Tell us a bit about yourself. What have you been up to since graduation?
Following graduation from UBC in 1984 with a BSF in Forest Management I worked as a contractor primarily in silviculture and protection but also dabbled in logging and road building. I joined the Forest Service and worked in protection, silviculture, engineering, the Small Business Program, and now BC Timber Sales. For the past year I have been the Acting Woodlands Manager for the BCTS Strait of Georgia Business Area.
How did you hear about the Mentoring Program?
I was asked by Geoff Anderson (Co-op and Mentoring Program Coordinator) if I would be interested in joining the Mentoring Program. I have been involved in hiring Co-op summer students from UBC since 2005 and found that it requires coaching for the Co-op term but often continues as mentoring afterwards. So joining the Mentoring Program was a natural progression.
Why did you decide to join the program? How long have you been involved?
I was pleased to be asked to join the program because I have enjoyed the interaction with the students so much. I have been involved in the Forestry Mentoring Program for two years now but have been a mentor for about 15 years. I am still in regular touch with the first person I mentored.
What kind of students have you met? What were their interests?
Although the interests of the students vary and they have different backgrounds, all are very enthusiastic and very bright. Their interests have ranged through conservation ecology, international forestry, biology, land use planning, to forest engineering and road building.
How do you find the time to mentor the students? Is it a lengthy commitment each year?
It has not been difficult to make time for mentoring but communication has been a challenge at times since I live in Campbell River on Vancouver Island. I have been able to work around the distance challenge though by meeting the students face-to-face about once a month when I am in Vancouver for other reasons. The rest of the time communication is by telephone or email. It does not amount to a lot of time, perhaps three to five hours a month.
What have you gained from the experience?
It gives me a real lift to see what a difference a little help can make – things as simple as providing contacts, ideas on assignments, discussing how the forest industry works, or what current events could mean. It is very satisfying to be part of the transition of a junior student with a lot of questions, to a senior student with confidence and opinions on forestry topics, and then see them launch their career.
Would you recommend the program to others?
I definitely recommend the Mentoring Program to others. It really doesn’t take a lot of time and is so beneficial to both the mentor and mentee. I find that mentoring puts day to day pressures into perspective and I leave each conversation infected with the enthusiasm of the mentee.
From Branchlines September 2011