Meet three women who have
embarked on careers in the
forestry industry. This program
profiles Karen Trimmer, a
helicopter pilot who transports raw
lumber by air; Lorraine Muskwa, a
dispatch attendant for a large pulp
mill; and Chantal Isabelle, a forest
technician responsible for ensuring
that woodland development stays
within legal boundaries. Remarks from co-workers
and supervisors provide additional layers to the descriptions of each job. View a
preview video clip and read below for descriptions of each segment, or scroll to
the bottom to order!
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To see heli-logging pilot Karen Trimmer in
action is quite amazing. The guys on the
ground trust her with their lives as she
hoists huge logs out of the woods, into the
air and down to the water with a twin
blade helicopter capable of immense lifting
power. She's as at home in the pilot's seat
as she is being the only girl in a fly in float
camp. Her workmates treat her like a sister and respect her like the pro logger
she is.
Karen says her job is great because the money is good
and she gets to fly. It's a good job if you like the
outdoors too, because you're outside all the time! “I
love the beautiful sunny days and I get to be out there
in the middle of the most beautiful land. It's just
gorgeous.”
Karen really flew at her helicopter training. The first day up you get the
controls. After a long day on the job, Karen gets to go home…to a barge camp.
It has all the comforts of home, the food is great and the people are just like
family. Karen even gets a bit of time to catch up on her reading.
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Dispatch attendant Lorraine Muskwa works
for a large pulp mill company. Her resumé
of forest industry jobs and education
includes everything from stand tending to
environmental evaluations. This
background is all part of Lorraine’s ideal
career goal, being a registered professional
forester.
There are a lot of other areas in forestry she can branch into as well. She could
work in field operations, reforestation, forest protection, fire fighting or be a
woodlands coordinator. “Other people would like this job because it's fast paced
and demanding. The day always goes by quickly.”
Lorraine is one of those people who’s constantly learning.
Her approach to the job is the kind of attitude forest
industry employers look for. Build on your knowledge, set
goals and move forward. There are plenty of places to go
in this business!
Lorraine works 12 hour shifts, four days on and four days off. But when she
isn’t working she likes to get outside. One of her favorite places to spend time
off is on the golf course.
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Chantal Isabelle is a forest technician.
Chantal is responsible for ensuring that all
kinds of development done on forested
land is done well and in accordance with
the permits obtained. For example, if a
developer needs to trim branches off trees
on his land to facilitate access, she will
follow the process with the developer from
start to finish. She'll make sure the work is done well, that the trees have not
been damaged and that the forest remains healthy.
You have to love nature and be resourceful to do this work. Chantal often
spends whole days in the woods in all kinds of weather, sometimes in very
difficult terrain. But you also need good communication skills to work effectively
with the developers.
It was towards the end of her college studies that
Chantal decided to follow her heart. She left the
sciences to go into forestry and she had to convince
her father that she was doing the right thing. Now she loves her work and even thinks of pursuing her
studies in engineering.
Chantal is convinced that other women would really
enjoy this kind of work, especially if they like the
outdoors and are in good physical condition. “I'm sure that other women would
love this kind of work but they have to be passionate about it.”
Click the image to the left
for a preview video clip!
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Developed in 2006 in Canada, the Career Options for Women series is an
outstanding resource for schools wanting to attract women and girls to Science,
Technology and Trades!
Please Note: These videos are an excellent depiction of women in these jobs
and are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are
similar to the numbers in the United States. As there is a no-return policy on
these publications, please make sure to look at the preview video clip for the
DVD(s) you are ordering.
Pricing - Career Options for Women: Emerging Technologies DVDs
