Greg Herringer

Greg began his relationship with the forests of Vancouver Island and the forestry industry in the mid-1980’s as a tree-planter working on Vancouver Island and in the Central Interior for the better part of a decade. Fast forward to 2013 when Greg moved back to forestry and worked as a silviculture surveyor on Vancouver Island and the Mid-Coast. From there it was a natural progression to enrol in the Forest Technology program at VIU which brought him to his current position as a Forest Technologist with British Columbia Timber Sales working out of their Port Alberni office.

Greg’s passion for big trees encompasses both his professional life where he is the coordinator for the BCTS Coastal Legacy Tree program on the South Island, and his personal life where much of his leisure time is spent in search of the hidden giants in our coastal old growth forests. These big trees and the eco-systems they are found in are becoming increasingly rare and are in danger of vanishing unless there is a fundamental shift in how we view the old growth forests in this province (and elsewhere). The new generation of forestry professionals graduating from British Columbia’s forestry programs will be instrumental in bringing about this change. Greg is a strong advocate, and one of the founding coordinators of the Student Mentorship Program facilitated jointly by Vancouver Island University and the Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut Forestier du Canada.

“Life is a continuous learning experience. Seize every opportunity to learn that comes your way. The more diverse your learning experiences are as you move through life, the richer and more fulfilling your life will become. Never hesitate to ask questions or seek advice from others, and conversely, always share your own ideas and thoughts. Shared knowledge leads to greater understanding.”