A&A Trading, Campbell River, BC
Through the UBC Forestry Co-op Program, I was able to obtain a summer forestry position and the opportunity to work in old growth forests in the Coastal Western Hemlock zone with A&A Trading Ltd. based in Campbell River, BC. My role as a forestry summer student allowed me to help the senior A&A staff develop logging plans for their operations from the ground up: I assisted in laying out helicopter and conventional cut-blocks (running deflection lines, GPS traversing…), retention patches, and riparian reserve zones. I learned that taking a hillside of timber and turning it into logs in the water is a complicated and lengthy process. There is a lot of field and office work that needs to be done in order to get these logs to the market. I learned valuable skills and developed an understanding of how forestry is practiced on the ground. Helicopter rides into the most wild, mountainous forests of Toba Inlet, Snout Point and Nootka Island were the highlights of my summer. I really enjoyed working in this beautiful province this summer and am very thankful to have secured this employment opportunity. This experience built my skill set and helped me with my future career in forestry.
