Newsletter

Okanagan/Shuswap Highlights
Debbie Sluggett (Educational Liaison: Bell Pole, Tolko, LP Canada, Downie, RCFC)
Jennifer Stewart (Educational Liaison: Tolko - Riverside)
Debbie Bazett (Forest Education Coordinator, COFI - Southern Operations)

A Forest Educator’s Legacy

Jeannie Steele with Wayne Lintott from the Interior Logging Association and Educational Liaison, Deb Sluggett.

A number of past and present associates of Okanagan forest educator, Jeannie Steele, gathered at the home of Deb Sluggett in March to honour Jeannie’s significant contributions to forest education over more than a decade. As the educational liaison for Riverside Forest Products, Jeannie built the forest education program from its fledgling beginnings, working with Theresa White at the Interior Lumber Manufacturers’ Association to its expansion as Deb Sluggett and her group of company supporters came on board.

With these two women leading the way, forest education quickly started to build into a thriving program, with thousand of students and teachers benefiting each year from their efforts. National Forest Week projects, Teachers’ Professional Day events, videos, a forest education website, career fairs, conferences, teaching resources, a new forest educator network across the southern interior- there was no project too big for this pair!! As a result, their reputation for success began to be well-known in the southern interior.

It was with this history of accomplishment that an enthusiastic group of Jeannie’s supporters and associates, past and present, from forest science and WoodLINKS teachers to forest educators, Canadian Women in Timber, Council of Forest Industries and the Interior Logging Association came together, to regale the group with stories about their days of working with Jeannie and to present her with tokens of their appreciation of her dedication to forest education.

Even though Riverside Forest Products has now become Tolko Industries, Jeannie’s hard work and dedication and her vision of bringing knowledge and understanding to educators and students will continue on with succeeding forest educators. As for Jeannie, she will be on the golf links, the ski hill or the tennis court or in her garden enjoying her favourite hobbies and sports. However, we will endeavour to bring her back to the forest education scene. We like to think of her as our special projects coordinator and expert consultant with an abundance of valuable experience to share!!

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