Ian Kirby, Woodlot Forester

Help make better world

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"Forest management for me is a pretty easy way to make a big difference. The way that I see me making the world a better place is helping people make sustainable decisions for the environment, their business and property.

"A lot of the people we work with are very interested in morally responsible decisions for their land management, doing the right thing for their land in perpetuity. I can see how that is going to have a cascading effect in the future."

Images from my workplace

Where I work

I've been a woodlot forester with the Manitoba Agro Woodlot Program for three years. This is a program of the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC).

I'm a specialist at a Go Centre, which is the hub of smaller field offices, in St Pierre. Highway 59 through St Pierre is my eastern boundary. My area reaches west to Winkler and Morden, north to Portage la Prairie, and south to the United States border.

Note: MHHC is a crown corporation that promotes wildlife habitat conservation practices to landowners. For more information, see Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation in USEFUL LINKS.

Being creative

Some jurisdictions in Canada restrict the use of different forest management techniques. This limits the amount of creativity a forester can use. Because I work on small-scale projects with private landowners, rather than large-scale projects on Crown Land, I don't have any of those limits.

I have flexibility in the type of forest management that I can suggest to landowners. I can suggest forest management activities that perhaps haven't been scientifically proven enough to be used on Crown Land.

Use technology

Using a Global Positioning System (GPS) is now an integral part of forest management. GPS is important legally because I know exactly where I am when I'm laying out boundaries. This way, a landowner can be clear about their property and which trees are theirs.

I also use basic forest mensuration (measuring) equipment. This requires some technical skill to use, but if you can run a calculator, you can run forest mensuration equipment.

My cell phone, laptop and PDA help me set up an office anywhere there is a surface.

Helping landowners

Although I provide management plan services, I also provide extension services, which is educating landowners about trees. I answer questions about tree health, pest management, disease management, snow management and other forestry issues.

I provide any kind of technical expertise about trees that I can.

Challenge to communicate

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"Oral communication is a big thing. That's probably one of the biggest challenges of my job.

"How do I talk to a landowner who barely even knows what kind of trees they have, (when) half an hour later I'm talking to a doctor at the University of Manitoba in Plant Physiology about the same exact problem? And I have to sound not conceited or like I'm a know-it-all to the one guy on the phone and I have to sound like I'm not an idiot to the other guy on the phone in the same half an hour. It takes quick thinking to stay on top of that.

"When you're talking to different people on the phone, you have to recognize what their level of knowledge is and you have to talk at that level. You have to communicate to people at a level that they'll understand."

Fisherman at heart

I hunt duck and deer but I'm a fisherman at heart. I fish four days a week all year long, the exception being in the springtime when general fishing is closed. I trout fish when I can.

Year round fishing is my number one recreational activity. I enter fishing derbies and while I can be quite competitive about fishing, I still enjoy being outdoors and seeing wildlife.

Like rural life

I've lived in rural Manitoba since moving here over three years ago.

I know everybody in the community. I can be grocery shopping on a Sunday and have someone's wife come up to me to thank me for the job I did because her husband is less stressed out about his business. There are not very many places you can live where something like that would happen.

The rural lifestyle appeals to me. It's a more laid back approach to life and things feel less rushed. I like the wide open spaces and the low population density.

Downside of small towns

Small town politics can get frustrating at times. Life-long rivalries between people or the mindsets of a family or group can be challenging.

I also have a hard time with people who think they're stuck or hindered by living in rural Manitoba and can't do anything but focus on the negative aspects. They talk about marketing troubles for their businesses because they live in the country. They see everything as a limitation rather than looking at opportunities.

I think people view living in rural Manitoba as a hindrance far too often.

Recreation and work

The activities I do for my job are very similar to what I do for recreation. A timber cruise* is not very different from a walk through the forest. The main difference is that when I'm working, I stop every couple hundred metres to take some measurements.

I see deer, moose, elk, moose, bears and coyotes whether I'm hunting or on a timber cruise.

I enjoy my job so I have a hard time returning home in time, especially when I'm out in the field.

Note: A timber cruise is a walk through the forest to gather information on volume, species composition and grade or value or trees.

Good people here

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"People in Manitoba are so unbelievably friendly. People who grew up in a city or people who grew up in other areas of Canada, I don't think can really appreciate how relentlessly nice people in Manitoba are.

"You can't avoid it. If you pull over on the side of the road to make a phone call, you will probably have several people stop to see if you're having car trouble.

"There's an endless list of examples but everybody in Manitoba, particularly in rural Manitoba, is so friendly. That's probably one of the things that I like best."

Office days

Half of my week is spent in the office. I typically start at eight and begin by checking my email and messages.

In the morning I research the questions I have to answer so I'm thoroughly prepared to return the emails and phone calls.

In the afternoon I process data from timber cruising, write forest management plans or business plans. I crunch numbers and put together charts for a feasibility analysis or figure out business logistic concerns.

The remainder of my day is spent filling out time and mileage sheets before going home.

Weather impacts

In the summer, I try to get an early start so the heat and bugs don't make things really uncomfortable.

Daylight and snow are the issues in winter. When it's -40 and the wind is howling, it's not pleasant, especially in the dark.

Some of my winter work is dictated by snow load. Some places in the province are just not accessible when there's four and a half feet of snow on the ground. I'm not a high floatation kind of guy! Because I know the snow will impact my fieldwork, I can plan accordingly and spend more time in the office.

Some flexibility

I try to handle requests as promptly as possible but forests don't grow or disappear overnight.

If a landowner comes to me in February and says he's interested in forest management for his low -lying 160 acres of a ravine along the Assiniboine River, I remind him no forest management activities could go on until the access is more user-friendly. There's not a single logging contractor who can log in three feet of snow on steep banks.

Planning helps

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"If you don't do any planning, then there's a lot of stressful things that come up. Although there are no deadlines, performance as evaluated by your clients is how timely your information you're giving to them is presented.

"A big portion of what we do is by word of mouth so if people aren't happy, they might say, "Don't go to this guy." It's important to be proactive and manage your time accordingly to provide people with prompt and timely service."

Giving advice stressful

Giving advice to small business owners can be stressful. If a small business owner is looking for advice it's usually because they're having problems maintaining profitability. I don't want my advice to mislead them.

I try to make sure they understand the information I give them. I'm clear about the potential and not over-promising or under-delivering. I make it clear that my advice has limitations. I don't want my information to be the sole factor in their decision-making.

Debunking forestry myths

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"A lot of people are of the mindset that any kind of harvesting that occurs in a forest, for whatever reason it is occurring, is bad.

"Harvesting done properly is not a bad thing but I would very much recommend that people seek the help of professionals, especially in an area where the service is provided for free. There's no harm in having an additional opinion."

Goal is sustainability

Forest management is a pretty touchy subject. The number one misconception about forestry is that foresters are destroying the environment.

In the past there weren't regulations for forest management but times are changing and with those times forestry is changing. Today, forest management is very much an ecologically sustainable endeavour. It's not done in a willy nilly fashion.

Need self-motivation

I have a lot of independence in my job, which requires a lot of self-motivation. I have to have well-honed time management skills because with independence comes the responsibility to make sure I get the job done.

I'm a jack of all trades as far as foresters are concerned. I wear a lot of different hats: forest operations forester, silviculture forester, planning forester. In other circumstances they would have specialized foresters for each of those duties.

Educating, mediating

We put on workshops and presentations to help educate the micro-forestry industry as well as interested landowners. These cover everything from chainsaw maintenance and safety to basic logging courses. Sometimes, the discussions at these events get heated.

Two years ago there was quite a bit of media attention surrounding logging in south western Manitoba. We held workshops to address public concern and inform people about the activities taking place.

Note: Micro-forestry is a sector of the forestry industry that helps landowners with smaller acreages manage and market their resources.

Consistent regulations

The biggest change I would like to see would be a uniform forest management strategy on a larger scale. Rather than each province regulating forest companies in different forest management units, a clearer federal plan needs to be determined.

The boreal forest stretches from Alaska to Newfoundland. Within that, there are 15 different jurisdictions implementing 15 different sets of regulations. That is not the best way to manage a forest that doesn't recognize provincial boundaries.

Tough career choices

Every person in my family was a tradesperson. Being an electrician, millwright or welder were the only career options laid out for me.

I originally chose to go to university so that I could continue playing football. The older I got, the more realistic I became about my abilities to become a professional football player. I had to look at other options. I remembered the forestry technicians I'd worked with at the mill in Trenton and decided to look into forestry.

Started in arts

Based on my athletic performance, I was accepted at 24 Canadian universities although I hadn't applied to a single one. Playing football was my ticket but it was also a barrier. I chose Lakehead University because it was the only one that didn't make me sign a contract saying I had to play sports to attend their university.

I started in the general arts program. Once I had my foot in the door, transferring to forestry was not as difficult as I thought it would be.

It's important to have your goals in mind but finding your way is a creative and dynamic process.

University graduate

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"My greatest accomplishment was graduating from university and getting a job. Two hundred people graduated from my high school, seven people went to university out of 200. It was not a very common decision where I came from.

"I guess what helped me at university was perseverance. There's a lot of time(s) at university where you think you can't do it or that you are going to fail. You've just got to work through that. You can't quit, otherwise you're not going to graduate."

Continuous learning

I have taken several workshops on bio-engineering. It was something I was aware of but had very limited training in after graduating from university. Some of the workshops were in Manitoba but I've also travelled to North Dakota for a couple.

The training I took has been very helpful on a few big projects have come up since I've been working here.

Keep volunteering

I've volunteered in the past with 4H and coached little kids baseball teams. I think volunteering is important, particularly in rural Manitoba, so I will probably find some more ways I can help out in the future.

Nine out of ten things that occur in a rural community would not occur without the extremely high amount of volunteerism. Pretty much everything that gets organized in rural Manitoba is organized, run and hosted by volunteers.

Note: 4-H is an international organization for rural youth that has a Manitoba branch.

Staying in job

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I love my job. If I could do my job for the next 30 years and retire, not even have to move, that would be ideal for me. I feel very fortunate to have a unique position as a forester and I can't think of a job that I would rather be doing.

"The pay is good. The atmosphere is good. The location is good. I have no reason to go anywhere else."

Wants stability

I'd like something that a lot of foresters don't really get, a stable career in one location for a sustained period of time.

Lots of foresters move quite a bit, working on contracts in various locations, particularly conventional foresters early in their careers. That doesn't really appeal to me. I'm an old-fashioned guy and I want to set down roots. I see potential for that with this job.

Respected in community

To be respected and well-known within the community is what I would like to work toward.

In rural Manitoba, Agriculture (Ag) Reps are people with positions who are well-known. Everybody for 25 miles knows every single Ag Rep in their area. They know they can talk to their Ag Rep and ask them questions. I want to be able to help woodlot foresters in Manitoba have that kind of relationship with landowners in their geographic area.

Not sure about Masters

I've been toying with the idea of going back to university to get a Masters Degree. Going back to university and obtaining a Masters would allow me to pursue a more academic approach to extension.

On the other hand, I don't want to mess with a good thing. Having my Masters would pretty much move me into a position of working at a university, instead of being in the field where I prefer to be.

Forestry outlook good

Environmental issues are now affecting decisions being made at all levels of government. My role helps people make environmentally responsible decisions, so I think forest extension* is going to be a growth industry.

Right now there are 10 forest extension positions in Manitoba, and probably 30 in all of Canada, not including private consultants. Professional forestry in industrial scale forest companies is expanding, so I think it's safe to say forest extension will be a stable career path in the future.

*Note: Forest extension officers provide woodlot management information to landowners.

Job Market Info

The links below take you to federal and regional government information on employment, education, salary ranges and long range prospects for this career.

The official title for Ian's occupation is "Forestry Professionals" and its NOC* code is 2122.

Human Resources and Social Development - Forestry Professionals

Employment Prospects - Labour Market Information

*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupation Classification' code or 'NOC'.

Education

Useful High School subjects

- Biology
- Chemistry
- Math
- English

*Source: JobFutures.ca

For those out of school, Adult Learning Centres can help you get or upgrade your high school diploma, including adding subjects that are required for work or further education. All Manitobans are normally entitled to four free courses.

Below are links to various programs and courses that will you on the path to a career as a Training Coordinator and Senior Manager:

University of Manitoba

Faculty of Science 
Natural Resources Institute

University of Winnipeg

Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research

Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface

Faculty of Science

Brandon University

Faculty of Science

Assiniboine Community College - Brandon

Manitoba Arborists Training
Prairie Horticulture

University College of the North -The Pas and Thompson

Natural Resources Management Technology (p. 43)

Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, ON)

Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment

Skills

Useful Skills/Experience:*

examples:
- Project management
- Team project work
- Proposal writing
- Making presentations
- Financial management
- Committee work on environmental ethics

Source: Job Futures.ca.

*There is not yet an Essential Skills* profile for this occupation.

*For more information on Essential Skills and their importance, go to: Essential Skills.

Professional Resources

Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation
Crown corporation established to conserve, restore and enhance fish and wildlife habitat by working in partnership with private landowners, farm organizations, corporations, conservation groups and government agencies

Manitoba Forestry Association
A non-profit provincial organization educating people about the wise management of trees and forests as a vital part of the ecosystem

Manitoba Model Forest
Information about sustainable forestry practices in the boreal forest

Canadian Institute of Forestry
The national voice of Canada's forest practitioners

Northern Aboriginal Forestry Association
Promotes and supports increased Aboriginal involvement in forest management

CareerTrek
A not-for-profit organization that provides innovative educational programming for young people with perceived barriers to entering post-secondary education

Related Careers

Policy and Program Officers, Researchers and Consultants (NOC 4162)

Forestry and woodlands operations managers (NOC 0811)

Managers of government forestry policy and program administration (NOC 0412)

Managers of research in forestry (NOC 0212)