Faces of Forestry is a new initiative of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) to highlight people doing great work to enhance our forests throughout British Columbia. This month, we feature Erin Robinson, Forestry Initiatives Manager at The City of Quesnel.

“I remember learning in school that we would eventually face a time of ecological change so drastic that we would no longer be able to ignore it – and then in 2017, it was on our doorstep. During the 2017 wildfires, I remember thinking, ‘Should I move my family away from here?’ and then I realized, there is no longer anywhere we can move to that isn’t facing an ecological crisis. 

The Forestry Innovation Centre is located in the City Hall of Quesnel and from inception in January 2019, I’ve held the position of Forestry Initiatives Manager. The Forestry Innovation Centre is excellent for fuel management and FireSmart. We also support research and innovation in landscape management and forest product manufacturing. I’ve always been interested in land and resource management from a social science perspective for most of my academic and working career. 

I chose this current career because, in my opinion, the pest outbreaks, wildfires and floods we are experiencing, while they have ecological explanations, are inherently social problems with social solutions.  I believe forestry has an integral role in restoring the ecosystems we rely on for continued human survival. I want to thank the Forest Enhancement Society BC for all the work they have enabled in Quesnel, the surrounding region and the province.”

– Erin Robinson, Forestry Initiatives Manager, City of Quesnel

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Erin obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology and an interdisciplinary Master’s in Natural Resource Management and Anthropology, focusing on community forestry, from the University of Northern British Columbia. Her thesis The Cross-Cultural Collaboration of the Community Forest used the Likely Xats’ull Community Forest (LXCF) as a case study. For eight years, Erin was part of the LXCF Board of Directors and she has published peer-reviewed articles on the topics of community forestry.