Author Topic: Women in forestry (Read 8864 times)

Ron Scott · « **Reply #40 on:** February 28, 2012, 05:58:17 PM »

I've had and known a few female loggers (lumber jills) on some of my jobs over the years. Three were cutters, three were skidder operators, and two drove woodhauler.

I've had a number of female firefighters on my fire crews. One was a helicopter crewboss when I was on a helishot fire team in California.

A recent Chief of the U.S. Forest Service was a female.

Phorester · « **Reply #41 on:** February 29, 2012, 09:30:07 PM »

I think I've related this before, but there is one lady logger in my area. I'm guessing she's in her 50's now, but I'm not asking. She started in the woods with her Dad while she was in high school. Never finished high school. Never married. I suspect that boys/men her age were intimidated by her prowess with a chainsaw and hard work. She never backed down from any job in the woods. When I first met her 30+ years ago she had a fresh chainsaw scar across her face, running from one cheek up across the bridge of her nose and above her eye. Can't hardly see it now. She runs chainsaw, skidder, loader, bulldozer, trucking. Her Dad screwed blocks of wood on the truck pedals so she could reach them. When her dad died, she took over the company. Just her and 1 or 2 men working for her. Still in business. She does everything from buying the standing trees to the paperwork.

submarinesailor · « **Reply #42 on:** March 02, 2012, 08:57:03 AM »

Phorester

I think I met her one time at that old mill on the west down hill side of RT 50. Didn't have much of a chance to talk and for the life of me I can't remember her name. Is that mill still up and running. It's been there as long as I can remember.

Bruce

fuzzybear · « **Reply #43 on:** March 02, 2012, 01:04:22 PM »

When my wife started working with me I was scared to let her near the chainsaw, but being a woman and French on top of that, she decided I had to teach her everything. I have to say I never had a man learn as fast as she did.
When it came time to learn how to fall, I started her on small 8" trees, she quickly learned the proper way for falling and moved on to the big stuff. She has gotten to the point she can hit a pop can dead on with the top of the tree.
I have found that women are not afraid to ask questions, and are more attentive to details than the men I have trained. On equipment they seem more likely to find a problem before it gets to bad, no turning the radio louder to drown out the motor that's ready to blow.
With 3 children, and no real schools here, she decided to take an on line course in conservation. So far she has aced everything. Last night she finished her classes for firearm safety so she can buy her own rifle and hunt for herself. She aced every part of it.
I love my wife and am very proud of her. It's only been 5 years since she learned English, but she is taking all of her classes and test in English. She has an awsome work ethic and is not afraid to try new things.
It must be a Yukon thing, but there are a lot of women working in the bush in forestry and gold mining. The men here have learned that any job a man can do a woman can do also, usually with a lot less hassle. One mining camp has a workforce of 75% women and he swears he has never had bigger production with a crew of all men.
FB

Ron Scott · « **Reply #44 on:** March 02, 2012, 04:01:31 PM »

We had some women coal miners in West Virginia. They were mining the 36 inch coal seams far undeground working on their hands and knees.

fuzzybear · « **Reply #45 on:** March 02, 2012, 04:49:38 PM »

If you look back to WWII it was the women that won the war for the men. If not for them filling all the positions they did, there would have been a very different ending. They did everything that the men did, logging, building roads, building homes and skyscrapers. They build every aircraft, tank, and ship, every rifle, bullet, and uniform.
Ask your Mothers and Grandmothers what they did during the war. You might be suprised!!
I met an 86yo woman from Idaho several years ago, she flew into our camp and landed, not an easy job on our runway. She was a bush pilot during the war and was flying suplies into the bases all over the north. She later flew supplies to the gold camps. She had a lot of stories. We were sad to see her leave because we knew it was the last time we would see her. Her first name was Margaret, she was from Sandpoint Idaho.
FB

Ron Scott · « **Reply #46 on:** March 02, 2012, 06:06:54 PM »

A "Lumber Jill" at work with her chain saw.

Phorester · « **Reply #47 on:** March 03, 2012, 07:52:29 AM »

Quote from: submarinesailor on March 02, 2012, 08:57:03 AM

Phorester

I think I met her one time at that old mill on the west down hill side of RT 50. Didn't have much of a chance to talk and for the life of me I can't remember her name. Is that mill still up and running. It's been there as long as I can remember.

Bruce

Her name is Penny. That is McFarlands Mill, and it is still in business after about 50 years or so. However they have scaled way back. They now only produce pallets, fence boards, things like that. McFarland has also started a retail shop selling woodworking equipment. This is a hobby of his he was able to turn into a business. Sells Rockler, Jet, other national brands. Sells exotic woods.
http://www.mcfarlandsmill.com/

Okrafarmer · « **Reply #48 on:** March 03, 2012, 11:56:37 AM »

There is a lady who is in charge of the dry kiln I am fixing to use. She is very excited and passionate about her work, loves new challenges in drying. She manages a very large facility here for a company that is based out of state. She has carefully learned how to manage the kiln and the drying procedures for many different species of wood.

WDH · « **Reply #49 on:** March 03, 2012, 08:50:46 PM »

If you start "fixin' to do" stuff, that makes you more Southern

. Pretty soon, you will be eatin' grits......

Okrafarmer · « **Reply #50 on:** March 03, 2012, 11:57:06 PM »

I like grits, no problem, I just don't turn to it as my primary breakfast staple. I like okra, for crying out loud!

Where I came from I never once heard of okra.

My wife is not a GRITS, but she and I are raising 3 little GRITS and two little BRITS.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #51 on:** March 04, 2012, 06:42:52 AM »

Yeah they don't grow okra anywhere up in this region that I have ever heard of and father, uncle and cousins were big farmers of several 100 acres. Father grew wheat for a local gris mill.

Ron Scott · « **Reply #52 on:** October 04, 2019, 01:14:07 PM »

Oregon Woman is Top Female Forester

KOIN-TV, Sept. 26, 2019
In an industry long dominated by men, one Oregon woman stands out amid a veritable forest of peers. Heidi Leib is one of just two female logging contract coordinators in the entire Northwest. She's currently working on a site in the Tillamook Forest. And she's worked hard to be where she's at today. READ MORE

Ron Scott · « **Reply #53 on:** January 15, 2023, 07:42:59 PM »

Women in the Woods: Family, Forestry, and Falling in Love with the Working Landscape (VT)
North Star Monthly, Jan, 4, 2023
A generation ago, it was rare to find women working the forested landscape. Today they are often leaders in the field, protecting its health, developing products, and tying workers and landowners together across the region.

READ MORE

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