Kate Lancaster grew up in country Victoria and has been  working for Forests NSW for almost a year. Photo by Tania Hoffman

Forestry is a career that  attracts many people for life. Howard Spencer chats to a recently-retired  forester, still passionate about managing forests after 40 years, and a new  forester, a year out of university and set to explore all facets of forestry as  a career.

Hume region operations and protection forester Kate Lancaster is  pretty pleased with her first placement since graduating from the University of Melbourne in 2008.

She was appointed to her position as a forester in January and has  since been learning the ropes with Forests NSW at Tumut on the south west  slopes.

It was in some ways a lonely learning time for  Kate. Seven of the eight starters in her Bachelor of Forest Sciences year  dropped out over years one and two. She survived by being pressed into classes  with masters students.

I had a strong desire to work in an environmental field, and I knew  when I visited a cool temperate forest in high school that I wanted to work  with forests, Kate said.

I deliberately chose forestry  over environmental science and really  enjoyed the course.

Working in a country community like Tumut is no surprise for Kate, who  grew up in the bush outside Shepparton in Victoria.

She wanted to be involved in plantation forestry, and now has her  wish, as Tumut is home to some of the finest softwood plantations in the state.

Being an operations and  protection forester offers a variation of roles, and I like that as there is  something different every day, Kate said.

My day is involved with fire protection, weed and pest animal control  and some planting infrastructure.

When I was at university I thought I would be more involved  with the harvesting area, as I did some work  experience in that, but I was not really sure what to expect.

But that uncertainty has disappeared. Kate says she has found a lot  more to learn outside university in her current role and has found it  challenging.

I had three years training at university and did well there, but I  still dont have an exact knowledge, Kate said.

The people I work with are very supportive and eager to pass on their  knowledge and the local way of doing things. Being a woman in this field has  not been an issue at all.

Kate is not sure where her future in forestry  will lead her, having only been  on the job for less than a year.

I have achieved all my goals so far, Kate said. Ill take some time  to consolidate in this job before I look around at what else forestry has to  offer.She wanted to be involved in plantation forestry, and now has her wish,  as Tumut is home to some of the finest softwood plantations in the state.

Being an operations and  protection forester offers a variation of roles, and I like that as there is  something different every day, Kate said.

My day is involved with fire protection, weed and pest animal control  and some planting infrastructure.

When I was at university I thought I would be more involved  with the harvesting area, as I did some work  experience in that, but I was not really sure what to expect.

But that uncertainty has disappeared. Kate says she has found a lot  more to learn outside university in her current role and has found it  challenging.

I had three years training at university and did well there, but I  still dont have an exact knowledge, Kate said.

The people I work with are very supportive and eager to pass on their  knowledge and the local way of doing things. Being a woman in this field has  not been an issue at all.

Kate is not sure where her future in forestry  will lead her, having only been  on the job for less than a year.

I have achieved all my goals so far, Kate said. Ill take some time  to consolidate in this job before I look around at what else forestry has to  offer.

This article appears in the Spring/Summer 2009 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.