Women in Wood celebrates 10-year anniversary

Women in Wood – a network created to bring together passionate women from across Canada and around the world who work in, with and for the woods – celebrated its 10th anniversary with over 100 women from across the forest sector at an event at Fleming College on October 18.

The event was highlighted by a panel featuring Women in Wood co-founders Jess Kaknevicius, CEO of Forests Canada, and Lacey Rose, Registered Professional Forester with County of Renfrew, along with Vanessa Nhan, Lead Forest Analyst at Silvacom, and Eleanor Reed, Forests Canada Field Advisor. The panel was moderated by Astrid Nielsen, owner of Dendron Forestry Services.

“It was an amazing opportunity to be joined by women I admire and respect and for all of us to reflect on ten years of growth and impact in the Women in Wood community,” Kaknevicius says. “Being able to celebrate this milestone and connect with the next generation was uplifting and created a sense of hope”.

“What an incredible experience to gather together and celebrate with over 100 like-minded women in all stages and types of careers in the forest sector,” Rose says. “The most remarkable thing was to witness the new connections being made and imagine how those relationships will help propel the careers of the next generation of Women in Wood. I’m also grateful that many of the women I’ve admired throughout my career were in attendance to deliver workshops and share their knowledge. The power of this community was certainly evident at the event, thanks to everyone who attended.”

“It was inspiring to join the Women in Wood 10-year anniversary celebration and see how far this incredible community has come. The passion and perseverance of women in forestry continues to break barriers and open doors for future generations. I’m proud that our government, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, was able to support events like this, helping create more opportunities for women to thrive in this sector,” Dawn Gallagher Murphy, MPP for Newmarket–Aurora, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, says.

Beyond marking their 10th anniversary, Women in Wood also celebrated being named as the recipient of the Forest Products Association of Canada’s 2025 Partnership Award. The award recognized Women in Wood for demonstrating exceptional collaboration and leadership in supporting Canada’s forest sector and the people and communities it serves.

Women in Wood is a volunteer-run community of over 3,700 women with three main objectives: to build a community of women who work with, in and for the woods; to encourage women to pursue careers in the forest, wood and related sectors; and to help those women succeed in their career goals by collaborating for success, sharing information, improving skills, and navigating the workplace. Learn more at www.womeninwood.ca.