Forestry | Ag Week 2023 Digital Learning Kit

Learn about Lauren’s role as Operations Forester, which involves managing harvesting contractors and working with drones to conduct surveys of flora and fauna in forests. Hear how technology and innovation have improved daily operations, the safety of workers, and survey methods of plants and animals in an area. 

Traditionally, forestry tasks were performed on foot during the day, but now can be more efficiently carried out during the day and night using drones. 

Learn how drones operate above the tree line and use heat sensors to detect the heat signatures of animals. This imagining is then examined by a Biologist who identifies the species and their habitats. Drones have the ability to detect fallen trees from storm events and the regeneration rates of the forest after harvesting. This information assists with planning forestry processes, and the future sustainability of the forests. 

Lauren describes the training and accreditation processes to fly drones and the exciting opportunities to learn new technologies and innovations. 

Learn how forester Mia Cassidy uses technology, such as a laser heighter, to improve operations and assessments in plantation forests. In the past, measuring tree height was performed manually and was time-consuming, potentially dangerous, and was often inaccurate. This device has improved the accuracy, ease and speed of collecting data throughout a season or over the trees’ lifespan. 

The laser heighter allows many heights to be taken very quickly to provide improved data about how trees grow based on management practices. This data will be used for comparison in the future and to inform management and production decisions to meet the needs of the market and society. 

Learn how Rebecca Cherry’s diverse role as a wood quality engineer allows her to implement innovations, analyse data, and solve problems to ensure the production of high quality, sustainable timber products. 

Hear how the introduction of a vision scanning grading system used to grade structural timber has improved efficiency and safety in the timber grading process. Learn about the importance of categorising timber based on its structural properties and the ways the vision scanning grading system helps to optimise the amount of high quality timber produced, reducing waste and ensuring greater product consistency to meet the needs of consumers. 

This resource was produced as part of PIEFA’s Ag Week 2023 Activities but can be used at any point and incorporated into your lesson plans throughout the year.