Summer Field Technician at Silvicon Services Inc in Smithers, BC
For my co op term this summer I chose to work in Smithers BC with Silvicon Services Inc. My main job is assisting in completing waste and residue surveys of cut-blocks. We do work for multiple different clients, including CANFOR. I have learned various skills related to my specific job such as how to operate a quad and properly use a compass, and have also gained valuable insight into how the forestry industry works. I find this part of my job the most interesting, since forestry is such a large part of BC’s economy. If you are forestry student who is unsure if they want to pursue a career in the forestry industry I would highly recommend joining the Co-op program, as doing this job has allowed me to see what my potential future in the industry could be. It is impossible to get the same kind of understanding of the industry in a classroom.
Invasive Plant Technician at Spectrum Resource Group Inc. in BC
I started working for Spectrum Resource Group Inc. at this time period as an invasive plants technician. My primary responsibilities include choosing and implementing efficient management and control tactics, compiling and analysing data on invasive species populations, and determining how effective control measures are. I’ve learnt a lot about invasive plant species in British Columbia this term, including how to treat them appropriately. I’ve also had the chance to interact with locals and raise awareness of invasive species among the general public. The co-op work term gives me a fantastic opportunity to put the course contents into practice and gives me a newfound understanding of course concepts, both of which will be very helpful to me in the future.
Park Worker at Metro Vancouver (Parks and Environment) in Vancouver, BC
This summer I took the opportunity to work in Pacific Spirit Park as a Park Worker with Metro Vancouver in the Parks and Environment Department. As a park worker in the Operations unit, I contribute to completing daily operational tasks including vegetation management and other small maintenance projects. The Operations team assists various with non-profit organizations to facilitate events and volunteer work parties often focussing on restoration projects. The collaboration with these organizations promotes public awareness to environmental stewardship. Overall, this position has allowed me a greater appreciation for the work that is required to maintain natural recreational spaces in urban environments and has opened my eyes to the unique challenges and benefits of working in a government position. I have met and worked with so many wonderful people- I am grateful that Co-op has provided me with this opportunity!
In place for two years, the IISMA program was designed to ensure top Indonesian students have opportunities to take university classes not typically offered in their own country as well as further develop leadership skills in a multicultural setting. The incoming group is the second cohort UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship has hosted.
In addition to the competition students face when applying for the program, universities around the world have the same challenge.
“Our global world ranking, award-winning faculty and experience with hosting international students were pivotal deciding factors in determining we would be selected for this wonderful opportunity,” says Neuvonen.
A total of 73 universities from 30 different countries were named to host the students. The University of Waterloo was the only other Canadian university chosen to take part in the program.
“While the students are attending UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship classes, the plan is they will also engage in cross-cultural experiences,” says Neuvonen.
For my first Co-op work term, I have been working at Canfor’s Elko sawmill. My main task has been working with simulations to determine the ideal log diameters for a new sorting system. Over my work term, I have gained knowledge of the machinery, terminology, and processes involved in wood processing operations. I highly recommend the Co-op program to everyone, especially in forestry. The skills I have learned will not only help me in my future job search but will also enable me to apply what I learned to my classes back at UBC
Junior Forestry Technician with Integrated ProAction Corp. in Kamloops, BC
For my first Co-op term, I have been working at Integrated ProAction Corp (IPAC) as a Junior Forestry Technician. During this term I have become familiar in various areas of site assessment such as stream and old growth deferral area classification. I have also gained experience with ecosystem mapping which includes creating site plan plots and mapping areas based on silviculture prescription plot information. Another area within forestry that has been a key point of my focus while working at IPAC has been layout and development. This includes cut block and road layout along with timber cruising. Within cut blocks, I work on riparian management zones based on forest stewardship plans and forest planning and practices regulations requirements. I also perform timber cruises and old growth deferral area classification cruising. This Co-op term has allowed me to improve skills in areas such as road layout and cruising that I learned in classes at UBC and explore the different areas of forestry that I would be interested in pursuing in the future.
AUTHORS: J. Aeyelts, J. Bulkan, D. Roeser (Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship), X. Bi, R. Clift and H. Wang (Faculty of Applied Science Chemical & Biological Engineering) University of British Columbia
In British Columbia (BC) roughly 64 million m³ of logs are harvested annually. Market conditions and government taxes dictate which logs are harvested by forestry companies.
AUTHORS: J. Aeyelts, J. Bulkan, D. Roeser (Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship), X. Bi, R. Clift and H. Wang (Faculty of Applied Science Chemical & Biological Engineering) University of British Columbia
The practice of burning harvest residuals is deeply embedded in British Columbia’s (BC) forestry sector. While this was a logical practice when first mandated in 1938, global and local circumstances have evolved and so must forestry practices.
The Fraser is the largest salmon-bearing river in British Columbia, supporting 54 unique populations, known as Conservation Units (CUs), of wild Pacific salmon, 19 of which breed in the lower Fraser River.
A new open-access study by the Martin Conservation Decisions Lab found that all 19 of these CUs are on a declining trajectory over the next 25 years.
The popular series is addressing some of the most important topics of conversation surrounding Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Whether taking the form of discrimination in the workplace or microaggressions woven into a casual conversation, at the core of racism are discriminatory acts against people based on their skin colour, religious views or cultural practices.
To help confront and address the root causes and histories that perpetuate racist and anti-Indigenous beliefs and acts into the 21st Century, UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship has launched a number of initiatives, including a webinar, podcast and the Forest(Reads) book club. UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship has also created an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council to address policies and structures within the Faculty, says UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Assoc. Prof. and Assoc. Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Hisham Zerriffi.
These initiatives were spearheaded by the former Assoc. Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Professor Sarah Gergel; Estefanía Milla-Moreno, a graduate student in the Faculty; and Hisham, who previously chaired the council.
The last couple of years have brought to the fore many challenges to be addressed, notes Hisham. The global COVID-19 pandemic “raised all sorts of equity questions and concerns: from health impacts to employment and family issues that were often experienced to a greater extent among marginalized groups.”
The tragic murder of African American George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in May 2020 raised new questions and topics of discussion and spurred the genesis of various public initiatives.
“Our justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) approach to EDI makes clear that we also want to address issues of justice and power,” says Hisham. “Some of the topics we discuss can be uncomfortable or even controversial. At the same time, they are greatly needed to bring forward more marginalized voices that wouldn’t ordinarily be in the spotlight or heard.”
Forest(Reads) introduces UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship faculty, staff, students and interested members of the public to JEDI topics through a literary lens. The inaugural Forest(Reads), coordinated by graduate student Arial Eatherton, involved events and talks surrounding Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer. Conversations touched on the author’s examination of how scientific and Indigenous knowledge intersect in a world where many of us have lost touch with the life forces found within our natural environment.
Topics of black identity and belonging in parks and other outdoor spaces were explored in the 2022 Forest(Reads) book selection coordinated by graduate student Jaylen Bastos, Black Faces, White Spaces by cultural geographer Dr. Carolyn Finney.
“The book covers some of the deep roots of racism within the environmental movement in North America in terms of the legacy of how parks and park-related organizations were created, and how that history may be reinforcing the exclusion of members of some minority groups,” says Hisham.
Along with encouraging faculty, staff and students to read the book and attend the events, Hisham hopes the initiative “will spark more conversations and a deeper understanding of how to realize greater justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in our lives.”
Branchlines
Led by our very own Development and Alumni Engagement Office, and shaped by valuable feedback from our alumni community, the Spring 2022 issue of Branchlines showcases the dynamic and multifaceted fields of forestry.
