30,000 Trees Planted by Forestry Technician Students
Posted on Friday, May 28th, 2021
The days were long, the sun was hot, but the satisfaction of a job well done is what inspired 23 Forestry Technician students from Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus to plant 30,000 trees in Algonquin Park and the Nipissing Forest.
In a program that involves hundreds of hours of practical learning experiences in forests and bush lots, this was the ultimate challenge for the students because of how meaningful the project was. Trees are one of natures most renewable resources, but these trees are special. They have been planted in memory of people who recently passed away.
The project was sponsored by the Ontario Woodlot Association, the Canadian Institute of Forestry, Friends of the Petawawa Research Forest, Nipissing Forest Management Inc. and the Algonquin Forestry Authority. The trees included white pine, red pine and white spruce seedlings. As a thank you to the students, a $5,000 donation was made to the College in support of the Forestry Technician program.
Forestry Technician Program Coordinator, Peter Arbour says, “This was such a satisfying experience for the students. Planting trees in an operational context, creating a living memorial and helping the forest for the next 100 years, while raising funds for the College, was a beautiful thing.”.
The Forestry Technician program is the longest standing program offered at the Pembroke Campus. It was established shortly after the campus began operations in the late 1960’s and has produced hundreds of graduates who have supported the labour market needs of one of Canada’s most important industries. Technicians trained by Algonquin College can be found in forest operations across the country and throughout the Ottawa Valley which is well known for its forestry roots.
About twenty years ago, the program format was modified from being a traditional two year diploma program to a compressed diploma program. This transition has allowed students to complete the program in one calendar year. It’s also what made this tree planting project possible, because students are available during the spring and summer months as they are finishing up their final semester before graduating in late August.
The program continues to be very popular, attracting more applicants than the number of seats available. In recent years, the Pembroke Campus also introduced an Urban Forestry-Arboriculture program and it has also been well received. Both programs have waitlists for the Fall 2021 intake which is good news for an industry that has experienced some labour market shortages in recent years.
Both the Forestry Technician and the Arborist programs attract students from across Ontario and Quebec, and in some cases other parts of Canada. Forestry is an industry that has been around for hundreds of years, and it will continue with Algonquin College well established as one of the leading forestry education post-secondary schools in the country.
Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs)
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