Brand-new forestry management grad Ross Hobbs was having quite an eventful year even before he met the Prince of Wales at the royal's official London residence, and then began an internship with the prince's Duchy of Cornwall.
In June, Hobbs graduated with a BSc in Forestry with Distinction and picked up four major awards: the Canadian Institute of Forestry's Gold Medal in Forestry, the Dean's Medal in ALES, the Wood Science and Technology Prize, and the David Angus Graham Memorial Scholarship.
Although, "picked up" is a misnomer because Hobbs spent the last semester of his undergraduate degree at the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch, New Zealand, studying policy and environmental issues concerning exotic radiata pine plantations.
When his studies there wrapped up in November, Hobbs spent some time travelling through Australia where, in January, he was interviewed by a Sydney-based video channel. The former forest firefighter for the government of Alberta has training as an emergency medical responder and had just assisted in the late-night rescue of a man who had suffered a spinal injury in the water at Coogee Beach.
Still, on June 10 the most exhilarating period of the year began for Hobbs. He, another Canadian and two British forestry grads were personally congratulated by Prince Charles for being the inaugural recipients of the Prince of Wales Forest Leadership Award.
"I was incredibly excited when I won this award," said Hobbs, via email. One of his career aspirations, he said, is to work in international forest sustainability and management, but temporary jobs are scarce and also difficult to obtain on temporary work visas.
However, this award is actually a summer internship that allows top students to learn more about sustainable forest management, through placements in each other's countries for interdisciplinary forestry experience in policy, planning and field work. Their tasks will range from harvest block and road layout to silviculture-related data collection, plus modelling and analysis, tree planting and nursery husbandry.
Hobbs will spend the majority of his time in Wales with forestry consultants Pryor and Rickett Silviculture, and the balance learning about the sustainable management of the Duchy of Cornwall's woodland estates. Meanwhile, the UK students will study forestry in B.C. and in Ontario's Algonquin Park.
"I have already visited and inspected forest operations in both Wales and England," Hobbs said. "The forests here are much smaller and more intensely managed, with a broader range of species than I am used to in Alberta. I have a lot to learn here and it's a great opportunity."
The experience is accompanied by a $12,000 bursary. In return, participants will maintain a blog during the exchange and produce an article afterwards.
Hobbs - who also holds a Forest Technologist honours diploma from NAIT, was actively involved in the U of A's academic community as the president of the Forest Society, and has worked as both a seasonal firefighter and a full-time wildfire ranger - certainly deserves recognition for his leadership in the field of forestry, said Alex Drummond, a lecturer and the Department of Renewable Resources' facilities and camp coordinator.
"He's represented our program so well for many years now, so it's rewarding to see him get such a prestigious internship," said Drummond.
But despite his ease with industry professionals and his calm during an emergency rescue, the invitation to meet Prince Charles prompted a slight case of the nerves, acknowledged Hobbs.
"It's funny, I was more worried about the meeting than I was moving to work in a country I had never been to before," he said.
The forest leadership award is run by the Duchy of Cornwall, the Institute of Chartered Foresters and the Canadian Institute of Forestry, with sponsorship from the TD Bank Group.
In June, Hobbs graduated with a BSc in Forestry with Distinction and picked up four major awards: the Canadian Institute of Forestry's Gold Medal in Forestry, the Dean's Medal in ALES, the Wood Science and Technology Prize, and the David Angus Graham Memorial Scholarship.
Although, "picked up" is a misnomer because Hobbs spent the last semester of his undergraduate degree at the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch, New Zealand, studying policy and environmental issues concerning exotic radiata pine plantations.
When his studies there wrapped up in November, Hobbs spent some time travelling through Australia where, in January, he was interviewed by a Sydney-based video channel. The former forest firefighter for the government of Alberta has training as an emergency medical responder and had just assisted in the late-night rescue of a man who had suffered a spinal injury in the water at Coogee Beach.
Still, on June 10 the most exhilarating period of the year began for Hobbs. He, another Canadian and two British forestry grads were personally congratulated by Prince Charles for being the inaugural recipients of the Prince of Wales Forest Leadership Award.
"I was incredibly excited when I won this award," said Hobbs, via email. One of his career aspirations, he said, is to work in international forest sustainability and management, but temporary jobs are scarce and also difficult to obtain on temporary work visas.
However, this award is actually a summer internship that allows top students to learn more about sustainable forest management, through placements in each other's countries for interdisciplinary forestry experience in policy, planning and field work. Their tasks will range from harvest block and road layout to silviculture-related data collection, plus modelling and analysis, tree planting and nursery husbandry.
Hobbs will spend the majority of his time in Wales with forestry consultants Pryor and Rickett Silviculture, and the balance learning about the sustainable management of the Duchy of Cornwall's woodland estates. Meanwhile, the UK students will study forestry in B.C. and in Ontario's Algonquin Park.
"I have already visited and inspected forest operations in both Wales and England," Hobbs said. "The forests here are much smaller and more intensely managed, with a broader range of species than I am used to in Alberta. I have a lot to learn here and it's a great opportunity."
The experience is accompanied by a $12,000 bursary. In return, participants will maintain a blog during the exchange and produce an article afterwards.
Hobbs - who also holds a Forest Technologist honours diploma from NAIT, was actively involved in the U of A's academic community as the president of the Forest Society, and has worked as both a seasonal firefighter and a full-time wildfire ranger - certainly deserves recognition for his leadership in the field of forestry, said Alex Drummond, a lecturer and the Department of Renewable Resources' facilities and camp coordinator.
"He's represented our program so well for many years now, so it's rewarding to see him get such a prestigious internship," said Drummond.
But despite his ease with industry professionals and his calm during an emergency rescue, the invitation to meet Prince Charles prompted a slight case of the nerves, acknowledged Hobbs.
"It's funny, I was more worried about the meeting than I was moving to work in a country I had never been to before," he said.
The forest leadership award is run by the Duchy of Cornwall, the Institute of Chartered Foresters and the Canadian Institute of Forestry, with sponsorship from the TD Bank Group.