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University student sees research potential in forest sector

The 21-year-old Biochemistry and Molecular Biology student initially had her sights set on the medical field, but her gaze soon shifted when she realized the research potential and progressive innovations happening in the forest sector.

“I was set on becoming a doctor,” admits Albers, “However I realized that my calling was elsewhere within the sciences.”

This summer, Albers is working as part of the bioproducts and energy team at West Fraser’s Hinton Pulp operation. She is one of 10 Greenest Workforce Green Dream scholarship recipients who are sharing their first-hand experiences working at forest operations across the country.

Albers explains her work this summer has been diverse and has allowed her to work in the office, the field, the laboratory, and across West Fraser’s divisions. Among the many tasks she has been assigned with is assisting in the recovery of lignin, involving its’ extraction from the pulping process and developing it for use as a biomaterial. Finding uses for parts of trees that would otherwise end up as waste is something Albers says the forest industry has been focused on for a long time.

“Forestry is one of the most sustainable industries we have out there, and as a result we are constantly developing new, exciting technologies to keep it that way.”

Each year, through the Green Dream program, The Greenest Workforce recognizes young professionals who are passionate about working in the forest products industry and show great initiative by bettering our sector and the communities they work in.

In 2013, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) created The GreenestWorkforce.ca, an online resource website to highlight career opportunities in Canada’s forest products industry. The website has grown to feature a job-matching tool to match job seekers with rewarding careers in the sector. Openings in Administration, Science and Engineering, Woodlands, Skilled Trades and Mill Operations are open now across the country. Visit TheGreenestWorkforce.ca for more details.

You can follow along with Lindsay’s adventures here: thegreenestworkforce.ca/index.php/blog/blog-intern/lindsay-albers/ 

FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $67-billion-a-year forest products industry represents two per cent of Canada’s GDP and operates in hundreds of communities, providing 230,000 direct jobs across the country.