning in from further afoot, including Australia, New Zealand,

Rookie, greener, newbie. Maybe these words apply to you, or they are a throwback to your first job. Either way, being a beginner is a hurdle everyone must overcome at some point in their career. Starting a career is intimidating, like any major change it brings uncertainties and challenges you haven’t faced before. Personally, I experienced many different emotions transitioning from school to the workplace this past year and reflecting on it has made me realize how much I hav

Jess Sheppey is a Woman in Wood who started out in the resort and ski industry across Canada before pursuing a career in forestry. Jess graduated from the Forestry Technician Program at Algonquin College in 2018 and has been working as a forest technician in the Ottawa Valley ever since. She is currently on maternity leave with her little future WIW. While working in an office or at home has its perks when it comes to lunch time like a fridge, microwave, and proximity to rest