York Timbers

Tree breeder

Qualifications:

• BSc Agricultural Genetics
• MSc Forest Science

Forestry career: Nine years

I assist with the management of York’s pine breeding programme which involves planning and coordinating annual operations to ensure that the nursery receives enough seed of the correct species for commercial establishment. I represent York at various industry forums to keep updated on developments and participate in collaborative projects. An average day involves data management and analysis, writing reports and presentations, emailing colleagues and industry partners, looking after budgets and coordinating activities.

WHY I LOVE WORKING IN THE FORESTRY SECTOR

I love the balance between working outdoors and in the office. It enables me to improve my understanding of the environment and how it affects tree health and growth. In addition, I get to collaborate with people in a variety of fields involving tree improvement and conservation, climate change and the environment, pest and disease, silviculture and molecular genetics. Forestry also contributes to the local economy by creating jobs.

MY ADVICE TO THOSE EXPLORING A CAREER IN FORESTRY

Research in forestry is a great career to get into at the moment. There are a lot of exciting projects under way that will help us to gain a better understanding of how different species grow and respond to their environments. This will help us plant more sustainable forests in the years to come. It’s great to be a part of that!