Mosaic's Summer Students Explore Careers in the Great Outdoors
Each summer Mosaic Forest Management welcomes students to the team who explore putting their newly acquired educational knowledge and skills to the test in hands-on forestry operations, with a focus on managing for a variety of sustainable forest values.
The program continues to prove that it is beneficial to everyone involved – not just the students. Students love getting real work life experiences, with a blend of outdoors and office work, and enjoying the diversity of perspectives that are taken into account in managing sustainable forests. Mosaic gets to meet potential future employees and forestry leaders and share the values that support continuous improvements and innovation in technology, practices and sustainable forest performance.
It is also no surprise to learn that many of Mosaic’s past students have a love of forests, nature, and the great outdoors.
Here we share some of Mosaic’s summer students’ reflections on their experiences that future prospective summer students may also be curious to learn more about. If you’d like to be considered please see the summer student call for candidates here: https://www.mosaicforests.com/careers
Adrienne Pierre joined Mosaic’s Environment and Resource Integration (ERI) team in 2019.
“I have had such a fun summer learning about our species-at-risk as a forest biology summer student for Mosaic. Working ‘under the wing’ of knowledgeable and experienced professional biologists has given me some perspective on wildlife management that will be invaluable as I move forward in my career,” she said.
“It has been rewarding to be a part of the Northern goshawk monitoring program at all stages, from planning to surveying to report writing. I have been able to practice forest mensuration, GIS, and field skills, and to develop new skills including habitat assessment and database management. We have been strongly encouraged to branch out and spend time in other areas within the company, and I am grateful to have gained exposure to other aspects of forestry that interest me including First Nations partnerships and community outreach. And of course, this has been a wonderful opportunity to get to know the Island and the species-at-risk on our land base,” said Adrienne.
Mack Hallworth has worked with Mosaic as a student over two consecutive summers.
“The past two summers of biology work with TimberWest and Mosaic has allowed me to explore many of Vancouver Island’s hidden gems. Working on the Environment and Resource Integration team has been an absolute treat as I have had the privilege to work alongside and learn from several brilliant professional biologists,” said Mack.
Marino Somerville
Marino Somerville joined Mosaic’s South Operations Engineering team for 2 years and said that the summer student program had meant a great deal to him.
“I have been fortunate to work for a variety of forest companies over the past few summers and gain a wide range of valuable experience. All of my experiences have helped shape who I am becoming as an upcoming professional, and I will always look back and remember how much I relish these opportunities as I dive into my career,” said Marino.
In one of Marino’s blogs he describes an important discovery while learning forest land management: “Here in BC, and on Vancouver Island in particular, the public is actively engaged with outdoor recreation, much like myself. Whether its hiking, fishing, camping, or 4x4’ing, the public often finds ways to enjoy the many benefits our forests have to offer. Mosaic fully recognizes this potential of our diverse land base. Balancing economic with social and environmental objectives is considered to be one of Mosaic’s many priorities while managing the forests.”
To ensure Mosaic is working with the most accurate information available, forest planning practices often involve the use of the latest innovative technologies. Summer students enjoy a range of learning environments and are exposed to various data applications, providing invaluable training for future career development.
Jeffrey Plett worked in Mosaic’s Nanaimo office as a GIS student and said of his experiences: “I have been able to virtually explore all of our land base from corner to corner via aerial imagery and learn some neat tidbits of history along the way. It has been great working with a supervisor who is also a very talented storyteller when it comes to the history of Vancouver Island forestry operations!”
He said that there were many interesting projects on the go so there was never a dull day and the learning never stopped.
“I have enjoyed the opportunity to play with the results of cutting edge technology, test workflows, and assess the economic value of the resulting data. I’m very thankful for being a part of a knowledgeable team who are willing to answer the millions of questions I have every day,” said Jeffrey.
Liam Cumberbirch
Liam Cumberbirch worked out of Mosaic’s Northwest Bay office and said: “Working with Mosaic this summer has not only taught me a lot about the technical skills and knowledge in the Forestry sector; but, it provided me with another point of view of this wonderful natural resource that surrounds us and all the extensive processes that go into both utilizing and sustaining it. This summer has been a great time, both for learning as well as working alongside many kind and patient people from NWB and Mosaic.”
Another student out of Mosaic’s NorthWest Bay office, Will Vukovic, said he had spent a couple of weeks with A.G.G Logging during his summer, working as a chokerman on their crew. “It was great to get exposure to the fast-paced world of high production logging. Having worked on the layout side of things for some time, it was very interesting to see all the meticulous planning come to fruition. It was also very informative to be able to talk with the Yarder operator and Hooktender about different things to consider when planning a cut block, ensuring their operations will run smoothly and safely,” said Will.
Daniel Doerksen said that he believed that “the potential hidden inside of trees is a great gift to humanity and a resource meant to be protected and valued.”
“As a proud father of a one year old son I have a profound desire to see this resource managed well so that future generations will also be able to enjoy the bounty of the woods,” said Daniel.
Five of the summer students at their farewell barbecue at the end of the summer, from left, Liam Cumberbirch, Aidan Brown (Business Information Systems student), Will Vukovic, Daniel Doerksen and Jeffrey Plett.