UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship wishes to congratulate Bianca Eskelson, Associate Professor in the Department of Forest Resources Management, for receiving the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers awarded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Bianca is being recognized as a Humboldt fellow in support of the following research project: Climate-sensitive tree mortality models and economic consequences of altered mortality probabilities under climate change in mixed-species stands of central Europe and interior British Columbia, Canada.
“I have no words to express my excitement about returning to the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology in Göttingen, where I get to build research collaborations with Dr. Carola Paul as a visiting scientist almost 20 years after my graduation,” says Bianca. “I am honored to receive the Humboldt Research Fellowship, which makes my research visits over the next three summers possible. Many thanks to my family and my awesome graduate students, who put up with my crazy ideas and accommodate my time in Göttingen!”
In her future as a Humboldt Fellow, Bianca will be able to host Humboldt postdoctoral fellows funded by the foundation in her lab.
About the Humboldt Research Fellowship
This fellowship is among the most prestigious research awards worldwide, giving researchers across all disciplines and career stages the opportunity to conduct their own research in collaboration with a host at a German research institution of their choice.
Undergraduate Intern at Alex Fraser Research Forest in Williams Lake, BC
Over the past 2 months I have been working as an undergraduate Intern at the Alex Fraser Research Forest in Williams Lake. Being an Intern I have had the opportunity to be involved in many different projects and help in the planning and execution to the extent that was possible with my skillset. One of the first projects I was a part of was layout out blocks for logging. After going around the block and seeing the regen from previous entries we went in and started laying out chunks within the block that were harvestable while retaining valuable regen. We also laid out Wildlife Tree Patches to protect important habitat. I was also a part of GPS the plot and mapping them on GIS and creating maps for site plans and operators. We also worked on managing the mule deer winter range. For which we selected clumps of trees throughout the block to remove that would open up the canopy to promote a multilayered, uneven-aged stand structure by reentering the block multiple time over 250 years. This helps maintain the diversity of habitat within the block so that it can provided, thermal and security cover for Mull Deer. During selection of the tree we took diameters of the trees selected and specie of the tree so keep track of the volume that will be remove and minimize negative impacts of removal.
In October I was introduced to doing stocking surveys and multilayered surveys which was a great opportunity to refresh my memory on the topics that I had learnt in university and also be in the field physically doing it. We also timber cruised two plots ( about 45 plots) at Gavin, and as a part of it we took DBH, Height, logs obtainable, recorded species and their status. I was also able to work with the contractors doing Beetle probing and worked with their crew in the field looking at trees in the previously detected beetle spots. We assessed trees for Fir beetle frass and if we found a tree with frass we would chop into it to check to see if we can find live beetle. I am excited to see what the rest of my term has in store for me!
Wildlife Biologist at BC Ministry of Lands, Water and Resource Stewardship in Surrey, BC
This term, I am finishing up my work on the project that I started in January. My primary responsibilities include supervising volunteer data entry, conducting data analyses, and communicating my work through scientific reports. This position has allowed me to gain confidence in many areas that I lacked confidence in previously. Like presenting, supervising/leading, scientific writing, networking, and more. This is a role I have aimed to fulfill for a long time, and I’m grateful to have been offered to continue in this position even after my co-op has ended.
Junior Forestry Technician at Coastal Natural Resource Management Ltd. in North Vancouver, BC
For the last 12 months, I have been working as a Junior Forest Technician for Coastal Natural Resource Management. I have been working across British Columbia working on forestry consulting projects on the coast and the northern interior. During the last year, I have completed forestry assessments, timber evaluations, stream inventories, road engineering and more. I was able to learn and build upon my skills which have been a valuable experience. I have enjoyed the coop program and it is a great opportunity for students to get practical work experience during their studies.
Remote Sensing Analyst at Pacific Forestry Centre in Victoria, BC
Deforestation Remote Sensing Analyst with Pacific Forestry Centre in Victoria, BC (currently remote). I am responsible for visual satellite image interpretation and analysis while incorporating high-resolution images tools such as Google Earth in ArcMap to detect new deforestation events between the years 2016 – 2021 in 3km x 3 km cells. After finding a deforestation event that has an area of a minimum of 1 hectare, I need to delineate the event and record proper attribution (eg. forest pre-type, post-class, and current land use). This co-op work term not only has given me the chance to apply the remote sensing knowledge I have learned in my forestry courses in real-life work experience while learning new skills, I was also able to meet more people to build connections outside of school and I think it is extremely important to have good connections because it will benefit me in my future career. The actual working experience was probably the most valuable to me because it will help me prepare and know what to expect in a working environment.
Sustainability Assistant with Solaires Enterprises Inc. in Victoria, BC
For my third co-op term, I am continuing my remote position at Solaires, a cleantech company that specializes in solar energy–specifically solar cells to make solar energy more accessible. As the sustainability assistant, I play a role in increasing sustainability efforts in the company, help employee engagements, and implement company policies. This term, I assisted in the research of carbon offset projects for the company to help Solaires in the journey of becoming carbon net-zero. Carbon offset was always something that I learned in my studies and I got to experience it first-hand on how companies offset their carbon emissions. In addition, I have been improving student engagement for the company, and this term, I had the wonderful opportunity to host invasive plant species removal corporate volunteering events for the company (as pictured). In my first ever co-op job, I was the volunteer coordinator to help assist corporate groups just like this, so it was super exciting to be on the other end! Without co-op, I would have never found my love for corporate sustainability so I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to widen their experience and to try different sectors of environmental science jobs!
US Expansion Intern with Campaign.com in Jakarta, Indonesia
Working as a US Expansion intern at campaign.com has taught me various skills in managing a growing tech startup company, specifically one that communicates conservation and incentivizes its user base to take action in tackling real-world issues. These skills include flexible verbal, written, and visual communication with teammates, partners, and sponsors alike, and most importantly our user base that consists of citizens from all around the world. This internship opportunity as taught me that action and education can be achieved by people of all sorts of communities and backgrounds, allowing people to take action and make donations without spending a single dime.
Intern at Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, India
For my 3rd co-op semester, I worked at the Wildlife Institute of India and developed a project in which my primary focus was around human-wildlife conflicts from a landscape perspective. I had travelled across the country to the state of Tamil Nadu to collect data in the field and had been there for three months. In the field I worked alongside a master’s student, as well as two researchers from the tiger reserve in the area. Every day we planned to go into the field at the necessary sites and collect data, rain, or shine. We were quite fortunate that it hardly rained as it is monsoon season, meaning that there is endless rain during these months. During this time, I was also able to interact with the locals in the areas that we stayed and conducted data collection in, as well as grasp a further understanding into the conflicts that the people in the area were facing with certain species of wildlife such as elephants, tigers, and leopards. Through this experience I explored part of my field that I knew little about while gaining valuable research skills by creating, implementing, and analyzing my own research project. This, however, is only one aspect of what I got to experience. Everyday, in the field I travelled to villages and collected data, it gave me perspectives into the lifestyles and social complexities driven within a different society. A global opportunity is in my opinion rare, and one of the best experiences that I got from joining the co-op program. I feel that as an individual I have grown not only personally but professionally. It has impacted the way I think about environmental issues worldwide as I feel more connected to a global community. If an individual is restricted to a country, they only see the problems that occur there and see them as a separate entity from the rest of the globe. However, by traveling outside, and seeing the issues of another place, it is so easy to see the correlations that occur and how problems in one country affect another so greatly. This would not have occurred if I had not gotten the opportunity from co-op to travel outside of Canada. Therefore, I encourage other students to join the co-op program to expand their opportunities within forestry and understand that there is much more outside of British Columbia and Canada.
Established in 2016, this prize was made available by ForesTrust, registered charity of the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP). Each year, students enrolled in the Master of Sustainable Forest Management program who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership skills through their studies will be selected for the prize.
Congratulations to Pauline Flottat for being the 2023 recipient of the ABCFP Sustainable Forestry Management Prize!
MGEM Best in Class Award
Each year two graduating students in the Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM) program will be selected for the MGEM Best in Class Awards. The recipients have demonstrated outstanding leadership and teamwork skills during their studies and show exceptional career promise in the field of Geomatics.
Congratulations to the 2022/23 recipients of the MGEM Best in Class Awards!
1st Place: Jackie Ng
During the MGEM program, Jackie was always a team player and showed a dedication to learning. Jackie was always helping their peers. They would pause their own work to ensure that others were succeeding and was always willing to help explain concepts. They embody many traits of a leader: they raise other up, help others, are patient, kind and humble. Jackie’s dedication to sharing knowledge is part of what made them an exceptional MGEM student. It will be exciting to see where the Geomatics industry takes them!
2nd Place: Chenghao Yang
During the first week of the program Chenghao was nominated to be one of the cohort representatives. This was a role that Chenghao took seriously. He checked in with his classmates, raised concerns and advocated for shifting deadlines when the workloads because intense. Chenghao was someone who crossed social lines in the program, weaving into different groups. This was fueled by his desire to learn, not just about geomatics, but about people. Chenghao often asked insightful questions, and offered help to his peers. Chenghao’s quite leadership has made him an outstanding recipient for this award.
MGEM GTA Award
The MGEM GTA Award recognizes outstanding contributions by graduate teaching assistants (GTA) from the Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM) program. Each year one GTA who has demonstrated exceptional teaching excellence will be selected for the award.
Congratulations to Liam Irwin, 2022/2023 recipient of the MGEM GTA Award!
About Liam
GTA’s are essential to the MGEM program, they are the heart beat that pumps energy and enthusiasm into every aspect of the program. In a group of people that all do so much, Liam’s dedication stood out. He assisted students outside of his mentorship group, never hesitating to share knowledge, advice and technical assistance. In term 1 Liam lead a R-intensive session out at Loon Lake. This workshop set the foundation for Liam allowing him to play a crucial role in helping the students learn coding and R.
Students have highlighted that Liam took the time to explain material carefully, and helped create an atmosphere to ask questions. Liam was also a consistence presence in the class and made sure to check-in with students outside of questions directed at him. Liam has dedicated time and effort above and beyond what is expected of a TA and as a small repayment we are delighted to award Liam the Best MGEM GTA award!
What a talented bunch! The award winners were recognized at the Silver Ring Ceremony earlier this month. We caught up with some of this year’s winners to hear about their experience at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, some advice for future students, and what’s next for them!
Congratulations again to all graduates! Check out photos from the Silver Ring Ceremony here.
Best in Program Winners
Johanna Griggs: Clark S. Binkley Award, Natural Resources Conservation — Science and Management Major
An Hoang: Clark S. Binkley Award, Natural Resources Conservation — Global Perspectives Major
Amanda Karaka: Gordon Baskerville Award — Forest Resources Management
Hongzheng Ma: Larre Medal — Wood Products Processing
Shining Chen: Outstanding Forest Sciences Student Award
Alex Martin: Outstanding Urban Forestry Student Award
Kyle Bishop: W. Gerry Burch Award — Forest Operations
Yuton Li: Outstanding Student in the Forest Bioeconomy Sciences and Technology Program
Lorry Mackay: Gold Medal Winner
Q. What inspired you to pursue a degree in forestry?
Johanna: “I chose Forestry for its interdisciplinary nature! I loved that I got to learn about sociology and economics in addition to biology, which is essential to a real-world understanding of the issues we study.”
Hongzheng: “I always loved manufacturing and want to pursue it as a career. I think wood is the best construction material that nature gives us. Back in China, I think this 3+2 program is a good way for me to see the world.”
Kyle: “Growing up in North Vancouver I spent a lot of time exploring outside and spending time in the forests of the north shore mountains. Through these many experiences growing up in the outdoors, I knew a job in forestry would suit me extremely well. I always wanted to be an engineer and the Forest Operations program allowed me to pursue both my engineering passions and desire to have a degree that will connect me to a job in the outdoors. Essentially, it’s through my curiosity about the natural world and how things work that I landed on this degree!”
Yuton: “I am a 3+2 student for BUCT. As soon as I heard my school has a dual degree program with UBC, I immediately sign up for this program. Not only because UBC has a top ranking in the forestry program, but also because sustainable development has become a concern worldwide. I just wanted to make an effort to a solution for sustainability issues.”
Lorry: “Originally, I was inspired to pursue a degree in Forestry because I loved recreating outdoors. As I learned more about the world of forestry in first- & second-year courses, I knew I wanted my future career to be an application of practical sciences. By combining these two views, I discovered that I wanted to pursue a career that revolves around applications of sustainable natural resource science.”
An: “I initially wanted to study psychology, but after I got sponsored to visit South Africa in 2017 by Wilderness Foundation Africa, my whole life changed. My passion for conservation only grew stronger when I found UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship NRC program. Growing up in Ho Chi Minh City, chances to visit nature are rare. I wanted to be in forestry to find ways to bring nature to people so that they can appreciate the nature around them.”
Amanda: “I had made a promise to myself to enroll in post secondary and work towards a fulfilling career. Unsure of where to start, I enrolled in an arts and sciences diploma at Langara and started taking the courses that most interested me. I’ve always been fascinated by the diversity and complexity of the ecosystems in BC, and so there was a definite theme in my selections. I also made a point of looking for the most interesting and exciting (to me) job postings and what the qualifications were. RPF and RPBio occurred frequently.”
Q. Can you talk about any research, projects or events you’ve worked on that particularly excited or interested you, and why?
Johanna: “I’ve been lucky enough to work with two separate labs in Forestry as a research assistant (Stream and Riparian Research Lab and WildCo) and discovered a passion for fieldwork and working with wildlife. Having the opportunity to work in the forests, streams and mountains across B.C. and participate in exciting research was an amazing experience and has given me a better idea of what kind of work I want to pursue in the future.”
Hongzheng: “I really enjoyed my co-op experience with West Forest Products as it allowed me to see the real-world manufacturing situation. I met a lot of good people and created strong personal bonds.”
Kyle: “For the past two summers, I’ve really enjoyed working as an undergraduate research assistant in the forest hydrology lab with Dr. Younes Alila. This has been in preparation for a master of applied science in forestry that I will be starting with Dr. Alila. I grew up fishing a lot and it is still one of my passions so I’m very curious about water and how it interacts with forested watersheds.”
Yuton: “I used to work in Dr. Feng Jiang’s lab and participate in the thermal insulation cellulose-based foam project. The idea is to fabricate high-performance fire-retardant thermal insulation foam materials as non-structural engineered wood products using forest residual. I find it interesting because it can turn waste into useful material, and it can be really put into practice and make a difference.”
Lorry: “I assisted on a research project aiming to investigate how/why loggers fail to recognize hazards and the science that explains how they look but fail to see or identify risks in the field. The project really interested me because I learned in-depth detail about logging which is something that I had limited knowledge on. Additionally, I also assisted in developing a training workshop for hand-fallers to better identify workplace hazards, so it was cool to see my efforts be applied today in a real-life context.
An: “I’m especially proud of this research that I’ve done on different ways that the ethnic minority H’mong has been maintaining their culture and traditional forestry practices despite political pressures in Vietnam. I also worked with two bookstores in Vietnam, developed business plans for them, and persuaded them to exclusively use reusable bags instead of single-use plastic bags. I also briefly worked with a few foreign investors on a clean water project in Vietnam to ensure that rural communities, especially hospitals in rural communities, have sufficient clean water for their operations. Vietnam is home for me so any projects that I did in Vietnam are very dear to my heart. Aside from this, I’m very appreciative of all of the opportunities that I’ve been given to support professors in developing some of their teaching materials and applying for grants”
Amanda: “I had the privilege of working for a PhD candidate who was researching bark beetle- fungal associations. Because there’s not a lot of research on this particular species and its behavior, there was a lot of on-the-go problem solving to make the data collection work. It really highlighted the value of making careful observations about the entire system before getting too attached to plans.”
Q. Looking back on your time as a forestry student, what are some of your proudest accomplishments or favourite moments?
Johanna: “Definitely the CONS451 field school! Spending an entire semester having a good time with other Cons students in beautiful landscapes was a highlight of my entire degree. And I also will always remember the many, many hours spent in the Treehouse of the beautiful Forestry building which is one of the best spots on campus!”
Hongzheng: “I guess I’m pretty proud to have achieved almost A+ in every course!”
Kyle: “I’m proud of my time spent on the varsity field hockey team and being a representative on the Thunderbird athletic council. I loved field school and the connections I built with classmates and professors. I’m also really proud of the scholarships I received in recognition of my hard work including receiving the top forest ops student award at the Silver Ring ceremony.”
Yuton: “Probably this award at this year’s Silver Ring Ceremony. I feel like all the efforts I made were not in vain. It’s like a great affirmation of my study in the past two years.”
Lorry: “One of my most memorable moments was when my professor, Suzanne Simard, changed our midterm last minute to a take-home assignment because Greta Thunberg was visiting Vancouver. She addressed the class by saying we would have countless midterms in our future, but rare opportunities to participate in movements like the climate strike. It was inspiring to see a professor make a bold move like that and I was so thankful that I was able to attend the climate strike and hear Greta speak!”
An: “I’m very proud of all the friends and professional connections that I’ve made. I moved to Canada alone to pursue my post-secondary career so being able to build this network that I feel safe in is incredibly important to me. I’m also very proud to be the first Project Manager for Wild Rhino (a campaign in Vietnam that falls under the jurisdiction of Wilderness Foundation Africa, a South African-based NGO) and led the campaign to its most successful eight months within the eight years that it has been in operation. I developed 90 online and offline programs that reached over 4 million people in five different cities in Vietnam.”
Amanda: “This degree is absolutely by far the biggest project I have undertaken, and I am very proud of myself for not leaving it unfinished.”
Q. What are your plans for after graduation and how do you see your forestry degree helping you achieve your goals?
Johanna: “I hope to do a Master’s degree in a couple of years but want to take a few years to work and figure out what I am most interested in, but it will ideally be related to wildlife and community-based conservation. At the moment, I’m working with Ducks Unlimited Canada and Raincoast Conservation on monitoring a series of salmon habitat restoration projects in the Fraser River Estuary and enjoying every minute outside, rain or shine!”
Hongzheng: “I would like to pursue a career in the primary wood industry here on the west coast. The BSCW degree helped prepare me for everything I would need for the job.”
Kyle: “I’d like to pursue a master’s of applied science in forestry and my P.Eng and RPF. A degree in forestry has been essential in this process and will help me achieve these goals.”
Yuton: “I have been admitted by the University of Pennsylvania to the master of bioengineering. So my plan is to get a master’s degree first. This forestry degree provides me with a solid foundation in bioeconomy and global sustainability, which may help me a lot in the future bioengineering designing and innovation etc.”
Lorry: “After graduation, I’m entering an Infrastructure Planner role with Mosaic Forest Management in Nanaimo, BC. My degree in Forest Operations will help me understand the structure and reasoning behind daily operations that take place, ensuring sustainable forest practices and resulting in a resilient forest. Entering the forest industry and profession of land management is intimidating but I’m looking forward to building upon my degree with knowledge I learn in a working context.”
An: “I’ve always been in science communications – this was my position with Parks Canada and Wild Rhino. I also got to work with vulnerable and equity-deserving communities in these two positions and got to learn more about what conservation looks like in different contexts. Recently, I’ve been more interested in more of the data analyst side and hoping that I can be more involved in the carbon markets and carbon trading systems. Both types of careers are highly relevant to the degree because I don’t only get to learn about quantitative analysis/research skills but also ways to work and speak with local people.”
Amanda: “I’ll be registering as a Forester in Training, which is the next step towards professional designation. Graduating from an accredited program was an important first step. The courses I took at UBC within my degree helped me to broaden the scope of what a career in forestry could encompass. I was able to gain invaluable experience through USRA and work learn positions that contributed to my success in finding employment that align with my values and career goals.”
Q. Can you share any advice or words of wisdom for other students who are interested in pursuing a career in forestry?
Johanna: “I think some prospective students are under the impression that Forestry is just about trees! And while you definitely get to learn a lot about forests, being a part of the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship opens all sorts of doors and is all about a holistic point of view! I would encourage students in Forestry to embrace that and pursue a variety of experiences and work as it can only benefit you in the future.”
Hongzheng: “I’d definitely recommend you get into a co-op. The important thing is to combine textbook knowledge with real-life experience.”
Kyle: “You must have a driven curiosity to understand the forest. Such a complex adaptive system requires a holistic understanding of how many different areas of study interact and influence each other.”
Yuton: “Communication and mindset. Communication refers to talking to your TAs or professors as long as you have questions. Making good use of office hours can make your study more effective. You can even learn something unexpected from the conversation. Mindset, apparently, refers to having a good mental condition for your grades. The final grade usually does not reflect how many efforts you made. Sometimes in the same course, the nice professor will give you higher grades than the strict professor. However, that does not mean that you are being lazy or not learning at all. Maintaining peace of mind is what all matters.”
Lorry: “Never turn down opportunities! You’ll learn the broad term of forestry encompasses way more than you realized so try to learn about as many different disciplines as you can. Even if something doesn’t seem like a perfect fit for you, it’s worth a shot because more often than not, it can lead you to super interesting and fulfilling studies or professions! Also, get involved in the faculty! There are so many great programs to take advantage of to expand your academic, professional, and social connections!”
An: “The best part about being in Forestry is that you get to spend so much time outside in nature and working with people on the ground. Don’t be afraid to go outside and talk to people – you never know who you’re going to meet and what opportunities may be available to you!”
Amanda: “There’s a lot of learning to be had outside the classroom. Getting involved by volunteering with a research group, or in events and organizations related to your field of study not only helps you to gain skills and make connections, but also creates a better foundation for the course content you’ll encounter in your degree.”
