To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, we interviewed a number of our female members who are excelling in our profession. Lamorna Richards is a student of Forestry at Bangor University.
Why did you choose to study forestry?
I chose to study forestry as I love the outdoors and forestry is a great mix of both academic and practical learning.
Why should young people, especially girls, consider a career in forestry?
I think young people should consider a career in forestry as it is a really important sector with a diverse range of opportunities. There’s so much more to specialise in than you realise as there is research, biosecurity, agroforestry, urban forestry and lots more! Also all the people are very welcoming and there are lots of networking opportunities.
Do you think the sector is doing enough to attract a more diverse workforce?
I think the sector gives anyone and everyone the opportunity to get into forestry. I think the main issue that prevents more people from joining the sector is that forestry isn’t widely advertised, for example during GCSEs and A Levels, so young people aren’t aware that a forestry career actually exists. Instead, we need to show people the value of trees and relevance of forestry in their everyday lives to encourage people into the sector.
