Classroom to the forest: Scholars gain industry experience [NZ]Friday 11 Sep 2026
Recent scholar updates highlight the range of opportunities available through industry connections, from working on real forest sites and research projects to internships, field trips and student competitions. The experiences are giving students the chance to put their studies into practice and build a better understanding of the sector. Final-year Forestry Science student Cruz Dawson is working with Matariki Forests on a dissertation investigating alternative forest growth modelling systems, while James Garrill has been developing harvest plans for real forest sites and exploring engineered wood products alongside his research into radiata pine breeding and pulp fibre characteristics. For others, the experience has been more hands-on. Whanarua Edmonds and his team took out the top prize in the Advanced Wood Processing student competition, while Jasmine Hagan gained exposure to forest operations, processing facilities and research sites during a field trip through the southern North Island. Ruby Sumner has combined study with a management case study for MPI, a GIS internship and Honours research into the social impacts of forestry employment. Ethan Steele has gained experience across harvesting, forest monitoring and rural firefighting, as well as an internship covering quality control, silviculture and forest management. The stories show how industry connections are helping students apply what they learn in the classroom to the practical realities of forestry and wood processing. Read more scholar stories and see what the latest WIDE Trust scholars have been getting up to:
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