Selkirk College Forestry Graduates Receive Recognition
The 2010 graduates from the Selkirk College Forest Technology program received their Silver Rings from the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF) at a ceremony held at the Castlegar campus in early April.
The CIF, which is the only national organization of forest practitioners in Canada, offers the Silver Ring as a welcome to the profession of forestry and is a symbol of achievement in having completed a recognized forestry program. The rings are marked with a leaf, symbolic of forest ecosystems and their inherent values.
“The Silver Ring Ceremony is one of the obvious highlights for the students and for myself as an instructor,” says Renewable Resources faculty member, Carol Andrews. “It marks the successful completion of the program and serves as a constant, friendly reminder of what the students have learned and what they should take with them as they move into the professional world.”
In addition to the Silver Ring, the Institute also presents a Gold Medal to a graduating student for outstanding scholarship, sportsmanship and citizenship throughout the years of the program. This year, the Selkirk College Gold Medal went to John Forrest of Victoria, BC. John was selected by his instructors and peers as the graduate who best exemplifies the spirit and goals of the CIF and Selkirk College. His hard work, dedication and commitment to professionalism were recognized by the award.
The ceremony held at Selkirk College was an intimate gathering, with thirteen graduating students and their friends and family attending, as well as VP of Academic and Student Development, Angus Graeme, Chair of the School of Renewable Resources, Peter Schroder, and faculty and staff of the Forest Technology program. Parents and family came from as far away as Prince Edward Island and Sacramento, California, to enjoy the ceremony. A short film produced by the students recalling their recent coast trip to Bamfield, BC, provided guests with a wonderful glimpse of student life in the Forest Technology program.
All graduates from recognized forestry baccalaureate and technology programs celebrate this Silver Ring Ceremony across Canada at this time of year. The first Silver Ring ceremony was held in 1953, at UBC and by 1967 was adopted by the other three forestry schools (University of New Brunswick, University of Toronto and Laval). In 2002, the Institute welcomed graduates from technology schools. Selkirk College has been celebrating this event each spring since that time.
For more information on the Forest Technology program and the School of Renewable Resources, call 250.365.7292 ext. 378 or visit www.selkirk.ca/programs/rr.
First published on April 23, 2010
