Let me introduce myself, my name is Danielle Lussier, and I own a small, quality-driven forest contract company named Muskrat Environmental Ltd. Although we are small (from 2 to 6 employees full time), we are mighty; and one of the very few woman-owned and operated fieldwork companies around. Not only that, but as the owner, I am out every field day with my crews putting in the hard labour that equates to sound forest sustainability practices. While Muskrat is only a few years old, I, have been in the forest industry since 2001 and passed my professional exam in 2006. I cut my teeth, so to speak, by starting out in silviculture.

The path to where I am at has been long and winding. It has had many branches: some were dead ends, and some have sprouted into new stems and divided into other opportunities. One of my core beliefs is that to be good at silviculture, or anything in life really, you need to be rounded in perspective and experience. Although I complete a variety of silviculture contracts, I am also highly experienced in block and road layout, which has given me a familiarity with the logging and operations aspects of Forestry and Sawmills. It has aided me tremendously in my career and has allowed me to think outside the box when it comes to prescriptions and assessments. If you want to know how to grow a tree, you need to look at where it’s coming from, and what its purpose is in the end.

The daily work life of an independent contractor can be busy to say the least. Most people close to me describe my life as some sort of loosely organized chaos. In addition to having perspective and experience, my career also largely depends on flexibility. It is hard for me to plant myself in one spot and grow due to the nature of my work, so I often find myself chasing job after job all over the province. Silviculture has taken me from largely tree plant-based activities, to writing site prescriptions for both reforestation and reclamation, to re-wilding areas, to completing a large variety of forest mensuration and research plots (pre-commercial thinning assessments, to temporary sample plots, to permanent sample plots).

One of the most interesting projects we have undertaken in the last year was performing stand research on smaller volume, marginal stands and assessing how to better utilize timber that would traditionally wind up in the burn pile. When I am not out on the frontlines measuring, walking, or assessing trees (often in very remote areas and always by remote camp), I am busy assessing my business model and growing my perspective through continued learning. Our field season usually runs from April (prep) through to mid-December (pile burning), and from January until March, it is time to grow ourselves.

Every year there is a lot to digest;

• improvements to efficiency to be made,

• new gear/equipment/software to trial,

• upgrades to be made, and

• projects to be assessed.

Not to mention wrenches to be turned. Every year I strive to look at what we’ve accomplished in the field and make it safer, make living more comfortable, and our work lifestyle healthier. Unfortunately, for the life of a fieldworker, not all hazards can be removed from our equations. We’ve been in areas where wildfires have sprung up, roads and bridges washed out during floods, and we’ve had numerous encounters with black bears, grizzlies, rutting moose, and bugling elk! Is it a dry year? Well, we will certainly have our running shoes on and our eyes and ears open to hear any sounds of wasp nests. We are fortunate to work with our dogs almost every day, and it is highly encouraged at my company. But like all things, that too comes with additional conditions and responsibilities. This year, one of my large tasks was to fully assess and prepare our company policy on dogs and ensure that our furry co-workers are adequately provided for and included in our accident and emergency response plans. They are a big part of what we do! Although we have mainly gone near-miss and accident-free, the best way to prevent accidents is to be mentally prepared for them.

On a final note, I equate some of my success in this industry and the reason my passion still runs deep to my continued thirst for knowledge. And not just in the traditional book sense or to meet continuing competency requirements. My biggest recommendation to anyone in our field, new or old, is to learn to be more independent. Learn the basics of how your truck and quad work (especially if you depend on them daily to keep you safe), learn about other ecosystems outside your area, learn about the intricacies of watersheds, and learn how other people around the world do the same job as you. Be curious, ask your co-workers about what they do, learn how what you do affects them and vice versa. Don’t just do a job. Think about “why” you’re doing a job. Question things.

Perspectives are starting to shift in our industry, and rightfully so, we need to start assessing things on an ecosystem-based level for the health of our landscapes. We are starting to see the repercussions of management based solely on growth/yield and merchantability-based rotations. It’s hard for people who are stuck in channels of knowledge, experience, and job title to change, but it’s best for all of us and the forests we love. Don’t lose your roots; know your basics and fundamentals but look forward and look to improve, even if it seems daunting or too large an undertaking.