Launched: Early Careers Forester Network

Pictured: Recipients of inaugural Goodhart Bursary for Early Foresters: Pádraic O’Leary, Holly Whitehouse Catherine Noble and Clare O’Reilly at the Royal Forestry Society Whole Society Meeting Study Tour. They are joined, left, by RFS Outreach and Education Manager Becky Wilkinson and, right, by RFS Chief Executive Christopher Williams. The fifth recipient Max Battison joined the tour later.

The Early Careers Forester Network is for anyone in the first five years of their career or age 30 or under. A dedicated area under the Learning section of our website pulls together all relevant support for those in the early years of their careers to signpost to events, bursaries, and training.

We are developing specific early careers events to enable people to meet and create contacts with other members of the forestry world. The first event is our Women in Forestry event in September.

The five recipients of our inaugural Goodhart Bursary for Early Career Foresters attended our Whole Society Meeting Study Tour visiting outstanding woodland across Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

They included Pádraic O’Leary who said: “The Study Tour has been an incredible journey of learning and discovery. I’ve had the opportunity to engage with experts, explore new cultures and gain invaluable insights. Highly recommend this experience.”

Alison Dinnie, RFS  Forestry Careers Advisor, says: “We want to help people feel supported as they begin their exciting steps into forestry and know that the RFS is the place they can come to for advice. We have dedicated careers advice for members and our early careers member rate helps make this support as accessible as possible.”