Tree Marker Profile: Lacey Rose

Tree marking involves the careful selection of trees for harvest, based on a forest management prescription. In order to mark trees on Crown land in Ontario, a certification is required. The individuals who hold this certification are known as ‘Tree Markers.’

In order to get a better sense of what tree marking entails, Forests Ontario interviewed a series of tree markers across the province.

Lacey Rose is a professional forester. She grew up in a northern mining town in Labrador where she spent a lot of time in the woods. After receiving a Bachelor of Science and Forestry (BScF) from the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, she moved to Ontario and became a forester intern for the MNR (2007/08), where she took Level 1 of the Tree Marking Training Program. At that time, the beginning of her career, Lacey learned about forestry in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region.

Why did you take the tree marking course?

When I was in the Forester Internship program, I wanted to take as much training as possible and to learn as much as I could. I was encouraged to take the tree marking course to improve my field knowledge, and it was honestly one of the most informative courses that I have ever taken.

At the time, I had no plan to do tree marking as a job – I just wanted to learn.

Did you have a favourite part of the course?

I was most impressed with the wildlife component, delivered by Brian Naylor, which really increased my interest for working in the woods.

How often do you use the skills you learned in the tree marking program?

I use those skills very often! They are very practical.

What type of person do you think is well-suited to be a tree marker?

Someone who likes to be outside and who enjoys physical work. Someone who enjoys solving problems and who can adapt to different situations with relative ease.

You use a lot of forestry principles, so it’s great for people who have done a forestry program and want to put the theory they’ve learnt into action. Tree marking is a great path to pursue.

Why should people check out this course?

Tree marking leads you to have a better understanding about how forest ecosystems work, how forests develop, and you develop a keen eye for detail. It seems there is a real shortage of these skills at the moment, so employment opportunities are available.

I think that everyone should know about the opportunities that exist within the forest sector.

Visit https://treemarking.com/ to learn more about the certification through the Tree Marker Training Program.

You can follow Lacey on Twitter @littlestforestr

Check out a video of Lacey tree marking here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfrziDXxBfA

Lacey Rose took tree marker training while she worked as an intern at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources