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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

PLANT Program for Local Afforestation Network Training. Gaps & opportunities, strategies, progress to-date, looking forward

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

“Perfect Storm” • Aging workforce loss of

experience

• Low support from gov’t programs,

• economic downturn in the forest sector,

• collapse of private land programs supported by industry,

• escalating cost to deliver programs

• few employment opportunities for new forestry graduates

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Findings • 1/3 of CA afforestation staff can

retire within 2 years • < 1/4 of those are mentoring new

staff • ½ are “one person” operations • TO Field Advisors? • Seed collection / forecasting? Low

priority • Employment opportunities for

college grads in Ontario – a concern • Support for a mentoring / training

program

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Recommendations • Partner with a community college –

2-3 day intensive course • 3-4 grads in 6 month placements

with PDA mentors • Nurseries, seed, tree planting

field operations, admin… • Best business practices

component • Attend TO training

• Job shadow: • Seed & Stock Coordinator • Field Advisors • FGCA coordinator

• Work out the bugs, and expand

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Fleming College, Jan 26 & 30 • Two day course, 20 students

• Instructors:

• CA’s, Trees Ontario, FGCA, consultants, MNR

• Curriculum

• Changing objectives • Climate change • Soils

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Fleming College, Jan 26 & 30 • Curriculum

• Landowners / site visit protocol

• Site planning • Vegetation management

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Fleming College, Jan 26 & 30 • Curriculum

• Stock handling • Genetic diversity • Seed forecasting / collecting

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Fleming College, Jan 26 & 30 • And a “meet the employer” session

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Next • Interviews: 6 out of 15 applicants -

March 6

• Mike Walsh • Coordinated external

opportunities • Monitored achievements • End of project evaluations • Reported on program,

recommendations, etc. • Find sponsors for years 3-5!

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Year 2 • 3 candidates started on April 22, 6 month placements. • Hosts: RVCA, Conservation Halton & Lands & Forests

Consulting • Host partners chosen based on

• full-service forestry program • administrative & delivery

needs set out by T.O.

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Experience & Program Exposure • Tree planting under the 50MTP

(approx. 500,000 trees) • Assembling tree orders & cold

storage exposure • Survival assessments Year 1

through 5 • Landowner contact (approx.. 50

between the 3) & landowner workshops (3)

• MFTIP • Participation in forestry festivals,

ploughing match, schoolyard greenings

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Experience & Program Exposure • Database development, entry & link to

GIS systems • Seed collection & seed forecasting • Site visits & data collection for 2014

program • Tree marking & woodlot assessments

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Experience & Program Exposure • Communication skills & delivery of

material for the 50MTP (2 documents produced by candidates)

• Manual tending & chemical spot spraying

• Exposure to two Nurseries • Maintenance of planting

and spray equipment

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Training provided by Trees Ontario • Post Plant Partner meetings • Certified Seed Collection Workshops • Seed Forecasting Workshops • Herbicide Application Workshop • Soils Course • Seed Orchard maintenance • Seed Forecasting field trips with T.O.

Stock & Seed Coordinator

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Results • 2 still employed with their host

partners in forestry programs, 3rd with another delivery agent

• Model successful in ability to train & employ the next generation of afforestation practitioners

• Wide interest across S. Ont. by • PDA’s to act as hosts for future

mentoring candidates • Organizations interested in

sponsoring

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Delivery Model, 2014 • Placement of 5 candidates for

an 8 month duration • Cost share 50% with TO & host • PDA’s invited to apply for a

candidate position (due Dec. 6, 2013)

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Delivery Model, 2014 • Offer program to two forestry based

colleges • Mandatory training session at SSFC

January 25 & 29, 2014 for interested graduates

• Expand training opportunities for candidates with Trees Ontario partners

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

Jesse Henrich, RPF, L&F Consulting: “Trees Ontario has discovered a great way to insert keen forestry graduates into the work force. The PLANT program needs to become a staple in the forest industry that new forestry students in Ontario can strive towards”.

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests

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Growing Tomorrow’s Forests