Interested in what the day-to-day life of a someone working as a forester looks like? Meet Mitchell Maddock who works as a Forester for HQPlantations in the Toolara State Forest, Queensland.
“The thing I love most about my job is knowing that you’re working in a sustainable and renewable industry, and that I get to be a steward of this forest to allow it to continue to be productive and sustainable for generations to come.”
5.45am
I wake up and get ready for the day, pack my smoko and lunch and watch the news to see what’s
going on in the world, then travel around 20 minutes to Toolara
7.30am
After arriving at the office and making a coffee, I say hello to my fellow colleagues then proceed to check my emails and action any items. As I am the District Fire Warden this also includes writing out fire permits
9.00am
I meet with my team for our weekly work group catchup where we discuss ongoing and upcoming operations ranging from pest management, spraying, site preparation, maintenance, custodial and fire. This catchup is really important as it ensures I know what is going on in the forest and helps me to plan my week. We also discuss recent safety events and observations and talk about how we can work safer.
11.00am
I try and get out into the forest everyday! Most days I am conducting field assessments determine the type of operations required on our land and when might be the best time to do them. Today I am looking at a recently harvested block and ientifying which operations we will need to re-establish the next generation of forest. This might include mechanical operations and weed control.
2.30pm
Most afternoons I spend transferring the information I have collected and decisions I made in the field into our mapping and forest operations systems. This includes planning contractor work programs, budgeting and reporting the work I have completed for the month.
4.30pm
It’s knock off time! I head into Gympie for AFL training where I assist with the junior and women’s training before my training kicks off. I usually get home around 7:45pm.