Two pupils from John Beddoes School, Presteigne have been finding out what it’s like to be a forester on a week’s work experience with Forestry Commission Wales.
The two 15 year old pupils, Dean Hadfield and Jess Morris, have spent their placement out and about in Radnor Forest where they learnt how Forestry Commission Wales looks after the woodlands it manages on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government.
Dean and Jess spent a day with the harvesting team, observing how trees are felled for timber and how the ground is prepared for planting new trees.
Wildlife Ranger Colin Cresswell enlisted their help to carry out maintenance work to the bird and bat boxes that are installed throughout Radnor Forest to offer homes to wildlife.
They then went back to school for the day when they joined Education Ranger Kate Elias at a Forest School event with 17 children from Treowen CP School who were using the outdoor environment of the forest as a classroom..
Nick Whythe, Forestry Commission Wales’s Area Manager, said, “The forest sector employs thousands of people in Wales and offers a variety of career opportunities across a broad range of professions.
“By offering work experience to local school pupils like Dean and Jess, we can give them an idea of the career opportunities available within Forestry Commission Wales and the forest sector as a whole.”
