Forestry

Alison Aprhys

A shortage of professional foresters has seen new courses emerge, and the growing industry allowing graduates to leapfrog their careers.

“The current shortage of professional foresters Australia-wide, and the difficulty in attracting students of suitable calibre to undertake a university degree in forest management, means that there are enormous opportunities for graduates,” says Melissa Syme, who studied forestry at the University of Melbourne, and has worked in Victoria and NSW in the areas of park management, plantation management and native forest harvesting.

Now employed by Forestry Tasmania, she is enthusiastic about her chosen profession.

“Timber is a fantastic renewable resource and the best thing for people who are concerned about the environment is to be trained and involved in the management of sustainable forestry”, says Syme.

As a member of the Institute of Foresters Australia, she is keen to encourage people of all ages to consider working in what she believes is an important and interesting industry. Syme says that the forestry degree is extremely flexible.

“There are a big range of opportunities for graduates, both in geographical areas to work in and fields of interest,” she says.

These areas include park and reserve management, catchment and landscape management, landcare and farm forestry extension, plantations and commercial forestry, research, ecology, wildlife, biotechnology, recreation and tourism, fire management, environmental consulting, environmental/conservation groups and government policy advice.

“Most people who are interested in studying forestry do so because of someone they know involved in the industry or profession, and we find it hard to attract people who have had no exposure to forestry,” she adds.

“People often think forestry is all about science, but while that’s definitely a part of it, we have a lot of interaction with the public and other land users — it’s about participation, not peering down a microscope. You never get sick of being outdoors or going bush.”

A new course from Southern Cross University in Lismore now offered at Mt Gambier in the “green triangle” of eastern South Australia/western Victoria is set to attract those wanting an environmental career.

“Having this forestry program in Mt Gambier has opened up university education to people who never thought it was possible,” says Southern Cross University’s course co-ordinator in Mt Gambier, Diana Lloyd.

“We take a more holistic approach when assessing suitable students for this course – we definitely look beyond a person’s marks and take into account their skills, attitude and experience, especially with mature entry students.”

Lloyd, who studied at the University of Melbourne and has worked in forestry for the past 20 years, says the course is recognised internationally and has attracted both male and female students equally.

Kim Thomas, one of 14 new students in the course, is combining her study with a full-time job at Carter Holt and Harvey’s mill in Nangwarry, SA.

“I didn’t think I would get in because I didn’t finish Year 12, but I’ve worked in the industry and that helped me out,” she says.

“I’ve always enjoyed forestry and have done different jobs in the reserves, the nurseries and at the mill.”

Thomas says that she wanted to do something different with her life.

“I wanted to be able to work outside and with this forestry degree the opportunities will be unlimited.”

Bernard Prosser, one of the mature-age students, is also over the moon about getting into the course.

“I really enjoyed my work as a groundsman, but after studying horticulture at TAFE I realised that I wanted to extend my career options. So when I heard that this new forestry course was being offered, I thought ‘beauty, this is for me’.”

Prosser feel that the degree will allow him to work anywhere in the world where there are forests.

“It’s a qualification that goes beyond the regional and national, which is quite exciting.”

Nicholas Cameron, who works with Forests NSW and is secretary of IFA’s NSW branch, originally embarked on a career in forestry “because of my love for the outdoors and our native forests.

In my mind the thing that differentiates `foresters’ from other managers of forest land is our interaction with the forests; we are committed to active forest management and although we have ideals we are pragmatic by necessity, constantly looking at how the forests can be better managed to optimise the multitude of benefits that flow from them.”