Have you heard about our Bachelor of Urban Forestry program? Meet 4th year Urban Forestry student Alina Zeng (she/her)! Alina is excited to be back on campus as she returns from a memorable summer studying the behaviours of pollinators as a Peer Mentor at the Environmental Youth Alliance. Through community outreach and environmental education catered towards youth, Alina hopes to encourage positive relationships between humans and wildlife.
We checked in with Alina to learn how UBC Forestry is helping pursue her goals and why other students should consider joining the program.
Q: Why did you choose UBC Forestry?
“I have always been environmentally conscious throughout my upbringing. Upon graduating high school, I knew I wanted to pursue environmental studies with real-world applications. UBC Forestry provides just the programs to prepare me for combating the changing climate. I feel hopeful knowing that like-minded people are actively seeking nature-based solutions to alleviate many of the alarming issues. Seeing how passionate my professors are about their field of studies makes me more respectful of nature and knowledge.”
Q: What is your favourite part about being in the Faculty of Forestry?
“We take pride in the great sense of community in the Faculty of Forestry. I enjoy being in a relatively smaller faculty with a high professor-to-student ratio. I got to know most of my professors on a personal level and feel supported all the time. Many forestry courses have in-the-field components. It’s a wonderful experience walking in the forest as a class learning about tree demography and identification.”
Q: If you could describe your UBC Forestry experience in 3 words, what would they be and why?
“Inclusive, encouraging, and multidisciplinary.“
“UBC Forestry is home to students from all around the world. We are encouraged to try new things and expand our limits. Although the term “forestry” might sound quite specific, we are a faculty with expertise from a wide range of disciplines because it requires collaboration among different stakeholders to solve many of today’s problems.”
