To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, we interviewed a number of our female members who are excelling in our profession. Llinos Roberts is a Woodland Programme Advisor at Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales.
What do you love most about your job?
What I love most about my job is that every day is different from the other. I’ve never been the kind of person who would be sat behind a desk in the office 5 days a week, and so it’s great to have a job that I enjoy where I get to spend half my time outside. It’s great to be able to work alongside experienced woodland planners and enthusiastic landowners who wish to plant trees. When I started my job back in September 2017, I had very little experience of forestry and therefore it’s great to be in a job you love where you’re able to learn as you work. I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of a great team with experienced and knowledgeable members who have been my mentors.
Why choose forestry?
Growing up on the family farm in Mid-Wales, I’ve always been surrounded by trees. When it came to choosing a subject to study at University, I had no idea at all what I wanted to do, so I decided to play it safe and study Geography; my favourite subject at school and something I was passionate about. For my dissertation, I decided to look at flooding and flood defences in Wales, which included looking at trees and their benefits to the environment. This is where my passion for tree planting developed. It’s great to now be a part of a team that’s involved in the first step of creating woodlands in Wales.
How can ICF support women in forestry and arboriculture?
Becoming an ICF member has helped me a lot in developing my career in forestry. When I started my current role a year and a half ago, I hardly had any knowledge of forestry. The ICF offers a wide range of training and events that are a great way of learning about the sector and is a fantastic way of meeting new people who share similar interests. Becoming an ICF member has given me the confidence I needed to learn about the different aspects of forestry whilst networking with others. It’s great that the Chief Executive, Shireen, is also a women in forestry!
What can professional organisations like the ICF do to attract a more diverse workforce?
Forestry is historically known for being a popular sector for men, and it’s great to see that more women are now taking interest and working in the sector. Professional organisations like the ICF gives everyone equal opportunities no matter what age or gender you are and everyone is treated the same.
