Who are Tomorrow's Foresters and What do They Want? A Sociologist Looks at Two Forestry Schools

A survey of first and final year students at the UBC and Lakehead Schools of Forestry suggests that forestry students are much more idealistic about their profession and less materialistic than they are generally given credit for, particularly when compared with students in engineering or business administration. Whether or not their idealism will greatly influence the forestry world of the future will depend on how effectively they learn to communicate, public understanding and support on forestry issues, and the ability of professional associations to enhance the influence and visibility of the profession.