Young Professional Foresters’ Exchange Programme: Meet The 2025 Candidates

We are thrilled to introduce the talented individuals selected for the Young Professional Foresters’ Exchange Programme (2024-2025)! This exciting initiative, administered by the Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut forestier du Canada (CIF-IFC), the Institute of Chartered Foresters (United Kingdom), the New Zealand Institute of Forestry, and Forestry Australia, offers a unique opportunity for rising leaders in forestry to participate in a 3-month paid international work placement, to share knowledge and gain hands on experience in international practices.

A special thank you goes to the host employer organisations in each of the four participating countries who have stepped forward to support this programme. By opening their doors to these young professionals, they are not only providing life-changing opportunities but also showcasing the exceptional forestry expertise and innovation within their organisations.

Here are the successful candidates and their host organisations:

Candidates from the UK

Emyr Parker will be joining Juken NZ, a leader in sustainable forestry and wood product manufacturing, in New Zealand.
Alex Donaldson MICFor will work for Forest Corporation of New South Wales in Australia.

Candidates from Canada

 Hope Rebonne will gain experience with Sustainable Timber Tasmania in Australia.

Candidates from Australia

Prue Crundall will be hosted by the Duchy of Cornwall in the UK.
Sean Boucher will work with Strategic Natural Resource Consultants, a trailblazer in forest management and resource consulting, in British Columbia, Canada.

Candidates from New Zealand

Pheobe Milne will join the Ontario Woodlot Association, a champion of sustainable private forest management, in Canada.
Tor Drummond will head to Tillhill Forestry, a leading sustainable forestry and timber harvesting company in the UK.

From March to May 2025, these young professionals will bring their expertise, curiosity, and passion to their host organisations. In turn, the host employers will gain fresh perspectives and insights from these emerging leaders in forestry.

During their placements, candidates will maintain blogs, offering a glimpse into their experiences and the forestry practices of their host countries. They will also share their learnings in an article upon completion of the programme.

To our host employer organisations; we thank you for your generosity and vision. By mentoring and inspiring the next generation of forest leaders, you are playing a vital role in shaping the future of sustainable forestry worldwide.

We can’t wait to see the connections, innovations, and growth this programme will bring for both the candidates and their hosts in 2025 and future years. We wish all candidates every success in their programme and look forward to hearing about their experiences.

To learn more about the program, please visit:

Institute of Chartered Foresters: www.charteredforesters.org/what-we-do/young-professional-foresters-exchange-programme

Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut forestier du Canada: www.cif-ifc.org/what-we-do/national-awards/young-professional-foresters-exchange-program/

New Zealand Institute of Forestry: https://nzif.org.nz/

Forestry Australia: www.forestry.org.au/

© Scoop Media