What Habitat Do I Prefer? Contest Rules
Posted by AFPA | April 3, 2023
HOW TO PLAY: To be entered, entrants must comment on the What Habitat Do I Prefer? photos posted on Alberta Forests ...
In the late nineties, I was a young woman entering the forest industry in BC—a workforce with very few women. It seemed, at that time, that women in forestry were starting to be recognized.
Forestry was still a man’s world. Typically, I would go out in field camps in the bush, and there would be one woman for every 15 to 20 guys. Unless there were another lady on site, I would often have to share a room with a guy—not always even someone from my crew, sometimes a stranger from another crew. Bathrooms and showers were designed for men and shared use. Often I had to use them at the same time as the men. Sometimes this resulted in very awkward situations – there was just no expectation that there would be a woman on-site and no provision made for our comfort or privacy.
During this same time, I learned a bunch from some very experienced people who were accepting towards women entering forestry, and I progressed very quickly in my consulting work. Within a couple of years, I managed my own project with a crew made up mostly of men. It was a challenge to gain respect from men who were twice my age. I would often hear things like, “I am not listening to a woman,” or, “You’re just a woman—you don’t know what you’re talking about.” But I stood my ground, and eventually, I gained respect from those same people.
Moving through time, I have seen the gender ratio change. Every year a few more ladies have entered the forestry world. Now, I sit here in my office at Millar Western, and I look around with pride as I see that we have almost an even split between men and women in our Woodlands department.
The AFPA would like to extend a thank you to Cynthia from Millar Western for sharing her story with us.
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