The next generation of forest jobs will be in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths). That is according to Matt de Jongh, Responsible Wood’s Sustainability Manager, and Emily Post from the NSW Department of Primary Industries Local Land Services—Private Native Forestry division, who spoke to more than 600 students at the Sydney-based Ryde Secondary College last week.
Following the highly successful Careers in Forestry Day, which was also attended by more than 500 students earlier this month, Paul McCartan, Ryde Secondary College’s Geography Teacher, was overwhelmed with the response:
“More than 100 students came back at lunchtime to ask Emily and Matt further questions, mainly about what courses they needed to do at the University of TAFE to work in Forestry or Environmental Management.”
“Emily shared her story about working in Forestry, a traditionally male-dominated industry. She shared her experiences fighting bushfires, using technology such as drones to find Koalas before harvesting operations, and outlining many well-paid careers in forestry and environmental management.”
Meanwhile, “Matt had the students engaged with his presentation on his partnerships with local Indigenous landholders in the Northern Territory and Victoria. Students were impressed learning about firestick ecology and best practice techniques in monitoring the populations of Koalas and Long-Nosed Ptotaroos in NSW State Forests.”
Today, Wood Central spoke to Maree McCaskill, CEO of Timber NSW, who helped organise the speakers for last week’s event, stressing the importance of getting foresters with on-the-ground experience to speak to the next generation about the credentials of sustainable forest management and the opportunities for future employment.
The future of sustainable forest management lies with the next generation.
Last year, Wood Central reported that 72% of residents across New South Wales believed the native forest industry is a ‘legitimate industry’, and 69% recognised its importance for the economy. The numbers are even higher when you remove unsure respondents—86% of residents believe that native forestry was legitimate, 68% thought it was ethical, and 67% trusted the NSW native timber industry.
The findings come from the most extensive research ever undertaken by StollzNow Research, which revealed that participants (in Sydney) “could not imagine a world where wood and wood-based products could be completely replaced.”
According to Giselle Stollznow – one of the directors from Sollznow:
“The vast majority of respondents struggle to find the information they believe. Mainstream media often is thought to use emotion over fact. Some will use social media sources, but the majority thought these were the most unreliable of all.”
“This is why getting foresters into schools is so important,” Ms McCaskill said, “100% of all NSW state forests are certified (for example) under the Australian Standard for Sustainable Forest Management, making it amongst the highest regulated in the world.”
“Our challenge is to get that message into schools and show school kids that forestry provides amazing opportunities for future employment – not just in Australia but worldwide,” she said.
Wood Central understands that Ryde Secondary College will also organise field trips to State and Private Forests for Geography, Biology, Earth and Environmental Science, and Maths students in the coming months to make learning in the classroom come alive.
The forestry industry is changing, and fast…
The push to embrace forestry comes as Wood Central last year reported that the industry is set to become one of those most impacted by AI and machine learning (for the better).
In September 2018, the World Economic Forum (WEF) reported that “AI could be the game changer for the world’s forests.” At the time, the WEF noted that forest management is an excellent example of how technology-first approaches can quickly deliver results:
The WEF said predictive analytics and machine learning models are “helping scientists and authorities in different parts of the world in the quest for better forest management—this also includes restoring areas damaged by fires, logging, or clear-cutting.”
- To learn more about career opportunities in forestry, including the top 5 reasons to pursue a career in the forests, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
