Australia’s best and brightest young forestry professionals awarded scholarships to attend IFA/AFG National Conference

The Institute of Foresters of Australia and Australian Forest Growers (IFA/AFG) is delighted to announce that 21 Future Foresters and forestry professionals have been awarded scholarships to attend the IFA/AFG National Conference in Launceston from 11 – 14 October 2021.

IFA/AFG President Bob Gordon said the scholarship recipients represented a broad cross-section of the sector and pointed to a bright future for forestry in Australia. ,

“The recipients of the scholarship are all under 35 years old, from right across the nation, and represent a range of organisations including: DELWP, ACT Parks and Conservation Service, Sustainable Timber Tasmania and VicForests as well as Midway, HVP Plantations, OneFortyOne Plantations and Timberlands Pacific,” he said.

“To have such a broad cross section of the sector represented by up-and-coming forest professionals is a great sign for Australia’s forests, which judging by the quality of applications received are in good hands.”

Students from the University of Tasmania, The University of Melbourne, Southern Cross University and Australian National University also received scholarships.

Excitement for the October conference is already building among the scholarship recipients, who said they were looking forward to learning from and sharing knowledge with industry peers. “I am thrilled to receive this scholarship to attend the IFA/AFG National Conference this year in Tasmania. I am looking forward to engaging with cutting edge science and learning from a diverse group of forest scientists and land management practitioners.,” said scholarship recipient Sam, from RMIT University.

“I’m excited to be part of the IFA/AFG community and to be able to attend the conference. I have benefitted from many educational field trips hosted by the IFA/AFG when I was a student!” said Jia Yi, ACT Parks and Conservation Service. “As an IFA/AFG member with a strategic communications qualification, I am delighted to have received this scholarship to improve my forest industry knowledge and network, and understand the opportunities which exist to share the forestry story and better engage with the media, our audiences and stakeholders,” said Jenna, Sustainable Timber Tasmania.

“I’m very excited to be attending the conference this year! I am especially looking forward to hearing about recent advances in the sector and gaining insight into how Tasmania’s forest are managed,” said Bella, OneFortyOne.

IFA/AFG CEO, Jacquie Martin said the theme of this year’s conference, Your Forests, Our Future aimed to foster an understanding that all Australians benefit from the nation’s forests.

“Your Forests, our Future highlights that Australia’s forests are for the benefit of everyone. The conference themes include Forests in the face of change: risks and opportunities; Optimising and balancing multiple forest values and People and forests,” Ms Martin said.

“As part of the call for abstracts process which began in February, the IFA/AFG received over 120 abstracts and expressions of interest from field foresters, researchers, students, farmers, communication and technology experts and we have finalised a list of accepted submissions.

“The Conference Committee is now finalising the conference program, which will be released in the coming weeks.”

Jim Wilson, IFA/AFG Conference Convenor said the conference was shaping up to be one of the best yet.

“The calibre of abstracts received has been exceptional, which will translate into a high quality, exciting and stimulating conference program for a broad range of conference participants, whatever their field of interest” he said.

“Keynote speakers we’re particularly looking forward to hearing from include Dr. Victor Steffensen, co-founder of Firesticks Alliance and the National Indigenous Fire Workshop, and Prof. Annette Cowie, Senior Principal Research Scientist from NSW DPI and Adjunct Professor, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England.”

For more information about the conference, and to view the accepted abstract list, visit: https://www.forestryconference.com.au/

ENDS

Media contact:
David Abbott
Font PR
davida@fontpr.com.au
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