11 minute read
WOMEN IN FORESTRY
by nzlogger
Story: Hayley Leibowitz
Learning on the job 34 NZ LOGGER | October 2021
Amy Robinson and Mark Fisken of Fisken Logging, discussing how the new fixed felling head machine is adding value to their operation in Dunsdale Forest, Southland.
F“ ORESTRY CAME TO ME BY CHANCE after an engineering adviser came to talk to us in Year 12 and mentioned the forestry school,” says Amy Robinson,
Rayonier Matariki Forests Production
Manager. “My Granny must have cottoned on to something I said and took me out to her friend’s farm forestry block to have a look around. To be honest I can’t remember thinking much of it at the time.”
Something about that day stuck in her mind though and a year later she joined the
“wannabe engineers” who were ushered into a room for help to sign up to a University degree.
“The lady raised her eyebrows when she asked why I didn’t study physics at school, when I said I didn’t like physics, she promptly followed with... ‘Have you thought about forestry?’ I responded, ‘Okay, I’ll do that then.’ ”
She took to forestry like a chainsaw to a log and before long Amy graduated with first class Honours from Canterbury University’s
Forestry Science faculty. It was 2011 and Amy landed a job with Rayonier Matariki Forests (RMF) as a Log Production Coordinator in
Whangarei, Northland with her sights firmly set on becoming the company’s first female
Production Manager. Above: Amy Robinson with Brand Logging’s Perry Eyles, discussing cut plans on a skid site in Mount Thomas Forest, Canterbury. Below: Amy Robinson in her office space in Invercargill.
Below: Amy Robinson discussing the up-and-coming harvest areas and skid locations with Rayonier colleagues at the Rayonier Matariki Forests Invercargill office.
On securing her “first ever real-life job” and having spent the last year at university battling through the disruption caused by the Canterbury quakes, Amy says she was happy to be moving as far away as possible.
“Since university I had my heart set on working for RMF as they were known as one of the best companies in the industry. I was grateful to be selected to do my dissertation topic with RMF in my final year of studying, so this was a great way for me to learn about the company and vice versa,” she says.
In Northland she really cut her teeth in forestry, being thrown into a role supervising harvesting crews. There were a lot of challenges starting right out of university, where she found herself as boss dealing with contractors with many years of experience.
“There were times when I was really tested and had to stand up for myself but I ultimately gained the respect of the crews I
Above: Amy Robinson and Christian Wentzel, Nursery Manager at Edendale Nurseries, checking out the performance of the Pinus attenuata hybrid seedlings for the latest planting season.
supervised.” To such an extent that when she left Northland three-and-a-half years later to move within the company to Canterbury, she received recognition of her contribution by a highly-respected contractor in the industry. Amy still regards this as one of her proudest moments.
“I was very conscious that some people come out of uni thinking they know it all. But it is really just the beginning, as you do your real learning on the job. I gained respect from these guys by listening and learning.”
When she left Northland, she relocated back to Canterbury to join the Rangiora office and continued in the same role, but was exposed to different tasks and challenges as each region has its own distinctive challenges and advantages.
“During this time, I was involved in a national project looking into harvester head data capture and analysis which saw me head the implementation of this software throughout the business. This involved working with RMF staff but also contractors and operators to ensure its success. “After a couple of years, I was offered the position of Harvest Planner in Canterbury, which involved planning the harvesting operations but also managing and supervising the engineering and road maintenance programmes.” Following some organisational changes, she was then offered the role of Forest Manager, Canterbury. This involved managing and overseeing the capital expenditure programmes (Engineering and Tree Crop) for the Canterbury region. She also became more involved in stakeholder management and other land management requirements.
“I really enjoyed this time delving into the world of Tree Crop as I had been largely production-orientated for some time. There is a lot more science combined with complex operational decisions and processes to manage in this area; it was a lot of fun. During this time, I was keen to be involved in some industry development and worked on the committee that ran the 2019 New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) conference.”
It took her 10 years of hard work, strong learnings and earning the respect of her workmates to finally get that Production Manager role which saw Amy and her husband relocate to Invercargill. When the role in Southland came up at the end of last year, Amy felt she was ready to jump at it.
“I have been in the position for about eight months now. It took me some time to find my feet as it always does but I am feeling a lot more confident and looking forward to learning and developing in this role. I am also now an industry representative on the School of Forestry Advisory Committee (SOFAC) which will be rewarding to be involved with, ensuring that the school moves and grows with the industry as well. This is a governance board that meets biannually to review the School’s performance and to ensure the structure and content of the degree meets the needs of the industry and employers.
“I really enjoy being involved in industry groups as it allows you to make great connections to others working towards the common goal,” she says. “As I get a bit older and maybe wiser, the involvement in these groups becomes even more important to ensure that forestry remains an important part of New Zealand.”
A changing world
Amy is clear on what really matters in forestry today: “I think the most important issue for the industry is educating the government and councils on the role forestry can provide, not only in the economic growth of our country alongside the other key industries
such as farming and horticulture, but also in maintaining our rural communities, job security and protecting our environment.
“There are a lot of contradictory statements that make you wonder if the people making changes to legislation and policies and guidance documents talk to each other and fully understand the real potential that is out there… Science-based approaches are the only meaningful way to understand real effects and you shouldn’t be able to make policies on something you have no science to back.”
As to being a woman in a male-dominated industry, Amy says she recently read a book about Mary Sutherland who was the first female forester to work in New Zealand for the New Zealand State Forest Service (A Path Through the Trees by Vivien Edward).
“It was frustrating to read that she did get treated differently because of her gender, but she worked hard and it’s humbling to know her legacy lives on in her work and that she designed the NZIF logo. I like to think that the world has changed and it’s great to see more females getting into the industry, especially helped by the scholarships now available for women to study forestry at university.
Amy says there are challenges being a woman in forestry but she also believes women have an opportunity to add value to the workplace because of the different dynamics they bring to the table.
“Without stereotyping (because I know some great male communicators) if I had to pick something, I would probably have to say women are better at communicating. Woman probably also bring a softer approach, perhaps more diplomacy, but this can also work against you, especially if you just need to say no or sort it out… I think a little bit in both camps is good,” she says.
Amy adds that, any differences aside, she would “hands down!” encourage women into the industry. “I have never felt that I have been treated any differently working for RMF or encountered any direct negativity from contractors or workers because I am a woman. I am proud to work for a company which recruits on merit, often employing young women, be it in planting, machine operation or management roles.
“I am grateful for the managers I have had, each with their own way of doing things, who have mentored me through and I couldn’t be where I am today without the support of those people and the company which has allowed me to grow and develop. I have always known that I have to earn respect by listening, learning and acting with intent, and maintaining and developing good, positive working relationships. That is what I love about my job – the people!”
She acknowledges though that things may be harder for women with children: “Maintaining a work-life balance without children is a challenge in itself! I can’t think of many examples where forest management companies have had to support a woman through creating a family and the associated commitments that come with that, in a ‘true’ operational forestry role. This is something the industry will need to work on with their employees to ensure woman remain a viable option in the higher-paced, demanding operational roles. Especially as we see more and more women coming into the industry.”
No two days the same
And those roles come with responsibility, highs and lows, says Amy. “The lowest time has been, and will always be, when one of the guys I worked with closely in the crews I looked after was seriously hurt in an accident at work. I still try to keep in touch with him, albeit not as frequently as I would like to. I do think of him and his family often and this will always be a part of me.
“The highs come in little packages from the people I look up to within the industry,” she adds. “I get the biggest buzz hearing from contractors who I have had the pleasure of dealing with over the years or currently. When they give a little thank you or a message of support it confirms to me that I am respected, appreciated and people enjoy working with me. This is the ultimate satisfaction.” She has been involved in some challenging and interesting projects over the years where she was able to do that respect justice. She was the company lead on the STICKS software project which gave her the opportunity to travel to the US Pacific Northwest to present the technology to RMF over there.
“I spoke to employees and contractors about what we had been doing in New Zealand. I spent most of my time in Aberdeen/Hoquiam in Washington State, it was a fantastic experience.”
More recently, she has been involved in a company project which she suggested as an improvement to the way the Engineering and Tree Crop areas of the business pay, track, forecast and monitor expenditure. “The intention is to streamline and create more efficiencies and enable better tracking and monitoring of financial information,” she says.
Based on her experience, would she recommend a career in the forestry industry? “The industry has so much to offer,” says Amy. “It is extremely diverse, covering management, genetics and growing trees, engineering, finance, shipping, research, consultancy, worldwide opportunities… the list goes on. If you are keen on working in an environment where no two days are the same, surrounded by hard-working, down to earth people, then this is for you.”
And any advice for newcomers? “For any new person stepping out into their first job. This is your chance to learn from those around you – listening to your workmates and the contractors you deal with; absorbing that knowledge is the best thing you can do at the start, using your eyes and asking ‘why’ so you can build your understanding.”
As to the future, while not many people can say they’ve achieved their goal by the age of 31, Amy can tick that box… for the time being, anyway. She says right now she is concentrating on learning and developing in the Production Manager Role: “My goal is to be the best Production Manager I can be and see what opportunities open up from there. From a career perspective, the door is always open to new opportunities. I am keen to stay in the forestry industry… one day it would be amazing to take the next step and manage a region.” NZL
