I was at Hilltop High School in Whitecourt on Friday last week, and man was it cold. When I stepped out of the truck at 7:45am the thermometer was reading a frigid -31. Kory and Jason from ANC joined me in the very freezing cold to dish out 141 cups of hot chocolate, 27 bumper stickers, 15 memory sticks and countless other swag. Although it was cold, we had a good time giving stuff away and talking with the students at Hilltop. As we took down our front of the school setup and tried to regain feeling in our toes, I realized what was so great about my job. The best part of working as a forester in the forest industry is you get some choice in what you do in a day.

Weather: -30 degrees
What I would be doing: Staying in the office doing data analysis.

Weather: -15 degrees
What I would be doing: Sledding around and doing a job that doesn’t require too much sweating, like measuring sample plots.

Weather: 0 degrees and sunny
What I would be doing: Putting on snow shoes and working out in the open. Working under the trees when snow is melting off the branches is a snow ball fight you will never win.

Weather: +15 degrees and rainy
What I would be doing: Staying in the office and doing data entry and making maps for the next couple days.

Weather: +30 degrees
What I would be doing: Working in a regenerating block making sure the trees are growing and working on a forester’s (or farmer’s, depending what you’re doing) tan.


Kory and I braving the cold to bring hot chocoloate to EVERYONE!

Jason and Kory had some interesting things to say about their jobs. Jason, of Work Wild video fame (he’s the one with the test tube), said he really enjoys working his Monday to Friday shift and having three day weekends every week. Kory, who left Whitecourt after graduation then came back to work in the mill, likes the opportunity he gets at the mill. He doesn’t have to do the same job forever, and he’ll actually be starting an apprenticeship in the next couple months. He also likes to be able to go back to the city when he’s off shift.

Thanks for having me Hilltop High. It was great seeing everyone and I’ll be back after finals to talk more about the forest industry (and give away more stuff!).