Trees don’t only bring pleasure to millions of us – they provide a broad range of career options to help manage habitats and fight climate change.
Woodlands and forests enhance and support our lives. Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide, provide wood, moderate climate, help regulate our supply of fresh water, prevent erosion and flooding, provide a wide range of habitats for people and wildlife, and bring huge pleasure and wellbeing to millions.
Forestry and timber also play a major role in developing a low carbon economy: planting new trees offsets emissions and helps lock-up carbon in construction. Each nation has their own tree-planting strategy and target to help achieve their net zero goals.
Careers tend to split into two main areas. Forestry is the science and practice of planting, managing and harvesting forests for wood and timber, while arboriculture involves cultivating and managing trees in urban environments, like parks, community spaces and private properties. While there’s some overlap in skills, foresters tend to manage forests and timber on a larger scale while arborists look after trees in smaller green spaces. Both options offer diverse, challenging career opportunities.
The area of woodland in the United Kingdom is estimated to be 3.2 million hectares
The UK has a tree-planting target of 30,000 hectares a year by 2024 – the equivalent of at least 90 million trees
69% of the UK population visited woodland in 2021
In the Republic of Ireland, the area of forest is estimated to be 770,020 ha or 11% of the total land area of Ireland - over 50% of this is in public ownership, mainly through Coillte
There are a wide range of diverse career opportunities available to you in the Forestry & Arboriculture sector.
Forestry & Arboriculture
Forest Workers carry out a range of practical tasks to plant, maintain and harvest wood from forested areas.
Forestry & Arboriculture
Tree Surgeons carry out tree work including planting, cutting down, maintenance and hazard assessments, sometimes with heavy equipment.
Forestry & Arboriculture
Agroforesters plan and plant land to have a mix of agriculture and forest for improved crop yields and promote a healthier environment.
Kara is primarily a chainsaw operator and runs her own business. She is passionate about getting other women and diverse genders into the industry. Barbara combines her interest in conservation with her love of horses and works with many foresters to extract timber from woodlands.
Laurence and Owen both work within North and Mid Wales. In their roles they work on a variety of different projects including general roadside thinning of trees, planting on new sites, and ensuring trees are healthy.
Meg started her career in ecology before transitioning into forestry, where she currently manages a private woodland. Rosa is a Plant Health and Seeds Inspector at Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). She ensures that seeds and plants are regularly checked for any pest risks and if any are identified they are handled efficiently.
Owen is a Senior Operations Officer for National Resources Wales. Having started out in the industry by chance, he worked way up from an apprenticeship to his current senior role in Forest Management. Sarah is a woodland advisor within the Woodland Creation team. Her role is a mixture of in office and off-site, and she is responsible for assessing potential woodlands before creation and supporting on the planning of these spaces.
