Forestry Technician – Adaptive Practices (Co-op)

This course deals with the identification of approximately 125 trees and shrubs found in urban settings in Ontario. Tree features including leaves, twigs, bark and fruits are studied. The accuracy level for the identification tests is 80 per cent. The lecture series includes: the anatomy and physiology of leaves, stems, roots and flowers, fruit adaptations for seed dispersal and forest geography. The cultural requirements of the major urban tree species are studied.

In Forest Ecosystems, students will explore the fundamentals of forest ecosystems within the context of the forestry industry. Key concepts and terms related to Canadian forest ecology, ecosystem establishment and succession as well as silvicultural management will be introduced. Students will learn about forest and habitat classification as well as identification of select common, indicator, invasive and at-risk wildlife and plant species.

Students of the Forestry, Arboriculture and Urban Forestry Certificate/Technician programs possess an excellent foundation in the 'normal growth' of trees. This course introduces students to the study of insects and diseases of forest and urban trees. Identification, classification, and control measures of commercially important insects, pathogens and diseases are examined. The emphasis is on the pests of forest and urban trees and a collection of such specimens.

The ecological role of fire in Canada's boreal forest is one of renewal. Many species rely on wildfires for creating conditions to favour their regeneration: this creates a rich, ecologically diverse landscape that supports many species, both tree and animal, on which economies are based. One theme of this course will be to strengthen knowledge and application of initial attack fire suppression tactics and strategies. The role of fire as a silvicultural tool (e.g. prescribed burning) will be the second major theme of this course.

In this course, students will be introduced to the basic skills that are needed for a career in the Forestry Industry. Students will explore risk management by learning about personal and crew safety practices. This course introduces theories of internal and external conflict management and identifying assessing and applying models and methodologies for negotiation and resolution. Students will also be introduced to the basics of career planning, job searching, preparing applications, and performing interviews.

Students are instructed in the safe operation and maintenance of equipment associated with the arboriculture and utility industries. Chainsaw operation and tree felling techniques are competency-based standards set out by the Professional Chainsaw Operation guidelines by Workplace Safety North. The techniques introduced in this course are transferable to other courses within the program. Students will be required to purchase items of personal protective equipment (safety glasses, safety boots, chainsaw pants, safety gloves, hard hat, and hearing protection) as recommended, before the course begins.

This course is an introduction to the study of Indigenous (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit) peoples in Canada. Students will explore the complex historical and contemporary relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. The course will also guide students to begin to understand the diversity and depth of Indigenous societies, worldviews, and knowledge through a multi-disciplinary lens.

This course will enable students to apply specific mathematical concepts and acquire foundation skills important in the Natural Resource and Environmental Sciences. It is designed to complement and reinforce learning within other first semester courses and program areas.

Applying knowledge acquired in Dendrology I, students will learn the skills to identify any tree or shrub in a temperate climate. Students will be introduced to a variety of forest industry specializations and continue to build on their tree identification skills. Tree physiology will be studied in greater depth, building on the foundation of Dendrology I.

Communication skills and writing effective reports are skills that are high in demand within the profession of urban forestry. The ability to take scientific data and explain in simple terms to various audiences is essential to managing and promoting the importance of urban trees. This course focuses on building writing skills that demonstrate professionalism while meeting expected industry guidelines when writing arborist reports and other industry related reporting methods. It will also focus on the proper formatting of scientific writing and referencing to create strong communication tools that can be read and understood by citizens, contractors municipal representatives and other interested parties.

In Forest Measurements students will continue to learn about the tools and techniques to measure and describe forestry data. Through laboratory sessions and field trips and using different industry standard sampling methods students will become proficient at measuring tree height, diameter and volume. Students will then use these data for stand calculations including species, compositions, basal area, stems per hectare, volumes and yields as well as site class and site index.

This course introduces the student to computer and handheld device applications that will be used during their coursework and in industry. General file management will support the use of spreadsheet, word processing, presentation, GIS, and GPS applications. Each student will be required to have an up-to-date device (tablet / smart phone - Android or iPhone) with available file space that is able to use current apps, save data and work all day in the field in all conditions.

Through examination of the Canadian Forest Industry, students will learn about legislation, policies, and approaches to forest management on public and private lands as well as 3rd party certification of management practices. Through cursory introduction to silvicultural approaches, students will explore timber and non-timber forest products that are harvested.

The Soils and Ecosystems course will focus on developing the practical skills necessary to assess the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils and other substrates as they relate to plant growth and distribution. Students will learn how to classify all substrates according to the Ecological Land Classification System of Ontario, but the emphasis will be on mineral and organic forest soils. An understanding of the relationship between substrates and their landform and topography will be a central theme of the course.

This course introduces students to tree anatomy and physiology. Focusing on the tree as an individual students learn the biological make up of trees to better understand how they respond to injury and stresses. With this foundation students then apply these principles to tree risk assessment, pruning techniques to improve tree health and longevity and to make best management decisions to protect trees growing in urban spaces.

This course is designed to allow the student the opportunity to obtain forestry related experience through a co-op work term of 450 hours with an organization selected by the student and approved by the program coordinator. It provides the student with the opportunity to apply existing knowledge and skill either through observation and/or applications.

Pre-Requisites

• Forestry Industry Preparation (FSTY 128)
• IT for Forestry (COMP 655)
• Forest Measurement (FSTY 73)
• Intro to Forest Industry (FSTY 130)
• Dendrology (FSTY 7)

Students are introduced to the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics with emphasis on data synthesis and inference. Major topics include methods of summarizing and analyzing data, variation, probability, estimation and introductory hypothesis testing and statistical modeling using forest data.

The Forestry Fall Camp is a five-day on-site field camp located at the Canadian Ecology Center. Fall Camp involves a variety of forestry activities, including silvicultural work, forest ecosystem assessments and forest data collection techniques. Students will spend time in Algonquin Park observing active operations, use fire suppression equipment, visit the Logging Museum and the Visitor Center. Students will develop skills in working in a team environment and develop safety knowledge and practices related to becoming a forestry field technician. (http://www.canadianecology.ca).

In Forestry Operations students will learn about the operational aspects of forest management such as road layout and construction including culvert and bridge installation planning, access controls and decommissioning. Students will also learn about boundary marking, harvest compliance, silvicultural effectiveness monitoring and tree planting assessment. Incorporated in these activities, students will learn about health and safety in forestry operations and emerging harvest technologies.

Students will learn skills needed to begin and grow their careers in forestry including an introduction to professional standards and ethics as well as exploration of potential careers, further studies, accreditations, and business opportunities. Students will prepare a career and development plan and will refine their resumes and improve interview skills. Skills and strategies in stakeholder engagement, consultation and facilitation, project management planning, leadership and conflict resolution will also be practiced.

Following specific writing style guidelines and expectations, students will have technical writing submitted for Practical Ecology and Silvics (FSTY133)) evaluated for style, grammar, spelling, and overall presentation. Students will also explore other industry-relevant technical writing.

Through views, beliefs, and knowledge are passed down generations and lived experience, Indigenous people across Turtle Island (North America) share a deep connection with place and the land. During colonization, attempts were made to erase tradition and connection and assume western worldviews. This course will explore the natural world through another lens, through the traditions, skills, teachings and science of Indigenous knowledge. Students will learn how different indigenous communities interact with forest ecosystems and some of the traditional names and uses of plants and wildlife and grow their two-eyed seeing.

This course integrates forest navigation, GIS, data collection, ecology and silvics, report writing and presentations through a combination of field work, lectures, and labs. Weekly field trips will be used to conduct surveys in a variety of forest types in various stages of development so that students can explore and learn about forest succession, forest ecology, tree auto-ecology, and silvicultural management. Using GIS, students will prepare themselves for the field by creating navigational maps and support their reports by interpreting aerial imagery and topography, creating basic databases, creating lines, points and polygons, and using cartographic representation. Students will upload their maps to their personal handheld device to use as a GPS and collect georeferenced data while in the field. As well, students will collect forest ecosystem data using industry standard methods and tools and will summarize their data and reporting on their findings in written reports and presentations. Each student will be required to have an up-to-date device (tablet / smart phone - Android or iPhone) with available file space that is able to use current apps, save data and work all day in the field in all conditions.

All graduates of diploma programs require general education credits. These courses allow you to explore issues of societal concern by looking at the history, theory and contemporary applications of those issues.

Your program has designated some required general education courses. In addition, you have the opportunity to choose from a list of electives each semester.

Many of these courses and some other general education courses are also available through evening classes, by distance education, or on-line. See our Part-Time Studies Calendar for these opportunities.

You may already possess general education equivalencies from other colleges or universities. Please see the General Education Co-ordinators at the Peterborough and Lindsay locations for possible exemptions.

This course examines the mensurational skills required to develop and implement silvicultural prescriptions. A review of tree measurement and an introduction to new equipment is accomplished by indoor and field labs. Design of inventory systems is covered in lecture and performed in field labs. Measurement and evaluation of all- aged hardwood and even-aged pine stands are carried out in field labs. These labs are designed to demonstrate the skills required for management of those stands according to provincial tree marking guidelines.

This course will explore current conservation concerns that can be influenced by forest management and examine practical solutions. Students will learn about forest industry response and adaptation to changes in regulations as well as natural and cultural heritage values. Current approaches to silviculture, habitat protection and restoration at a range of spatial scales from landscape biodiversity conservation to single-species management at the local scale will be examined. Adaptive practices to prevent, mitigate or exploit management challenges including climate change, range expansion, invasive species, pest outbreaks, carbon sequestration and ecosystem service valuation will be investigated.

This course provides insight into the traditional end uses of wood products and by-products. Topics such as dimensional lumber saw milling, veneer production, and pulp and paper technology for roundwood, chips, and recycled paper will be covered. Throughout the course, the techniques of wood scaling and measurement will be presented. This course provides students with a sound understanding of the variety of wood end uses. Students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the use of bandsaw mills.

This course will allow the student to gain experience in developing large community based forestry education projects. Projects, such as woodlot conferences, are organized, marketed and presented to target audiences of different ages. Students will be assigned responsibilities, create and maintain satisfactory working relationships with their peers, accept feedback, meet project deadlines and manage the production of deliverables. Students will be expected to attend the Ontario Woodlot Association Kawartha Chapter conference and the annual Forests Ontario Conference in Alliston.

In Silvicultural Planning, students will integrate GIS practice and silvicultural theory to prepare a small-scale forest operations plan. Tasks will include investigating background information, performing forest inventories, preparing silvicultural prescriptions including harvest systems, site preparation, regeneration planning, invasive species management and area of concern planning as well as estimating volume, and preparing a timber sale agreement.

Students spend three nights at Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve (HFWR) Basecamp. During this time at HFWR students will visit the Blue Heron Demonstration Forest, the wood yard, sawmill and their value-added wood processing facilities. Students will apply their skills and knowledge through authoring a silvicultural prescription and conduct tree marking. One of the highlights of Winter Camp is a visit to the HFWR Wolf Center.

This course deals with woody plant propagation within greenhouse and bare-root nurseries for both natural and urban landscapes as well as for forest management. This course also addresses preservation and care of horticultural plants for human well-being in urban settings. Topics include tree seed processing, stratification, germination, seedling culture, cutting propagation, nursery soils, fertilizers, irrigation, and quality control. Special emphasis will be placed on plant selection, plant growth and responses, horticultural practices, preventative maintenance, nursery stock handling, plant-to-soil relationships, and overall seedling physiology.

All graduates of diploma programs require general education credits. These courses allow you to explore issues of societal concern by looking at the history, theory and contemporary applications of those issues.

Your program has designated some required general education courses. In addition, you have the opportunity to choose from a list of electives each semester.

Many of these courses and some other general education courses are also available through evening classes, by distance education, or on-line. See our Part-Time Studies Calendar for these opportunities.

You may already possess general education equivalencies from other colleges or universities. Please see the General Education Co-ordinators at the Peterborough and Lindsay locations for possible exemptions.