Have you ever canoed or hiked through a national or provincial park and been impressed by its beauty and diversity? Have you ever thought about the importance of forests to our existence? Forests provide the oxygen we breathe, remove carbon dioxide, help clean the air and moderate the climate. Forests regulate our supply of fresh water, help prevent erosion and flooding, create habitat for wildlife and provide recreation and spiritual opportunities. Forests are also the main source of wood for paper, furniture and building materials.

Well-managed forests are a renewable resource and Canadian forests play a major role in the country's economic, social and cultural wellbeing along with its environmental sustainability.

A career in forestry can take you to an urban forest or deep into remote woodlands, to a laboratory to study forest life or into communities to live and work with individuals whose livelihoods depend on forest resources. Whether you like the outdoors or indoors, if you have a passion for the environment and thrive on solving complex problems, then a career in forestry is for you!

is the science and art of protecting, conserving and managing forest ecosystems for present and future generations. Forestry is an interdisciplinary field, linking environmental, social, cultural and economic values. From surveying ecological conditions, to developing innovative wood products, to working closely with many different groups and communities, including Canada's Aboriginal Peoples, there is something for you.

Forestry can be more than just a job - it can also be a passion. It is one of the most rewarding career choices in Canada. Forest professionals understand the relationships between people and forests, wildlife, ecology, fire and pest detection and control, wood science, harvest operations, forest regeneration and manufacturing processes. They design, implement and promote management programs that have a positive impact on diverse public and private needs. They develop an understanding of the broader economic, environmental, and social dimensions of managing renewable resources to consider all users and uses. Forest professionals become skilled communicators, sensitive to public concerns, and are able to explain forestry goals and practices to a diverse range of stakeholders.

By combining scientific, management and communication skills, forest professionals develop comprehensive natural resource inventories, plan and supervise harvesting and regeneration programs and work to protect forests from wildfires, insects and disease, and to manage and conserve all forest values including biodiversity and wildlife habitat.

Forests are the most valuable renewable resource worldwide - and a source of livelihood for millions of people. Canada has approximately 10 % of the world's forests. So it is not surprising that forest professionals work for a great variety of employers: federal, provincial and municipal governments, private industry, consulting and research firms, colleges, universities, and non-governmental organizations and municipalities. Forest professionals are respected across Canada and around the world.

Many forest professionals work for forest products companies, others as soil erosion and reclamation experts for mining companies, as outdoor recreational planners for provincial and municipal governments, as advisors to environmental non-government agencies or as urban forest professionals managing trees in parks and along city streets. Some forest professionals work as researchers at one of several centres across Canada for federal or provincial governments or at universities. Important areas of research include social forestry, biotechnology, forest economics, ecology and wildlife biology.

Training to become a forest professional generally requires a diploma from a technical college or a degree from a university specializing in forestry or related natural sciences. A university degree usually takes four years to complete. Once you have successfully obtained the necessary education, depending on the nature of your job you may be required to become a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) or a Registered Professional Forest Technologist (RPFT).

University-trained forest professionals often work with sophisticated computer systems, statistical programs and a variety of other scientific and quantitative methods and procedures. Therefore, a good understanding of high school science and mathematics is important. A career in forestry also requires strong oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills. Practitioners are often involved in education, public relations, marketing and sales, and in activities such as planning, harvesting, regeneration and forest ecology. No matter what the role, university-trained forest professionals are committed to finding solutions to all resource management challenges and to ensuring the sustainability of the forest and the conservation of all that forests encompass.

College-level training to become a forest technician or technologist requires a certificate or diploma from an academic institution specializing in forestry or a related natural resources program. This usually takes two to three years. College-trained forest professionals will experience a variety of opportunities associated with the management and conservation of forests and related resources such as wildlife, water, recreation and social concerns. They may be involved in a wide array of activities, from harvesting operations to forest conservation and protection, to wildlife management. Technical tasks may include surveying, forest fire fighting, tree-planting and data collecting.