Canadian Institute of Forestry Annual General Meeting & Conference - 2019

Diversity in the Forest Sector: the Future is Bright

Sam Nsiah

1

Journey through the Woods

2

My Passion for Forestry

• Forest

management

• Forest Industry

• Research and

education

3

Challenges – Landed immigrant (Newcomer)

• Become Registered

Professional Forester

(RPF)

• Require Mentorship

• Job market

4

Diversity in the Forest Sector?

Forest is diversity

OPFA AGM – North Bay

5

How many newcomers and visible minorities in Ontario; and within OPFA; and in your workplace?

Why is it so?

6

NRCAN 2017

My Observations

• Canadian forestry is for white Canadians – that’s the tradition – my experience at OPFA AGM

• White Canadians understand the forest sector

• Have better forestry education

• Non-inclusivity (lack of trust and acceptance – you are not like me – my experience for mentorship and Job

7

Similar challenges & common goal for Forest Sector & Forestry Professionals

Stacey Boks in BC

• Decent Income, job creation and Economic opportunities

• Recreational Activities – fishing, hunting etc.

• Spiritual wellbeing

• Protection of Values etc.

• Access, Control and Management – Tenure

• Competing Resource Interest • government/industry/communities

• Climate Change

• Crown Forest Sustainability

8

Lesson Learned

Get involve and meet people

• Volunteering for FwB - got me my first Mentor

• Active engagement with other professionals

• Lakehead University

• University of Toronto

• KBM

• OPFA Conferences

• CIF - electure

• References for job and other opportunities

9

My Contribution to Forest Sector

Regional Analyst – MNRF Northeast region

My role involves:

FMP development

• Wood supply modeling – connection to

mills/jobs/income/economic development

• Values protection (nest, communities values etc.)

• Training of forest management planning teams

• Habitat protection (moose/caribou etc.)

10

Take Home Message

• Employers make cautious effort to provide opportunities to

newcomers

• Government policies recognizing this but the hiring

managers?

• Foresters and other professionals must understand and

practise inclusivity

• Not just tolerance but acceptance and trust

• Willingness to provide opportunity

• Mentorship and Career guidance critical for newcomers

integration to realise their potentials11

Thank you!

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis