Ben Kwiatkowski, FIT
After growing up in the forests of Ontario with neighbours living a kilometre away, Ben moved west to pursue his desire to explore BC’s diverse landscape. In his spare time he completed an undergrad in Cell Biology and Genetics at UBC. After graduation he spent as much time as possible skiing, biking, and climbing around beautiful BC. This progressed into a job with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations which allowed him to see some extremely unique ecosystems across the province through his work with the Wildfire Management Branch Rapattack team. In the winter he works for Blackcomb Ski Patrol doing emergency first aid, avalanche control, and rope rescue. His life is dedicated to spending time working and recreating in the outdoors, and the MSFM program provides a perfect opportunity for that. He is enjoying being back at UBC and pursuing a career as a Professional Forester.
Lauren Shinnimin, FIT
Lauren was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is a recent graduate from the University of Winnipeg with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences. For two seasons she worked as a Dutch elm disease technical assistant for the City of Winnipeg Urban Forestry Branch. The program aims to effectively manage Winnipeg’s American elm tree population and reduce the spread of Dutch elm disease throughout the city. Lauren is currently a student in the Master of Sustainable Forest Management program at UBC and a Forester In Training under the Association of BC Forest Professionals.
Jade Laramie, FIT
Jade has a Bachelor of Science in Biological sciences from the University of Alberta. For the last five years she worked throughout Western Canada, running her own environmental consulting company. Jade’s interests in riparian management led her to specialize in watercourse crossings for the public and private pipeline sector. Jade’s forestry roots include eight terms of employment with industrial sawmills in BC and Alberta, as a silviculture assistant, operator, and labourer. Her positive experiences in forestry have inspired her to pursue an RPF designation. Jade enjoys motorcycling, photography, and ski-touring.
Jessica Duncan, FIT
Jessica was born and raised on beautiful Vancouver Island, BC. Her hobbies include creative design, rock climbing, camping, and learning new things. She completed her undergrad several years ago in Biology and Sport, Health and Physical Education. Although her original plans were to become a teacher, she soon became addicted to the summer job that got her through school. She recently completed her 8th season working for the province of BC in wildfire Management. She has also worked for the Department of Sustainability and Environment Australia, where she was involved in various projects such as silviculture surveys and recreational trail maintenance. In pursuit of continuing to advance her career, she joined the MSFM program at UBC to gain some formal training in sustainable forestry. With a passion for education, she hopes to learn more on finding the balance for all users to enjoy what forests have to offer for many generations to come.
Jillian MacDonald, FIT
Jillian is from Ontario, where she completed her Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology and Environmental Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2015. She is currently in the MSFM program at the UBC, and is now a certified FIT by the ABCFP as she continues her path towards becoming an RPF. Her previous work includes travelling to the Northwest Territories as part of a research group to examine the functional basis of plant species distributions, as well as the frequency of larch sawfly outbreaks in high latitude boreal forests. These opportunities have fostered the development of important skills, including communication and efficient team-work, critical thinking to come up with appropriate solutions, and adaption to new challenges and environments. Throughout this time, she confirmed her passion for working outdoors, specifically studying forest dynamics, as well as the economic and environmental factors of sustainability.