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I chose the Forestry (distance learning) MSc at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ as a distance learner since I had no prior experience in the field and because I wanted to be able to find work alongside my studies. I also find this option to be practical and flexible. I was keen to learn all about forestry and I am very pleased with the outcome of the Master’s degree so far.

Before forestry, my background was in human resources management, I have a Master's degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Burgundy, France, and extensive experience in human resources project management, learning and development and talent acquisition within leading biotech and healthcare companies. I also have an undergraduate degree, from Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ in French and Tourism, that I graduated from in 2010. After this I lived and worked in France for over 15 years.  

I understood from the beginning of the Forestry (distance learning) MSc that it was about leaning on and learning from each other's skills, especially in the group projects, but also to create a community within the Master's program. I was more than happy to bring my skills and knowledge to the table and thrilled that I was able to share with and learn from my fellow students. It has been very rewarding to journey through the initial six modules of my MSc with fellow students from all over the world learning about different perspectives and practices in forestry. I particularly enjoyed modules that pushed me out of my comfort zone such as the management planning module, but, in which I learned a great deal for my future in forestry, such as ARCGIS.  

After leaving my previous role in human resources, I wanted to develop my skills in forestry through various internships. My studies in Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ increased my interest in all different aspects of forestry and I developed a particular interest in forestry practices in Nordic countries. Since I began the MSc with Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ I have completed two internships in Iceland where I learned about practical and operational aspects of forestry. I also carried out an internship in Finland with international Finnish NGO Snowchange. This was a highly cultural learning experience, where I learned about local and traditional practices through an excursion in Finnish Lapland, allowing me to participate in a field experiment looking into microplastics in the arctic. I also had the opportunity to lead a clean-up event in a local nature reserve. 

These experiences motivated me to do something meaningful in the sector and encouraged me to carry out my Master's dissertation in Iceland. It is an exciting time for forestry in Iceland as forestry develops as a sector and as Iceland focuses on afforestation efforts. I am now living in Iceland, and I am carrying out my Master's dissertation with Icelandic forest research on the impacts of forest fire in Icelandic woodlands. This topic is of particular relevance since Iceland is becoming increasingly greener and its climate is warming. My fieldwork is focusing on the study of forest fire on individual trees after the 2021 forest fire in Heiðmörk nature reserve. I am looking forward to completing my project with the research team here in Iceland this coming September, 2023. 

Alongside my studies, I have been looking for a permanent position and I recently began working for Reykjavik city managing green spaces. My work consists of maintaining green areas, including peri urban woodlands and work groups that carry out operational tasks in the summer. I am particularly interested in the work of Icelandic forest research, and in forest management in Iceland in general.

I am proud of where the Forestry (distance learning) MSc has taken me so far and, after graduating at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ, I would be keen to continue developing my skills in forestry, especially in Nordic countries.