Fleming College

Fleming College has launched a new Urban Forestry Technician program that will lead students to a career in the emerging field of conserving and sustaining urban forests and green spaces. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be recognized with a Fleming College diploma in Urban Forestry and a Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree from the University of New Brunswick. The program starts in September 2012 and takes 4 years to complete.

“This is a unique and fantastic opportunity for students,” said School of Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences Dean Linda Skilton. “The diploma and degree combination prepares graduates for a broader range of positions such as planning, implementation and management of urban forest and green space environments.”

The four-year diploma / degree program was developed in partnership with the University of New Brunswick to help Fleming Urban Forestry students plan a pathway to a university degree.

“We’re proud to have successfully partnered with the University of New Brunswick,” stated Fleming College President Tony Tilly. “Collaboratively, we’ve designed an innovative training program that will provide technically skilled leaders and strong communicators to an evolving Canadian urban forest profession.”

The diploma / degree combination will provide graduates with the knowledge and experience essential for entry-level supervisory and management positions within the urban forestry sector.

Urban forestry is the care, protection, and maintenance of trees, forests and green spaces in towns and cities. It is a growing part of forestry as more than 80% of Canadians now live in urban areas.

Technicians in the profession are required to establish and maintain safe and healthy trees, appraise a wide range of species and understand the role of trees and urban wildlife as part of the urban forest ecosystems. In addition, technicians recommend appropriate individual tree practices that consider the environmental, social and economic aspects which will help to build and strengthen urban forests in the community.

The Urban Forestry Technician program at Fleming focuses on the connection between trees, people and community. Students will learn to protect and enhance urban areas while studying the social impact it has on the people who live amid the spaces. Graduates from the program will be skilful urban forest professionals and be job-ready immediately.

The College and University welcomed input from key urban forest industry professionals, consultants and employers to ensure that both training and business needs are met and that they align with the long term strategy of industry organizations.

“This is an excellent program. Fleming addresses the unique nature of urban forests and adequately prepares graduates for jobs in urban forest management,” said Ivan Listar R.P.F. Manager of Urban Forestry, City of London. “Students become urban forestry professionals with both the education and technical skills to meet the challenges of the 21^st century. Fleming has developed a fantastic initiative and a program that is long overdue in our profession.”

Lister is a graduate of University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree.

“We are very impressed with Fleming’s new Urban Forestry Technician program,” stated Tree Canada Foundation President Michael Rosen. “Urban forestry is becoming a leading discipline within the forestry world. The combination of applied learning and degree credentials will result in the type of graduates that municipalities, the tree care industry and others are looking for — I myself wish there was such a course when I went to forestry school in the 1980’s.”

There is a growing awareness of the importance of urban forests in everyone’s lives and high need for urban forest professionals. Many decisions are being made that affect current and future forests by people in other professions who do not have the educational or technical background to fully understand the implications of their decisions. Additionally, municipalities and urban forestry consultants have a hard time finding qualified, trained staff to adequately manage our urban forests. They are forced to hire and train staff which takes both time and money.

For details of the unique new Urban Forestry Technician program or to apply, visit http://www.flemingcollege.ca/programs/urban-forestry-technician

Applications will be equally considered if received on or before February 1, 2012. Any application after this date will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. This is important for over-subscribed (highly popular) programs where more applications are received than there is space available.

 

University of New Brunswick 

The University of New Brunswick offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate programs. The Bachelor of Science in Forestry program emphasizes observations and experimentation in their nearby outdoor lab. Students gain the knowledge and experience required to join the next generation of educated and committed leaders who are working to ensure the viability of our forests for future generations.

 

Fleming College

Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Business and Technology, Continuing Education and Skilled Trades, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Visual Arts, Education, Health and Wellness, and Law, Justice and Community Services. Fleming College has 6,000 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and more than 60,000 alumni.

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For more information:  

Tiffaney Durling Arnold, Marketing Officer, University of New Brunswick
506-648-5793 or tarnold@unb.ca, www.unb.ca

Paula Walton, Communications Officer, Fleming College
705-749-5530 x 1370 or paulaw@flemingc.on.ca