What are our students doing now …
Our students come from a diverse range of backgrounds, practically-based and academic. Some of our students are self-employed, some are employed by private-sector companies of various sizes, and others are employed in the public-sector. A few of our students left school at the earliest opportunity and have found our courses an ideal and accessible way to obtain a meaningful and respected higher-level paper qualification, and a springboard to new employment opportunities.
Here are some profiles of recent graduates from the Forestry programmes:
Chris Rawlinson - current Forestry (distance learning) student
After graduating with a BSc in Natural Sciences, I spent several years working in the fieldwork and ecological sectors. This was followed by a period working in practical woodland and forestry management, on chainsaw and mountain bike trail teams throughout Wales. Having grown up in the forested hills of Shropshire, I have always been most at home under the trees and, after keeping one eye on the forestry industry for some time, in 2020 decided it was a good time to combine my scientific and forestry backgrounds. With its mighty reputation, forestry at Bangor University was the obvious choice.
Jean Joslyn - MICFor – MSc Forestry (distance learning) 
graduated in 2014
"I always wanted to work outdoors driven by growing up on a dairy farm and being inspired to be involved in land management."
"My undergraduate BSc(Hons) was in Countryside Management which lead me to pursue and focus on the MSc Forestry (distance learning) programme at Bangor University. Undertaking the MSc took a lot of energy and effort but was well worth it as it helped me to understand what topics I enjoyed and where I wanted to obtain employment. I was also drawn to the programme, as it allowed me to continue full-time work and study at the same time – learning the theory and carrying it out ‘on the job’."
Chris Horwood - MSc Forestry (via distance learning) - Second year student
International aid and development consultant Chris Horwood has spent 33 years living in Asia, Africa and South America. Now, aged 57, he believes that to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss the world will need many more professional foresters and agroforesters. While still working as a consultant he is studying a three-year part time MSc Forestry at Bangor University.
Ellie Lawton - MSc Forestry – final year student
Now works as: Assistant Woodland Officer
Now works for: Scottish Forestry
Tonthoza “Tontho” Uganja - MSc in Tropical Forestry (distance learning)
Now works as: Land Restoration Start-up Founder & Director, Assistant Regional Agronomy Manager, Social Entrepreneur & Climate Change Activist
Now works for: Sustainable Farming Solutions Malawi and Universal Leaf Tobacco Company
Liam Plummer - MSc in Forestry (distance learning)
Now works as: Outreach Adviser - North of England
Now works for: Woodland Trust
Martin Silnevs - Postgraduate Diploma in Forestry (distance learning)
Now works as: Tree nursery worker
Now works for: Alba Trees (Forest nursery in Scotland)
Tankiso Lechesa - MSc Tropical Forestry (Distance Learning)
Now works as: Principal Forestry Officer- National Beekeeping Office
Now works for: Ministry of Forestry Range and Soil Conservation, Lesotho
Find out more about Tankiso...
Peter O’Rourke - MSc Forestry (Distance Learning)
Now works as: Beat Manager (Thames Beat)
Now works for: Forestry England
Julia Guenzel – MSc Agroforestry (Distance Learning)
Now works as: Regional Manager
Now works for: Spreewaldverein e.V. (LEADER local action group in South Brandenburg)
Ben Norwood – MSc Forestry (Distance Learning)
Now works as: Trees and Woodlands Advisor, SW England
Now works for: National Trust
Nick Marsh – MSc Forestry (Distance Learning)
Now works as: Countryside Ranger
Now works for: National Trust
“Since I was a child growing up in rural Herefordshire, I have had a passion for trees and woodlands, joining the Woodland Trust and eventually undertaking voluntary work in practical woodland management”
David Kissa Ocama- MSc Forestry (Distance Learning)
Now works as: Silviculturalist Scientist/Consultant
Now works for: National Forestry Resources Research Institute (NaFORRI)
"I picked up this competitive job as a result of the knowledge and skills acquired through the Inventory, Assessment and Monitoring and Research Methods modules (on the MSc Forestry - Distance Learning course).
Grace Mutali- MSc Forestry (Distance Learning)
Now works as: Training Officer
Now works for: Zambia Forestry College
Our first Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) scholar to complete MSc Forestry by Distance Learning.
Grace lives in Zambia, from where she has completed the entire course, except for the Tropical Forestry Summer school that she attended in Tanzania in 2012. She completed her dissertation with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), with whom SENRGy has very close links.
Find out more about Grace's journey ...Thomas Davreux - MSc Forestry (Distance Learning)
Now works as: Secretary General
Now works for: PEFC Belgium
"After spending 8 years working in various banks I decided to go back to school and study forestry, a topic I had always been deeply interested in. However, I needed to keep working and Bangor was the ideal solution for me as it offered the flexibility of following a distance learning course while providing one of the best forestry tuition in Europe ...
Read on for more about Thomas ...
Simon Lloyd - Postgraduate Diploma in Forestry (Distance Learning)
Now works as: Development Director
Now works for: Royal Forestry Society
"I have a life-long interest in trees and woods but when I took on responsibility for stewardship the family’s woods in Herefordshire I realised I knew little about the practical process of woodland management, so I enrolled on the Forestry MSc distance learning course at Bangor. Distance learning can be a bit of a struggle when you have a full time job, but the course structure, reading materials and process of continuous evaluation made it very manageable.
Find out more about Simon's experience ... Simon Lloyd