VANCOUVER - National Forest Week (NFW) 2012 was Sept. 23-29 but all of the ABCFP's NFW contests continue until Oct. 19 so take a photo and have your children submit their pictures or essays for great prizes! The Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) wants young people to celebrate National Forest Week so it is hosting an essay contest.
The essay contest is open to students aged 13 to 18 and carries a top prize of $300 (as well as two runner-up prizes of $150 each). Students are invited to write a short essay about what the forest means to them or to the province of BC. They might choose to write about recreational opportunities, the environment, the economic benefits or the cultural aspects of the forests or a combination of these factors.
Young people can also sign up for the ABCFP's START program which is designed to give high school and post-secondary students a head START on their way to becoming forest professionals. This free subscription gives students the ABCFP's magazine, BC Forest Professional, and the e-newsletter, The Increment, in addition to getting a discount on some association training events such as the annual conference.
"This contest is a great way for students to get a taste of forestry," says Steve Lorimer, RPF, president of the ABCFP. "We encourage students to look around their communities and tell us about the impact forestry has on them."
Visit the ABCFP website to find the essay contest rules or to sign up for a free START subscription, www.abcfp.ca.
The Association of BC Forest Professionals, established in 1947, is the largest professional forestry association in Canada with more than 5,400 members. The association registers and regulates professional foresters and forest technologists under authority of the provincial Foresters Act.