From seed to sawdust, local student observes forestry industry in Prince George.
Gabbi’s Fairy Tale Café was bustling on Wednesday May 21 for the weekly Nakusp Rotary Club dinner and presentation.
The group has been meeting regularly at Gabbi’s for dinner to discuss matters of the local Rotary club and to host presentations by their members.
Representatives of forestry companies NACFOR, INTERFOR and True North were in attendance to hear a presentation from high school student Brennan Hoffman.
Hoffman, through sponsorship from the three companies, had just returned from attending the Adventures in Forestry program hosted by the Prince George Rotary Club.
Established in 1989 the Adventures in Forestry program invites Rotary clubs across Canada to sponsor a student to attend a three day immersion into the Prince George forestry industry.
The program includes tours of pulp and saw mills where participants observe the application and practice of silviculture, timber extraction, paper process, forest planning and harvesting techniques. The program also includes a visit to the College of New Caledonia and the University of Northern B.C as well as opportunities to socialize and interact with the other program participants.
Adventures in Forestry operates under the umbrella of Rotary Club International, which is an organization consisting of local clubs around the world that promotes cooperation in a global community context.
Local clubs participate and organize a number of programs including the Youth Exchange, the End Polio Now campaign, literacy support and improving sustainable farming practices in struggling countries.
The selection process involves interested candidates making an application to vie for one of the thirty available spots in the Adventures in Forestry program. There is an essay requirement as well as preference to students who are in good standing and have an interest in pursuing a career in the forestry industry.
Brennan Hoffman’s ambitions to study welding, coupled with his academic standing at Nakusp Secondary, made him a successful candidate for the program.
“It was a really good experience” Hoffman commented during dinner, “really eye opening. I’ve never had an experience like that. It was a unique opportunity.”
For Hoffman, the trip to Prince George was a “fact finding mission to see what opportunities are out there for jobs” and he detailed his experience with a slideshow presentation for the gathered group.
The dinner was also an opportunity for Hoffman to thank his sponsors, “I would like to thank Kathy Smith from Nacfor, Ron Last from Interfor and Cam Leitch from True North. Thanks for helping make this happen for me.”