Salina Abraham

Regional Manager – GLF Africa Hub Global Landscapes Forum, CIFOR-ICRAF

Salina Abraham is an Eritrean-American environmentalist and advocate for community-led action on sustainable landscapes. She is currently the Regional Hub Manager for the Global Landscapes Forum Africa Hub, a Youth4Climate Ambassador at the World Bank and a public policy student at the Harvard Kennedy School. She serves on the Advisory Council to the World Economic Forum’s Trillion Tree platform and the UN FAO’s Forest and Farm Facility. Salina’s academic work explores the impact of corporate social responsibility programs on Eritrea’s rural development, as well as the role of female leadership in economics and finance sectors across Africa. She is the former President of the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA) and coordinator of the Youth in Landscapes Initiative.

Thilo Wagner

Wald und Holz NRW

Thilo Wagner works as a forest director for the government of Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is the principal of the Forest Education Centre and lectures at the University of Cologne about Forest Engineering. Additionally, he is the representative of the State Northrhine-westphalia in the technical committee for forest machinery at KWF (Association for Forestry Work and Forestry Technology).

Bertil Stapel

Sales Manager at treeva GmbH

– M. Sc. Forest Science and Ecology – since 2013 with Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG – STIHL Marketing Research and Marketing Strategy – STIHL Product Management Chainsaws and Saw Chains – 2019 till today Change to subsidiary company treeva GmbH (Sales Manager)

Frank Heinze

Coordinator “Competence Center Forest and Timber 4.0” at RIF Institute for Research and Transfer eV

Frank Heinze, born in 1968, is coordinator of the “Competence Center Forest and Timber 4.0” (“Kompetenzzentrum Wald und Holz 4.0”) at RIF Institute for Research and Transfer e.V. He studied electrical engineering at the Paderborn University, Germany and at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, USA, and business administration at the FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany, and holds degrees in engineering and business administration. For more than 20 years he has been working in research, training, and software development in the fields of engineering, simulation systems and virtual reality, especially for the manufacturing industry and the forestry sector. Before he joined RIF in 2005, he was working at the Institute for Robotics Research at the TU Dortmund University.

Picture Copyright: Andreas Böhm, RIF

Florian Hartsch

Northrhine-Westfalian State Forest Service in Germany

Florian Hartsch works as a Research Associate for the Northrhine-Westfalian State Forest Service in Germany. He is currently working on his PhD-Thesis, which is about optimization potentials in highly mechanized harvesting systems related to improvements of productivity and cost-efficiency. He holds a Bachelor´s degree in Forest Sciences at the University of Göttingen and a Master´s degree in Forest- and Wood Sciences at the Technical University of Munich. Before his studies, he participated in the German state certified forest worker program

Danijela Šarić Bartolović

Head of Department for Programmes and Projects, Competence Centre Ltd.

Danijela Šarić Bartolović holds a bachelor’s degree in economics – Marketing management of the J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Economics. Career started as local consultant for Regional operational plan within the establishment of regional development process in VSC. She further enriched her career through experience in real sector and positions as head of economy and administrative sector and expert for controlling executing various activities related to management, finances, administration and human resource sectors. Since 2018 she is working as a project manager in Competence Centre Ltd. in charge of implementation of H2020 projects ROSEWOOD and ROSEWOOD4.0. Currently, she works as Head of Department for programmes and projects. Main responsibilities are preparation and implementation of business strategy, development and improvement of business processes, preparation and implementation of the Company’s legal acts, business plans and reports, preparation and implementation of projects, and organization, management and responsibility for the performance of tasks within Department (finance, general, legal and personnel affairs).

Climate change in Bangladesh

At a glance Bangladesh Climate change effect and threat

Working with people

One thing have done most of the time is spending my time alone, alone for 365 days, but combination of school and work has made me a Little interactive. I got a scholarship to Learn makeup and hair, I never chose forestry but it chose me and am in love with it.

Leading for sustainability; discovering the best versions of yourself

My story is about overcoming my fears, self-doubt, and weaknesses in my personal, academic and professional spaces. Finding the courage to confront my inner shadows, creating a sense of being internally and preparing myself intellectually to explore and optimize the opportunities that are available to me and those that may be available on my leadership journey as a forester and environmentalist, but most importantly, as a human being who wants to see good in the world.

Result-Oriented: Prioritizing your Schedules

As humans we have alot of tasks to achieve however in many only a few people meet up their targets. This book will guide on how to achieve your multiple tasks with measurable result

Time management

How to manage your time.

Forest science, art

Causes & Effects Forest Environment, Management, Forest Stability, Painting

Discussion and conclusion about forest policy.

Forest policy: from planting to harvest.

Climate Education

I’ve taught thousands of people about the climate emergency. I am going to share with you the best way to teach people about it.

Children Climate conversation

A father and child conversation on the effects of climate change

How the “Bergwaldprojekt” made me fall in love with the forest

Growing up in a rather big city my relation to nature was not that intense. But I always felt that longing for nature deep inside of me. And when I first took part in a “Bergwaldprojekt” it was love at first sight. Since then I volunteered at the project for one year, started studying a degree about Forest Management and am now doing an internship at the subsidary organisation in Catalunya.

Dreaming to be a “real” forester!

The story is about how you could end up in a totally unexpected career! I started to be passionate about nature when I was 6 years old and I joined the scout group close to my hometown. I have been dreaming to become a marine biologist, then a veterinarian and suddenly I started to study environmental sciences in Milan. After my bachelor’s in Italy and master’s abroad (far away in the Nord) the casualty of life brought me back to the South of Italy to study the genetics of trees which I knew little about… I got fully captured by this field and thanks to my mentor I entered the forestry world! Now I am dealing with international forest policies, a never-ending learning process with exciting opportunities and challenges which I am excited to tell you more about! I have a little desire I can share once we meet…

Mixture makes the difference – females in forestry: how to survive and thrive

I´m a 26-year-old PhD student and doing research at the University in the field of forest economics. Coming from a Catholic girls’ school, it took me some time to find my way in the male-dominated forestry sector. I could tell some funny and shocking stories based on gender prejudices, disadvantages, and inequalitites, but I would rather focus on why we need each other’s perspectives to change for the better and what we can learn from each other.

What is work like in digital forestry?

I am happy to share recruitment and working stories of Arbonautees: forest professionals from 20 different countries that work in digital forestry in 40+ countries, based in Finland or elsewhere. This book is interactive, so I will choose the most appropriate stories for the student who borrows me, so that they would be as helpful as possible in her/his career choices. At the same time I will learn to know more forestry students and what they seek from their working life in forestry, real or digital 🙂

Choosing a career path in forestry disciplines

This is to help people navigate the correct channels to find their passion within the variety of different forestry discipline. Forestry is a vast course with many disciplines. Choosing a specific path within the course is difficult. Iam happy to discuss this with students who want some guidance. In here, we can discuss personal traits, academic potential, long-term work balance,

Going web and seeking for the opportunity

It’s all about the experience I’ve learned and the outreach to sharpen the skills. This will help one to grab the opportunity into practical implementation. I believe in exertion rather than just saying a lot. Writing and reading are the two prominent factors for an advance brain living and I keep it precise through an accurate balance between the both.

Small steps at a Time

I am a person who is procrastinate everything but still manages to get things done on time. We all procrastinate our work at some point. I would like to share how I get my work done even after procrastinating. I wish share small tips that will help to reduce procrastinating. Tips that can be used daily to get your work done on time.

Achieve your dream, giving up is not an option.

Many times, I’ve had to avoid moving beyond my comfortable zone and it brought no improvement to my life.
I gave so many excuses not to want to try anything new yet I was interested in becoming a leader. I’ve always wanted to take up positions and serve. I challenged myself and I’ve become proud of myself.
I’ll end by saying, the sky they say is our limit but to me that’s my Comfort zone. Moving beyond the sky to the space is my limit.

The Fear of Unknown!

My experience on World Forestry Congress/Project Learning Tree Canada Green Mentor Program, 2021 as a remote mentee was my very first international interaction. My story is about the leap of faith on uncertainty which changed the way I look at the world now completely! I have been an introvert my whole life and had troubles. But that one step, applying to the program demanded a lot courage and finally I was able to overcome the fear of taking on an unknown challenge and overwhelmed by the experience in a positive manner. This showed me the fear of unknown sometimes restrict our growth, opportunities. So, I intend to explore as much as I can moving forward, taking this experience as a lesson.

Doing research remotely – and successfully!

The COVID-19 pandemic posed major impacts on doing research, especially on social science and quantitative research. In this book, I’ll share the learnings I have from doing research remotely with a group of participants I haven’t met, in a study site I haven’t been to, and in a language that I am not fluent in.

Sport and research

Combining life as a young researcher (PhD student) with that of an amateur triathlete is not always easy. In this living book, I would like to recount my daily and weekly routine (time management). How I achieve it and how I change it depending on my goals in research and sport.

Angmanengkebct

I live in city which converting their farmland into burials when the covid hits. As I move into another provenance, I witnessed the conversion of the glorious forest into monoculture plantation. I sum up what I witnessed by a question: does our glorious forest will end up into our massive burials? If yes, why we don’t try to prepare for the best?!

How to not take your job too seriously

All around me people seem to struggle with pressures; pressure to publish, pressure to save the world, pressure to impress their bosses, pressure to become influential. I believe that taking some distance from your everyday occupation once in a while can help to clear you mind and improve your work at the same time. One way is by doing practical work. This is often undervalued in academia, but without practice, knowledge is void. I find it important to relativize work and to switch between different activities. Ambition alone won’t make you happy.

Make it Happen / Einfach Tun / Fais-le c’est tout

After chasing a dream, working on wildfires for six years, it was time to quit. There were more exciting opportunities on the horizon. Travel, athletics, languages, studies and a career in forestry became top priorities. Doors flew open as I embraced the advice “Make it Happen.” Will it work for you too?

Exploring the wealth of Nature in no man’s land: A true story of resilience

My story is a collection of achievements I have been able to make as a young forester within a year span though not without its down moment but how I have kept the motivation high. I have stories to tell the world but it all starts with the motivation of not giving up.

Green impact, green jobs

While choosing my future profession, I was sure of one thing: I would like to work with forests. I chose something related to forests to study and in 2009 I started my study in Industrial Wood Engineering in Brazil. I learned everything about using wood in a more efficient way. But since my student days, I could see that everywhere where the forest and the wood industry were located, the communities were struggling with the lack of social assistance. My dream is to change this reality and make forest workers profit from the forests, in an economic, environmental, and also social way.

Finding your own path in IFSA, from taking responsibilities to contributing to meaningful actions.

IFSA represents an incredible opportunity for many students, with a diverse array of possibilities offered all over the world. However, because of this, many students often feel overwhelmed in understanding what opportunities are available and what best to take. Similarly, when deciding how to contribute and get actively involved in the organisation, the many activities, responsibilities and positions often sound unclear to some. This is the story of a person who went from studying at a university where nobody knew about IFSA to establishing their Local Committee at university, holding positions in every department of IFSA (among others, the IFSA Board) and organising all sorts of events for and with youth in forestry – both in-person and online.

The Nomadic Forester

My journey is about how forestry chose a young nomadic female pastoralist from a minority Somali community in Kenya and is now happily enjoying her Career in Forestry. I was born, raised and now working and living in the arid North-eastern Kenya as a forestry research scientist with expertise in Agroforestry and sustainable rural development. Amazingly enough post high school education, I was passionate about becoming a medical doctor until God Himself chose forestry field for me which and now made me gain experiences locally and internationally.
My motivation has been undoing the thinking that young Somali female cannot have a career in Forestry as it is a man’s job as well as cannot balance work and other societal commitments such as family, gender-designated roles, future leadership roles. I have received nicknames such as Amina Forest, the modern Pastoralist and the Learned Somali Scientist which have been very conspicuous due to the uniqueness of my personal and professional journey.

Ornithology in Turkey

I am an expert biologist with six years of fieldwork experience. I worked as a field and volunteer coordinator for 3 years in the Turkish Breeding Bird Atlas Project in WWF-Türkiye. I completed my master’s degree from Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology. I completed my master’s degree with the support of a co-advisor from the Department of Biology at ETH University Zurich. I wrote my thesis on “The Pattern of Geographic Variation of Bird Species Richness in Türkiye”, using the data of the Turkish Breeding Bird Atlas. My experience includes documenting biodiversity with systematic methods for the Bird Atlas, researching endangered species within the scope of action plans, conducting migration and collision studies in wind power plants, and working as a nature volunteer in non-governmental organisations. I worked as an ornithologist in a project called “Endangered Species” in short, which has been started by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Nature Conservation and National Parks General Directorate. My main motivation is to keep working on identifying and monitoring species, ensuring their recognition and protection, raising awareness of conservation, which is one of the main tasks of biologists, and expanding my experience.

Enviromental Sustainability

The natural environment which serves as our ecosystem as species refers to the physical surroundings that support life and its processes. The nature and quality of the environment determines our quality of life. The environment has a direct impact on all lives that depend on it for survival. And so, our quality of life also reflects the kind of environment we have created for ourselves as in-living species. We are the real artisans of the environment nature gave us and as species, our actions has direct impact on the environment. In order for continuity and for the sake of posterity, the environment must be kept well in order for it to continue to support lives the dwell within it. The process of ensuring that this happens is referred to as environment sustainability. So my book explores different ways through which we can sustain the environment for now and for generation yet unborn.

The book shares highlights on environmental sustainability from the African perspective and its impact on the continent. It throws more light on approaches, strategies, impacts, challenges and opportunities available for environmental sustainability on the continent.

Unemployed and lost – Navigating the job market

Finished my Master it wasn’t easy to find a job that met my background and impact expectations. Keeping the motivation up while receiving no answers or only regret emails can be very difficult at times, but it is important not to lose hope! The story is on my experience navigating the job market as a fresh graduate.

Working life

I have been jobless for a long time. I had bills to take care of so I decided with my creative as I spread the gospel of restoration I can teach others about river restoration and indigenous plant restoration along the banks. Got to use the remains of the materials to make furniture and sell

Greener Climate Innovations Ghana

Innovative climate change mitigation measures and practices in boosting agriculture production and environmental protection measures by young adults and fresh graduates in Ghana with documented lessons learnt. Inclusive in our book is how our project has been designed implemented including key capacity building and training activities for both project teams and affected groups in our catchment communities in Ghana.

From local to global – The “wrong” path that led me to study international forest governance.

Forestry education in the global south is largely focused on the management of natural (often tropical) forests. Some universities incorporate the socio-economic context but topics such as plantation forestry, landscape forest restoration and international forest governance are still rare. This book tells the story of how a Latin American student refused to follow the predictable path of his bachelor’s degree in forestry to learn about commercial plantations in Brazil, ecological restoration in Panama and international forest governance in Germany. The path was neither easy nor all the time happy, but the author hopes it will inspire future generations of forestry students.

Local Action Global Cities

As an Architect and Designer, it is infinitely more important to me to impact not only policy makers and decisions but also ordinary people on how we live with each other. Being from rural or urban backgrounds one thing is clear, cities are her to stay and and are fostering inequality more and more – we need to make cities engines of solutions and work together. That can be related to nature based activities, production systems, economic and social theories, tech – anything! This discussion is something i am here to foster 🙂

Johanna Klapper

Executive Secretary at IFSA

Johanna is a master student of Forest and Ecosystem Analysis and Modelling at the Georg-August University in Göttingen and has been a member of IFSA since 2020.

She is currently part of the IFSA Board as Executive Secretary, after having served as Regional Representative of Northern Europe for the last year. For the Youth Forest Policy Days, she is co-organizing the Workshop Day and has been involvement in the planning from an early stage.

Johanna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Sciences and is currently working as a trainee at the European Forest Institute (EFI) in Joensuu, Finland, as part of her Master’s Degree. Her interests are in ecosystem modeling, data analysis and web development as well as her voluntary work in IFSA.