The peak organisation representing 1000 professional and scientific forest land managers in Australia is urging women and girls to embrace the opportunities available in the sector.
Forestry Australia vice-president Michelle Freeman said the forest sector provided women with a wonderful opportunity for a science career in the natural environment.
“Forestry is such an exciting sector to work in because it requires creative thinking to bridge science with community values, innovation with communication and technology with nature,” Dr Freeman said.
Dr Freeman said by using their scientific expertise in Australian forests, women were providing innovative and creative solutions.
“We want to encourage the next generation of women to engage in STEM subjects and embrace the opportunities that science has for them,” she said.
“Female scientists are at the forefront of helping to solve problems around climate change, renewables and carbon capture.”
Tegan Brown is a PhD candidate with Forest Hydrology Research Group at the University of Melbourne.
“Sustainably managing forests for all people and values in a changing world is a huge task and is such a rewarding sector to work in when you can make a difference,” Ms Brown said.
Forestry Corporation NSW forest scientist Kathy Lyons said females had played a critical role in the management of forests throughout history.
“Women were traditional care givers of our forests for many thousands of years,” Dr Lyons said.
“As we encourage more women into roles to care for the land, we help to restore the traditional balance of looking after the land while it provides for us.”
Australian National University School of Regulation and Global Governance postdoctoral fellow Depi Susilawati said she was immensely proud her studies had contributed to improving timber legality and sustainability.
“I am proud to be able to contribute to improving timber legality and sustainability in the Asia Pacific wood value chains,” Ms Susilawati said.
Climate Friendly business development executive manager Zoe Ryan said the challenges of the sector brought together advanced technologies and more traditional social science approaches.
“Implementation of landscape-scale carbon farming requires application of remote sensing technologies and field measurements,” Ms Ryan said.
“This technical data is coupled with land management data collected using social science methods such as discussions with landholders at the kitchen table over cups of tea.”
International Day of Women and Girls in Science is an opportunity to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.
The day is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened.
Research has found that educating girls is the sixth most effective way to combat climate change.
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