INTRODUCING FLYNN GREEN.

Forestry runs through four generations of Flynn’s family tree.

Flynn Green thrives on being outdoors. Hailing from Nelson, New Zealand, he’s a huge fan of diving, fishing, hunting, surfing and camping. Not surprisingly, he’s also passionate about environmental issues, and he’s confident that this syncs perfectly with his interest in forestry science.

“My grandfather and great grandfather were loggers, and so are my dad and his cousin, so I’ve always wanted to get into logging or harvesting,” he says. “I love being outdoors and I’m interested in finding ways that forestry can have a positive impact on the environment.” Flynn successfully applied to join the OneFortyOne Scholarship Program when he was in his final year of high school. “I really wanted the scholarship, so I applied early and spoke with the student who held the scholarship at the time to find out more about it.”

The OneFortyOne Scholarship Program aims to introduce young high achievers to the potential of the industry, build a skilled workforce and develop future leaders. Each year, students local to the Green Triangle Region of Australia or Nelson Marlborough Region of New Zealand have the opportunity to kickstart a career in the ultimate renewable industry of forestry and milling. Scholarships are offered to students commencing study in fields including Science (Forestry), Forest Engineering, Environmental Science, Resource Management, Mechanical or Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Agriculture.

Flynn is now heading into his fourth year of a Bachelor of Forestry Science at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch but for the past three summers he has returned to Nelson to work as a casual employee with OneFortyOne. The scholarship provides funding towards living and university costs but Flynn says the work experience and exposure to so many parts of the organisation have been equally valuable. “It’s been awesome,” he says. “I’d never been inside a forestry organisation before this experience and I now understand how many moving parts there are. It’s so exciting. The work here makes everything I’m studying click.”

In his casual role, Flynn conducts stream monitoring at OneFortyOne forest sites. “We monitor stream health, water quality, fish diversity, bank vegetation and erosion. The information is entered into a database, which provides an annual gauge of whether forestry is having an impact on waterways,” he says. “So many exciting things are happening in the industry. I’m definitely lucky to have the scholarship so I can get an overview of the industry. The scholarship and my work experience have showed me how many different paths are possible.”