Andree Morneault
Forester
Callander, Ontario, Canada
I plant trees to help maintain forestland.
When I was young, I wanted to grow things. Today, I grow trees in forests. My job is to make sure that a forest regrows after trees are harvested. Where I work, we harvest about 3,000 hectares (7,410 acres) a year. Two-thirds of this area grows back naturally. The other one-third needs to be planted. That’s where I come in.
During the winter, I work in an office. I plan what we will plant in the summer, develop budgets, and hire workers. In May, I supervise the tree plant. We plant between 600,000 and 1,000,000 trees every year in May. I watch the growth of these new trees and the trees already there.
Andree Morneault shows some newly planted trees.
It takes about 80 years before many trees are large enough to harvest again. I will never get to see the trees that I plant today become the forests of tomorrow. But I know that I'm giving them a good start.
Kim Kennedy
GIS Resource Specialist
Lansing, Michigan
I create maps. They show data, such as land use, tree cover, and environmental practices.
I love maps! I work with computers to create graphs and maps showing data like land use or tree cover. GIS stands for geographic information science. It includes map making and global positioning systems (GPS).
My focus is mapping trails. In Michigan, there are more than 19,300 kilometers (12,000 miles) of trails. The trails are used for many things, such as hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, skiing, and snowmobiling. They are located on state and national forestland, state parks, and state recreation areas.
The work I do is important. People who want to use the trails need to know where they are. Planning for new trails or connecting existing trails is another way that mapping is important. Every day, my job brings something different!
Kendall Conroy
Wood Building Design Consultant
Portland, Oregon
I promote sustainable construction through the use of wood.
I help architects and engineers
build with wood. Wood is one of our only truly renewable resources. Wood is also more environmentally friendly than other building materials, like steel and concrete. I make sure builders are using the right products for the right job and that they are doing it sustainably. Sustainability looks at ways of making sure that resources such as wood can be regrown or renewed.
Wood products are easy to use. They’re also cost-effective. And they trap carbon instead of releasing it. Since our buildings and their operations account for almost half of the United States’ carbon emissions, this is a place where change can make a big impact.
