What are the major “tree hugging” groups in Canada?
Can you make a living in trees, we wondered?
Could we brainstorm an alphabet of tree-based careers?
(We have decided to share Lucy’s photos of wild flowers in this blog.)
Tree Conservation NGOs in Canada
Ask the Internet, and ye shall find….
Thanks to CanadianForests.com, our first curiosity is readily answered by their alphabetized “Directory of NGOs Working in the Forest Sector in Canada”.
Some names, such as, for example, Forests Ontario, Forests Stewardship Council – Canada, Greenpeace Canada, Nature Canada, Nature Conservancy of Canada, David Suzuki Foundation, Tree Canada and World Wildlife Fund – Canada, were familiar names to us through our past Blogs.
Others were surprises, like Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, and, Canadian Model Forests Network, generating new curiosities and potential topics for future blogs. We wonder what the link is between salmon and trees? What is a ‘model forest’?
Some names just made us smile – Ducks Unlimited Canada.
EcoTrust Canada sounds like it addresses a gap – “builds the capacity of communities, institutions and businesses to participate in the conservation economy; raises and brokers capital to accelerate the transition to a conservation economy; and connects conservation”.
Several provinces have Woodlot organizations, e.g., Woodlot Association of Alberta (WAA) and Ontario Woodlot Association, non-profits oriented to sustainable forest management practices.
Some NGOs are quite tree specific, such as the Poplar and Willow Council of Canada.
The National Aboriginal Forestry Association (NAFA) “is a national organization created by forestry-minded Aboriginal people to advance the interests and needs of Aboriginal communities, organizations, enterprises and individuals involved in the forest sector.”
The Forest Genetics Council of British Columbia “is appointed by B.C.’s chief forester to guide tree improvement activities in the province.” We thinkg Chief Forester sounds like a cool job title.
Readers may find the full directory here: https://bit.ly/3dwkVEL .
ABCs of Careers in Trees
Aborist; Aboretum Manager; Artist; Air Quality Specialist, Arborist – Tree Climber
Botanist
Chemist; Composting Sector Specialist; Climate Action Catalyst; Conservationist; Carbon Sink Specialist; Canoe Maker (traditional)
Drought Mitigation Specialist; Desert Mitigation Specialist
Environmental Scientist; Emissions Data Analyst; Ecosystems Researcher/Expert; Eco-Friendly Solutions Analyst; Environmental Policy Advisor; Environmental Advocate, Environmental Grant Writer
Forest Manager; Farmer; Flooding Mitigation Specialist; Fundraiser; Forest Ranger; Forest Firefighter, Forest Research Biologist – Inventory
Groundskeeper; Groundwater Quality Advocate/Specialist, Groundscrew, Golf Course Worker, Green Building Construction
Horticulturalist; Habitat Renewal and Preservation Researcher; Habitat Protection Advocate
Innovator (e.g., drone tree planting; anaerobic digesters, renewable gas sector innovator), Industrial Herbicide Applicator, Invasive Species Technician, Indiginous Food Garden and Foraging – Seedkeeper
Jungle Preservationist and Renewal Advocate
Knobcone pine tree specialist (!), Katimavik Project Leader
Landscape Architect, Landscaping Arborist, Landscaping Crew Lead, Landingman
Master Gardener: Mangrove Forest Manager
Naturalist; Nut Farmer, Nursery Worker, Nursery Operations Lead Hand, Nature Guide
Orange Grove Farmer, Organic Farm Gardening Assistant, Organic Landscape Maintenance Crew, Old Growth Forest Protection – Campaign Outreach Canvasser
Pollinator; Parks and Recreation Planner/Specialist; Painter; Philanthroper, Plant Health Care Arborist, Powderman with Ticket (coastal logging), Permaculture Farming Apprentice
Quality Assurance Auditor
Recycling Specialist; Renewable Gas Sector Specialist, Remote Sensing Specialist
Scientist; Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) Healing Policy Specialist; Soil Quality Specialist; Soil Erosion Mitigation Specialist, Summer Labourer – Municipal Parks and Forests
Tree Farmer; Tree Canopy Specialist; Tree Hugger :); Totem Pole Carver, Tree Service Arborist, Timber Development Specialist, Tree Removal Crew
Urban Planner, Utility Arborist
Viticulturalist
Wildlife Conservationist; Wellness Practitioner; Water Quality Specialist, Wildlife Hotline Operator, Wildland Firefighter
Xmas Tree Farmer
Youth Biodiversity Ambassador
Zipline Canopy Climbers & Maintenance Crew (!)
“Tree Livings” and GreenJobs
In Canada, since 2001 apparently, the GoodJobs website has provided a focus on listing paid and volunteer opportunities in the green economy. Makes for interesting and informative reading we found, whether you are in the job market or not. For example, the site also offers lists of, and hotlinks to, major Canadian environmental and conservation organizations, green business and environment industry associations.
For fun, we also Googled “tree careers,” and found long lists of actual job postings on, for example Indeed.com at: https://ca.indeed.com/Career-Tree-jobs.
International Tree Groups
We wondered what a directory of international organizations might look like. Turns out the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has just such a list, in a publication called, “INTERNATIONAL FOREST SECTOR INSTITUTIONS AND POLICY INSTRUMENTS FOR EUROPE: A SOURCE BOOK (As of February 2006),” available at https://bit.ly/3hRyfqF.
The book’s abstract describes its intent and scope – “provides an overview of the institutional landscape with relevance to forest sector policies in Europe. 43 major international, inter-governmental, private and non-governmental as well as research institutes are introduced, and their multiple activities are presented. Following a brief description of each institution, this report provides relevant information on international policies, policy instruments, programmes and publications that could have an impact on the future development of the forest and forest industry sector in Europe. The information contained in this paper is based on the World Wide Web and a broad review of existing literature.”
Again some are familiar names, such as World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Others foster much-needed inter-disciplinary scientific studies in areas such as “Global Change and Forests,” in the case of the IIASA. “The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is a non-governmental research organization located in Austria. The institute conducts inter-disciplinary scientific studies on environmental, economic, technological and social issues in the context of the human dimensions of global change. The IIASA overall theme in the forestry area is Global Change and Forests. It addresses the question of how to manage the forest sector in order to harmonize geo- and biospheric functions with socioeconomic development.”
The report also includes descriptions of major international private sector organizations in the forestry sector, such as the European Confederation of Woodworking Industries, Confederation of European Paper Industries, European Federation of Plywood Industry (FEIC), European Federation of Parquet Industry, European Network of Forest Entrepreneurs, Confederation of European Forest Owners (representing ‘16 million family forest owners in 23 European Countries owning on average less than 13 hectares’), and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), “an international network to promote responsible management of the world’s forests”.
Emerging from the Pandemic with Panache
We end this Blog post with a smile.
We like Barcelona’s approach to emerging from pandemic lockdown this week, with style.
As Global News reports, “Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house reopened Monday and performed its first concert since the coronavirus lockdown — to an audience that didn’t have to worry about social distancing.”
“Instead of people, the UceLi Quartet played Giacomo Puccini’s I Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums) for 2,292 plants, one for each seat in the theatre. The concert was also livestreamed for humans to watch.”
“The event was conceived by Spanish artist Eugenio Ampudia, who said he was inspired by nature during the pandemic.”
“ ‘I heard many more birds singing. And the plants in my garden and outside growing faster. And, without a doubt, I thought that maybe I could now relate in a much intimate way with people and nature,’ he said before the performance.” https://bit.ly/37U4HnI
And, if that is not enough to make you smile, The Liceu press release on the event adds, “…The concert is an initiative of the Liceu and the artist, together with the Max Estrella Gallery and the curator Blanca De La Torre.”
“The plants will subsequently be delivered to 2,292 healthcare professionals, specifically at the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, accompanied by a certificate from the artist.” https://bit.ly/2Z7gECf
FRIENDS4TREES4LIFE 