WVFA Mountain State Forestry Winter 2020-21

28 West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry | Winter 2020-2021 www.wvfa.org S U S T A I N A B L E F O R E S T R Y I N I T I A T I V E Session 5 Building Bridges for the Next Generation of Forest and Conservation Leaders PLT Canada provides a variety of resources that help youth and employers build a diverse and sustainable workforce for the future because not everyone has access to role models or understands the opportunities that are available in the forest and conservation sector. Connecting Indigenous youth with mentoring opportunities is also a key priority. PLT Canada has created a free Guide to Green Jobs in Canada, told entirely through the perspectives of Indigenous professionals. “We have worked with PLT Canada from coast-to-coast-to-coast participating in the Green Jobs program,” said Dawn Carr, Executive Director of the Canadian Parks Council and an SFI and PLT Canada Board Member. “In just a few years we have been able to place over 1,250 youth in Green Jobs with provincial and territorial parks.” Mentorship was discussed as an extremely important tool to ensure no loss of knowledge when a third of the Canadian forest workforce retires by 2030. “Mentorship creates a great link between seasoned, retiring professionals and new professionals entering a field,” said Tara Topping, Manager of Career Education at SFI. “PLT Canada’s My Green Mentor Program has changed my life. It has allowed me to open my connections and speak with someone who will benefit my career, social life, and overall future,” said Catherine Langille, Indigenous Youth Opportunities Intern at PLT Canada. Working Together (Virtually) for Sustainability We were pleased to bring so many people together virtually, and our attendees’ enthusiastic participation helped make the e-summit a success. I encourage you to visit our new website forests.org to learn more about how SFI is addressing key sustainability challenges through our mission of forest-focused collaborations. Nadine Block is SFI’s Senior Vice President of Government and Network Relations [email protected]