Ghullam Sideqe (Wood Products Processing)
March 19, 2025 | Author: emilyjun
Laboratory Research Assistant (Co-op) Student; Canfor Pulp Ltd.
During my 8-month co-op term at Canfor Pulp Innovation in Burnaby, I stepping into the multifaceted world of the pulp industry as a laboratory assistant. This experience significantly broadened my understanding of both the scientific and operational aspects of pulp production. From the outset, I was immersed in a rigorous environment where precision and accuracy were paramount. This co-op term at Canfor Pulp not only equipped me with a deep understanding of pulp processing but also prepared me for a career in this industry. The hands-on experience has been invaluable, providing me with a practical foundation that complements my studies. As I move forward, I carry with me not only the technical skills acquired but also a profound appreciation for the intricacies of pulp production and its broader environmental and economic impacts.
Posted in: Student Stories, Wood Products
Tagged with: Co-op, Forestry Co-op, Student Stories, Woods Products Processing
March 19, 2025 | Author: emilyjun
Demonstration Garden Coordinator; Langley Environmental Partners Society
This work term I have been working for Langley Environmental Partners Society as a Demonstration Garden Coordinator. My responsibilities mainly included coordinating large-scale community events, and directly engaging with visitors to provide information and support.
I was also maintaining the garden, including plants, garden beds, and compost bins through regular watering, weeding, and pruning. Optimizing the demonstration garden, ensuring it fulfilled its role as a model for sustainable gardening practices.
Throughout this experience, I have honed my communication, event management, and digital marketing skills, while deepening my understanding of environmental stewardship. Co-op has been invaluable in bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world application, and I highly recommend it to other students as an opportunity to gain hands-on experience and make meaningful contributions to the community.
Posted in: Forest Management, Student Stories
Tagged with: Co-op, Forest Resources Management, Forestry Co-op, Student Stories
March 19, 2025 | Author: emilyjun
STEM Workshops Instructor; UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach
This co-op term, I have been going into elementary, middle and high schools to teach students about STEAM. Through this co-op, not only have I been able to learn so much about different topics in STEAM myself, but I’ve also been able to work on my confidence in public speaking. Being able to teach so many different age groups each day has been very rewarding and I find myself more comfortable in presenting each day as my knowledge on these topics grow.
To me, co-op is an amazing opportunity. To be able to gain work experience in fields relevant to my studies both provides insight into potential future jobs I may be interested in, as well as allowing me to improve my skills so that I can set myself apart from other candidates during job searches after graduation.
Posted in: Student Stories, Urban Forestry
Tagged with: Co-op, Forestry Co-op, Student Stories, Urban Forestry
March 18, 2025 | Author: emilyjun
Communications and Community Engagement Co-op; BC Wildfire Service
It has been an amazing 8 months working with BC Wildfire Service. I attended several events with my colleagues. It’s impressive to talk with a lot of people about wildfire and campfire ban. I also helped to translate the campfire pamphlet to Mandarin to engage more people at the Richmond Night Market and Surrey Fusion Festival. Besides working in Communications and Community Engagement, I also worked in Plans Section, coordinated with RWCO, dispatch, Logistics, etc. I prepare the document for “prep sheet” which indicates the personnel in each section and firefighters in zones. When we get into fire season, I also did Fire Analysis. This helped to summarize the value at risk in a certain area. I’m excited about learning so much and involving in wildfire suppression. I really appreciated all the folks introduced me into this big family so kindly and patiently.
Posted in: Forest Management, Student Stories
Tagged with: Co-op, Forest Resources Management, Forestry Co-op, Student Stories
March 18, 2025 | Author: emilyjun
Process Development & Quality Control Assistant Co-op; Gilbert Smith Forest Products Ltd. (GSFP)
My name is Miguel Paulhus and I have been working with Gilbert Smith Forest Products during this co-op. I am in the Process Improvement and Quality Control department which has given me the opportunity to be exposed to a myriad of different projects. I have mainly been working on Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) projects around different machine centers throughout the sawmill, some examples of these projects are reducing the energy usage of the kiln, finding the optimal saw characteristics for the canter line, creating new standard operating procedures and troubleshooting guides around the mill and much more. This work term has taught me great organizational and communication skills due to the freedom I have been given to work on my projects.
Posted in: Student Stories, Wood Products
Tagged with: Co-op, Forestry Co-op, Student Stories, Wood Products Proccessing
March 18, 2025 | Author: emilyjun
Quality Control Wood Products Summer Intern; West Fraser
I have been working on quality control at West Fraser – Hinton Wood Products, where I am responsible for ensuring the quality of production. This job combines both mental and physical labour, making it interesting and engaging. In the office, I monitor live data on my computer, and if any metrics deviate, I must identify and go to the shop floor to resolve the issue. I also prepare daily reports and analyze data using Excel. On the shop floor, I measure the dimensions of boards from canters and edgers, visually inspect the debarking of logs from barkers, and check the condition of boards from trimmers.
During this co-op term, I have gained professional knowledge related to lumber quality control, such as visually assessing board quality and adjusting machine parameters to change board sizes. Additionally, I have improved my communication skills and gained confidence in public speaking. Beyond these skills, I have met many inspiring people whose outlooks on life have encouraged me to think more about my future. I have also realized the importance of studying, motivating me to pursue further knowledge. This co-op job represent my first step into society, making it a valuable and meaningful experience. I believe that co-op programs are beneficial for all students, as they foster personal growth and we will not truly understand our true career aspirations without firsthand experience.
Posted in: Student Stories, Wood Products
Tagged with: Co-op, Forestry Co-op, Student Stories, Wood Products Proccessing
March 17, 2025 | Author: UBC Forestry
On behalf of UBC Forestry, congratulations to Sylvie Yang, Hollis Kinnard, Brianne Boufford and Kimiya Rahmani Mokarrai on being the 2025 3MT winners!
Sylvie Yang — First Place
Presentation: Invisible livelihoods: the women of Guyana’s artisanal fisheries (Janette Bulkan, supervisor)
Hollis Kinnard — Second Place
Presentation: Using sensor fish to examine fish friendliness of flood pumps (Scott Hinch, supervisor)
Brianne Boufford — Third Place
Presentation: Rainfall and resiliency: modelling hydrological recovery in disturbed forests (Nicholas Coops, supervisor)
Kimiya Rahmani Mokarrari — Fourth Place
Presentation: Optimizing the slash supply chain for bioproduct production (Taraneh Sowlati, supervisor)
13th Annual Forestry Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition
Seventeen graduate students took part in the 13th Annual Forestry Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Heat. Nicholas Coops was the emcee, Julie Cool, Tom Booker and Juliet Lu were the 3MT judges. Thank you to all participants for presenting their research and congratulations to our 2025 Forestry 3MT Competition winners who advanced to the UBC Semi-Finals.
Watch the presentations here.
Posted in: Awards, News
Tagged with: 3MT, Graduate Students
March 17, 2025 | Author: Saumya
See the attached document below for more details!
Posted in: Jobs & Volunteer Board, Student Opportunities
Tagged with:
March 17, 2025 | Author: Forestry Digest
An exciting project out of the University of British Columbia has started its recruitment efforts. This community-based nest monitoring program titled NESTigators is a research study that is investigating both the nesting success of birds in Metro Vancouver and how participation in a program like this could influence human-nature connections. They are looking for research participants for this spring and summer, to spend between 1-3 hours a week helping monitor birds while also taking part in a few interviews and questionnaires to understand your experience throughout the program. If you have any questions, please reach out to nestigators.ires@ubc.ca and consider applying today!
Apply here: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_38alAc29OY1E7RQ
Posted in: Forestry Digest, Jobs & Volunteer Board
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March 17, 2025 | Author: Forestry Digest
Posted in: Forestry Digest, Jobs & Volunteer Board
Tagged with: