Studying forestry in Finland

[BrandonTN]

Hey everybody. Yep, you read the title right, I'm thinking about spending my senior year next year doing an exchange program in Finland. Financially, there is a chance it could be possible because I'd be paying my Tennessee school's tuition while spending two semesters at a Finnish school.
Of course, I have some second thoughts about it, but I feel like I need to just do it.  The con- side of the pros and cons is that I'd be missing some courses from my TN school....that is my main concern. (well, that and leaving behind a girl I'm dating).

The two possible universities are in Helsinki (the capitol), and Joensuu, a smaller town, further north and closer to the Russian border. The idea of becoming familiar with a boreal forest, a colder climate, and a generally different culture is highly appealing to me (for working on a master's I'm thinking of either Toronto or Oregon).

I hear forestry in Finland is "pretty darn good"....do I hear correctly??
Anyone know anything specifically that Finns excel at in forestry?
Basically, I'd appreciate some advice/encourgement/discouragement/wisdom or anything you feel I should take into account in making this decision. Thanks!

[Jeff]

I expect you to take us all with you. (virtually)

[VT]

Brandon, Go 4 it !!!!!!!!!!

Your 27 , and you will get to see the what life is like out of USA , then i would pick Canada for it's second stint of working on a master's..

I have worked in many country's around the world , if i was young again , I'd be going. I'm old , married , and my responsibility's to my Family is here. 

I don't know how to answer the dating part, but dating , is just that .

VT

[Tom]

Member TW is the closest thing we have to a Finn.  He's in Osterbotten, finland

[Gary_C]

Finland seems to excel in modern logging techniques as they make full use of forests including the stumps.  My understanding is they are all mechanized with cut to length equipment and I am very familiar with the Ponsse forestry machines which come from Finland.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, Finland is well versed in sustainable forestry and timber harvesting practices.

http://www.foresters.org/finland.htm

[clearcut]

Minä en puhu suomea

I think that's how it's spelled.

Many years ago I had the great fortune to visit forestry school near Rovaniemi. The people were extraordinarily friendly. They we eager to show off their forest management to visiting foresters.

The language is challenging. The beer is delicious but expensive. And there is nothing like running out of a Finnish sauna and jumping into a river that has chunks of ice floating in it.

When I visited, about 1/3 of the economy was directly related to forest management. They took forestry logging seriously. Logs were still being floated down the Kemijoki.

GO!

[BrandonTN]

Thanks guys. I like what I'm hearing. 

[Dodgy Loner]

Brandon, if you have the opportunity to travel abroad and gain valuable experience and have it not cost you an arm and a leg, you will not regret it .  I travelled to New Zealand and Brazil while in forestry school, and they were two of the best decisions I ever made.  When I was looking into grad school, I knew I wanted a project that would take me outside the country, and because of the relationships that the professors at UGA have in Brazil and Scandinavia, I knew that those were my two best options.  Although I ended up in Brazil, I still want to go to Scandinavia at some point in my life.  Go for it!

[WAP Man]

Brandon - Don't pass up this oppurtunity up. The Finns have been practicing sound forest managment for centuries. This past summer we had 2 forestry exchange students ( 2nd and 3rd year forest engineers) working for us . Before they returned to their homeland they gave us a slide/powerpoint presentation of Forestry in Finland.
 In Finland before a landowner can clearcut/harvest a piece of their land , it first has to be approved by the Forestry Dept. The approval requires a silviculture plan as well as a approved harvesting contaactor..
Of course the have a lot fewer species ( mostly Norway Spruce/Pine and White Birch ) compared to us ....
If you are serious about a career in Forestry you can't pass this up !
Also, their college/university education is FREE .... ,but I think their taxes are quite high

All the best !

[beenthere]

And note the Govt. control of what every one must do, before cutting their trees.

We can heed some of the warning signs here...our moves to more and more certified forest lands are happening here   ...slowly, but surely. 

You will get some good and valuable training and experience.

[Gary_C]

We can heed some of the warning signs here...our moves to more and more certified forest lands are happening here   ...slowly, but surely. 

The move to certification is not going as slow as you might think. The pulp and paper mills that have embraced certified wood and chain of custody are still going strong in this poor economy. The others that have not are playing catch up.

[WDH]

DO IT!!

[ID4ster]

Go for it. I know that I'd be intersted in finding out if they have employed the same spruce silviculture methods that other countries to the south have done. The spruce silviculture, along with removing all the forest litter for animal bedding, has really messed up the soils down there. It'll be curious to see what is happening in Finland. You may also learn more about small logging equipment in Finland than in the US or Canada. That education is going to come in handy in the coming years. All in all I'd go if I were you. It's an education that you can't get elsewhere.

[SwampDonkey]

The move to certification is not going as slow as you might think. The pulp and paper mills that have embraced certified wood and chain of custody are still going strong in this poor economy. The others that have not are playing catch up.

It's coming if it hasn't already arrived. Most every province has certification and chain of custody requirements on public lands. In New Brunswick, woodlots are not certified yet, but wood has a chain of custody system where the responsibility has been put onto the truckers. Where is most our markets? The US. So brace your feet.

[BrandonTN]

  That's it, I'm pumped. I've made up my mind. I'm gonna try 100% to go. If it's meant to be then so be it. 

 

[beenthere]

Great. Go for it.

And if you go, please take us with you...