News Article

Forestry students make history


3/14/2002 8:42:56 AM


Adam Anderson, a student in the Forest Resources Technician program, became the first college student ever to receive a silver ring from the Canadian Institute of Forestry at a special ceremony held in Corner Brook on March 7.

By GARY KEAN
The Western Star

March 14, 2002 - A little bit of forestry history was made in the forestry capital of Canada last Thursday evening.

The memorable occasion was the presentation of silver rings by the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF) to the 2002 graduates of College of the North Atlantic's forest resources technician program.

Presenting rings is nothing new for the CIF, which has been handing out silver rings to forestry degree graduates across Canada since 1967. However, this marks the first year that rings will also be given to students about to complete forest resources technician diplomas.

"Up until a few years ago, we never had any technical people in our organization," noted Ed Blackmore, chair of the Newfoundland section of the CIF. "But we have opened the doors and we want to get the whole forestry community into our organization and technical people are now also part of the CIF right across Canada."

There are still differences between the silver rings disbursed among degree graduates and technical diploma graduates. Professional foresters have rings with a raised tree symbol, while technicians have a tree symbol indented on their silver bands.

The idea, nonetheless, is to give those who have chosen forestry as their field of study a sense of camaraderie and identity.

"I think it will help the technical community forestry-wise knit their group together as they go across Canada," said Blackmore.

Adam Anderson had the luck of becoming the first-ever forest resources technician student to receive a ring.

"I think it¹s a great honour to be the first one to actually get a ring in Newfoundland," Anderson said.

The students haven't graduated yet, but the rings signify they have committed to the two years of intensive study in a nationally-accredited program. Like many of the students who have completed this course since its inception in 1966, Anderson has plans to continue his studies by completing his university degree at the University of New Brunswick.

"I'll be graduating in the spring, taking a year off to get some experience under my belt and then go on to UNB to get my degree so I can hopefully get a management position somewhere," said Anderson.

To mark the occasion, the 30 College of the North Atlantic students in the course helped raise some of the money to hold a banquet and formal presentation ceremony.

"We held draws to raise money, got collections from students and donations from the college," said student Wayne Giles of the efforts his classmates put into making the evening special.

While the ring does not signify graduation, CIF membership or registered forest technician status, Len Moores explained it is a symbol of achievement and evidence of a national bond welcoming them to the forestry profession.

"We hope all graduates will be proud of this national new tradition," said Moores, the CIF's first vice-president.

The other graduates included Amanda Bennett, Mike Bishop, Vance Boudreau, Jeff Brett, Trevor Brown, Thomas Burry, Dave Corbett, Peter Crowley, Chad Elliott, Donald Giles, Jason Glode, Nichole Hearn, Donald Hussey, Jana Jefferies, Dave Lambert, Lee Layden, Skyann Lewis, Jason MacDonald, Steve Mills, Nina Penney, Gerry Sellars, Darren Slaney, Carl Smith, Travis Spencer, Chris Tucker, Keith Wells, Paul Whalen and Denica Wheeler.

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Reprinted with permission from the Western Star

For more information contact:

Stephen Lee
Communications Officer
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-7928