27 May 2022

Blog: Meet Heather, one of our Woodland Officers

The Woodland Officer role is right at the heart of supporting the growth of woodlands in Scotland. 

We speak to Heather, who is one of our Woodland Officers covering Perth & Argyll.

Heather Fraser 2

Describe your job in 3 words
Engaging. Collaborative. Challenging.

What does your role involve?
A bit of everything, but I would say the main parts of my role centre around sustainable forest management, the Environmental Impact Assessment, grant funding and felling. I work with both the public and private forestry sectors as part of the regulatory body ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and the UK Forestry Standard.

What does a typical day look like in your role?
There isn’t really a typical day! Depending on what the priority of the day is I could be on site completing inspections related to grant funding, speaking to forestry agents about their woodland creation proposal in any number of beautiful locations, in a Teams meeting about a sensitive project, or reviewing grant applications, long term forest plans or any other number of things!

What is your favourite part of the job?
The variety. People, places, work, motivations and ways of thinking about issues. It really makes the day interesting. I learn something new just about every day, whether it’s a process, history of a site, a new contact or technical forestry knowledge. I always like to be learning something new, and Scottish Forestry really is a place that allows me to do that.

Heather Fraser 4 1

What are the best things about working for Scottish Forestry?
How welcoming everyone is, having joined Scottish Forestry during the pandemic, I have felt as if I am part of the team from day 1. Due to the variety of the role as well as the projects in the sector, there is no mundane day!

What did you do/work as before working with Scottish Forestry?
I worked for a forest management company.

What would you want someone to know that’s thinking of applying for a similar role?
It is one of the best career choices I have ever made, and I have made a few over the years. Having experience of both the public and the private sector helps give you a more rounded understanding of the sector and the priorities and motivations of both side of the fence. You also get to visit a wide range of forestry projects and sites often in scenic areas, getting you away from your desk with a breath of fresh air, what’s not to love!

 
Vacancies
You can find out more about current vacancies in Scottish Forestry here.