A student from the University of Aberdeen is celebrating not only graduating with a degree in Forestry but also winning an inaugural award from UPM Tilhill for her studies.
Katherine Evans-Smith, age 26, from Ovingham in Northumberland, has graduated with a Degree in Forestry and won the award for the Best Forest Management Plan out of all the students on her course. She was presented with a specially carved wooden trophy in the shape of an acorn by UPM Tilhill District Manager Eddie Addis along with a £250 cheque.
As part of the company’s work to strengthen links with budding foresters, UPM Tilhill offers awards to nominated best performing forestry students at leading universities which offer degrees in Forestry. The company also runs a popular graduate placement scheme.
Katherine said: “I am absolutely delighted and most honoured to be the first recipient of the UPM Tilhill award for the Best Forest Management Plan. I feel that it's a great achievement to receive this award. The management plan is regarded by most forestry students as the most important piece of work of the degree and so for my piece of work to be recognised in this way is a great achievement and I feel very proud.”
UPM Tilhill Senior Forest Manager David Hardie commented: “We’re delighted to be supporting Aberdeen University and recognising the hard work of students who are studying forestry. It’s an excellent university which regularly feeds students into our graduate trainee programme.”
Dr Andrew D Cameron, Senior Lecturer in Forestry at Aberdeen University, added: “The Forest management plan is by far the biggest piece of work that the students undertake and focuses on the preparation of a fully costed, professional forest management plan. The skills that they learn from this fit well with those required by the industry. We were very pleased with Katherine’s efforts and she is a worthy winner of the award.”
UPM Tilhill has a long association with Aberdeen University as many of its past and present employees have studied there. Forestry has been taught at Aberdeen since 1907, and brings together the disciplines of forestry, ecology, zoology, and plant science. The Department has an excellent reputation both nationally and internationally.
UPM Tilhill, established more than 60 years ago, is a national company operating from a network of offices throughout the UK. UPM Tilhill is the UK’s largest forest management and timber harvesting company. The company provides a full range of consultancy and contracting services to the forest owner and forestry investor. Further information is available at www.upm-tilhill.com