What do they do?
Forestry, or Silviculture, contractors and their workers plant, prune and thin young trees to ensure the stand of trees is healthy and maximising growth. They may also spray for weeds, fertilise and measure trees to track growth and help the forest manager plan activities. Forestry workers will often be involved in fire fighting activities.
A typical day
Often a ten-hour working day; sometimes weekend work is required. There is a mix of jobs from preparing the ground for planting, planting seedlings, pruning trees, and selecting and cutting down unwanted trees. Some workers may be involved in measuring trees to track growth.
Crew leaders will plan the day to day operations as well as carry out quality and safety checks.
Sound like you?
- Sciences or Workshop Technologies
- Agriculture or Horticulture
- Physical Education or Health
- Reasonable strength and fitness
- Good initiative/‘can do’ attitude
- Good work habits/time management
- Making or fixing things
- Working with machinery
- Outside (outdoors)
- Different places from time to time
Pathway
Unit standards in schools
Good NCEA Level 1 passes in:
- Maths
- English
Gateway programme available
Traineeship or apprenticeship
- Manual log processing
- Quality control
- Machine operator
- Tree faller
- Crew manager
- Contractor
- Forest manager