Fieldays® Forestry Hub
Engaging experiences, educational sessions, job opportunities and more.
Location: Site G80
Discover engaging experiences on forestry growing, climate change, wood products, timber construction, biosecurity and biodiversity.
Transforming trees and wood
Visitors to Fieldays have the opportunity to learn about the forestry sector from multiple forestry sector organisations and companies under one roof.
Under the theme of ‘Wood – our low-carbon future’, the Fieldays Forestry Hub is a dedicated space at Fieldays giving visitors the chance to explore the many facets of the forestry and wood processing sector and how the sector has a vital role in mitigating climate change.
Full details of the exhibitors can be found on the Fieldays App.
Engagement Sessions
Join us for engaging sessions with experts in the industry at the Fieldays Forestry Hub.
In 2024 Sessions ran at the following times:
| Time | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00am – 10:30am | Smart manufacturing, industrial biotechnology and forestry - Marc Gaugler, Scion | Wood – Building our Future - Mark Ross, WPMA | |
| 10:00am - 11am | Vision for the industry + Q&A session | ||
| 1:00pm - 1:30pm | Re-forest your land and get paid for it - options beyond a traditional pine plantation - Chris Myers, Forever Forests | ||
| 2:00pm – 2:30pm | Tāne's Tree Trust and the merits of native forestry in New Zealand - Peter Berg, Tāne’s Tree Trust | Re-forest your land and get paid for it - options beyond a traditional pine plantation - Chris Myers, Forever Forests | Kiwi love Plantation forests too - Craig Balsom |
| 3:00pm - 3:30pm | Planting native trees for better outcomes, more efficiently and cost-effectively - Ted Ries, Balanced Forestry | Predator control to benefit Kiwi and biodiversity in forests - John Bissell, Save the Kiwi’s Predator Control Specialist |
Potential of trees and wood on display at 2024 Fieldays Forestry Hub
Experience what it's like to operate machinery in a forest
Visitors of all ages can experience what it’s like to operate machinery in a forest by having a go with the very popular forestry simulator.
Forestry sector a major employer in NZ
The hub is a collaboration between Fieldays and an advisory group comprising of Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, Forest Growers Levy Trust, Scion, NZ Forest Owners Association, NZ Farm Forestry Association and Future Foresters.
Hub spokesperson Alex Wilson says that the multi-billion-dollar forestry sector is a major employer in New Zealand, employing over 35,000 people in both year-round and seasonal jobs.
“We wish to reach landowners with the message that farm forestry is working well for our members and is an important option for future sustainable land use in New Zealand.”
Job opportunities
"People of all ages and abilities can find great careers in this sector - from planting and managing native forests and looking after the forest environment, to managing people and resources and working with state-of-the-art technology," says Graham West.
“ We’re entering an exciting phase in forestry and wood processing, which is creating huge employment opportunities „
“We’d also like to open people’s minds up to the possibilities of trees – anything that’s a fossil fuel today can be made from a tree in the future. We’ll have bioplastic vine clips, leather shoes tanned with pine bark tannin, biofuel insights and a showcase of how drone technology is a game changer,” Alex Wilson says.
Farm Forestry Association president, Graham West, says FFA strongly supports the Fieldays Forestry Hub and has been heavily engaged in its design and development. The farm forestry section of the hub has experts and practical information available on multiple plantation species, with a focus on Redwoods, Eucalypts, Cypresses, Poplar and Willow, and Radiata pine.
“ The hub is all about sharing information, so that forestry is better understood and those farmers that want to can be better informed before investing. „
Fieldays Forestry Hub FAQs
The Fieldays Forestry Hub has a wide range of industry jobs across the Food and Fibre sector. Visit site G80.
Activate the Careers & Education Trail layer on the map on the Fieldays App to find exhibitors on the Fieldays Careers & Education Trail with info and opportunities to discuss with you.
The Fieldays Careers & Education Hub has a wide range of industry jobs across the food and fibre sector. Visit site E30.
“We’re so lucky to have these companies and organisations here to showcase themselves and show how an interest in forestry can quickly become a career.”
Children are encouraged to visit the Fieldays Forestry Hub, with the launch of the ‘Kids Grow a Tree’ campaign. Children will be given a young potted tree to take home and look after. Forestry experts will keep in contact with this next generation of tree growers and will offer advice on how to look after and nurture their trees.
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