Stories from Women in Wood

“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