About me
I’m 48 years old and I live in Näsviken, where the beautiful Dellen lake system flows out into the sea, about 15 km west of Hudiksvall. I share a house with my wife and two children. I’m originally from Eskilstuna, but I’ve spent the majority of my life since the age of 20 north of the Dalälven river. As with most people who have young children, much of my free time is spent at home with my family. When I get the chance, I’m most likely to head off into the forest and countryside. It doesn’t really matter what form the activity takes, as long as I’m outdoors and I’ve got my coffee with me.
My workplace
I work as production manager silviculture, known more generally as silviculture manager, in the Central Region’s silviculture department. There are currently six regular production managers + our boss and we are spread out from Länna in Uppland to Sveg in Härjedalen. This means that we usually have to discuss silviculture issues over the phone or online, but it makes it even more fun when we actually meet in person. I am based at the office in Delsbo, but I also work outdoors in the areas recently prepared for regeneration or forest ready for pre-commercial thinning.
My working day
So what does a silviculture manager like me do? I’m responsible for conducting silviculture measures in Holmen’s own forest and for private suppliers within a set geographical area. The term silviculture includes soil preparation, planting and thinning of young forest. Our duties include contract negotiation, production planning, follow-up, invoicing and keeping everyone up to date, among other things. We also run training courses and occasionally take part in various development projects. Operations in the forests are now beginning to kick into full gear and a glimpse at the calendar this week shows a field visit with a contractor, quality follow-ups, reconnaissance ahead of upcoming excursions, and there will probably also be a little invoicing, along with more spontaneous matters that will require our attention. I have, for example, just returned from a visit to a supplier who had some feedback on a completed beeting programme, but we managed to resolve the issues to everyone’s satisfaction!
Check of own follow-up in pre-commercial thinning
Getting ready for the soil preparation season with our contractors
A silviculture year. One dot – one task
Silviculture at Holmen
Working in silviculture puts you in a position to help shape elements of the forest’s cycle at its most critical points. It’s hard not to feel your heart sing when you see the tender seedlings make it through the first critical regeneration period, but also to experience the newly thinned young forest, with the remaining stems given the extra space they need to grow. I find it something of a mystery that anyone interested in forestry wouldn’t want to work in this area.
The variety in the working environment and the work itself, not to mention the opportunity to manage your own working week, are major benefits of being a silviculture manager at Holmen. The fact that Holmen takes silviculture work very seriously and is also active in driving progress on these issues is important to me.
And finally
We have a motto in our department: we have fun at work while also creating Sweden’s best young forests! I hope this will be fully appreciated somewhere down the line – maybe the seedlings we plant today will provide the solid frame for our children’s new homes or make up the pages of your favourite magazine. Until next time!