NRDA coordinated a forestry careers tour for nearly 20 students from local high schools. It was a fun, inspiring day with great insight into career pathways in the forestry industry.
With Mike and Stoph from OneFortyOne in the lead, the students headed to the first site, Golden Down forests. It was a stunning day for it (if not a little fresh!) with beautiful views of snow on the hills – what a place to work!
On site, students explored silviculture and the planting of pine trees and got to check out all the gear. Students had a go at planting young pine seedlings the correct way. There were prizes for who could run around a course the quickest carrying the seedlings? Who could space out where to dig most accurately without actually measuring?
After a quick morning tea break, the students headed to check out a working skid site (harvesting) and all the impressive machinery and technology. Students were surprised that harvesting was done with clever tools and technology rather than by hand with chainsaws!
The safety and hazards of this work were outlined. Students learnt about the highlights of working in the industry – all the great places that they get to work and the strong team spirit, but also about the pathways and different roles available.
A few students expressed strong interest in this area at the end of the day. This would certainly be a great choice for anyone who loves the outdoors and enjoys being part of a crew.
