Kaylee Serna is a young forestry engineer, project coordinator in Lima for the Forestar Company in Peru, where she focuses her activities on empowering the skills of the producers she works with.
In this interview she shares with us some of her experiences and challenges she has faced in the industry.
INTERVIEW
Lili: Kaylee Why did you decide to study forest engineering?
Kaylee: Since I was very young, I knew that I didn’t want an office job. I have always been attracted to nature and that’s why I decided to study a career related to the outdoors, and that’s how I discovered forestry engineering. I really liked that not only do we learn all the aspects related to the trees, and the resources we can get from them and the forest, but we also learn about the fauna and other components.
Lili: What are the main challenges you have faced professionally as a forester?
Kaylee: Unfortunately, being a young woman, leading a project and working with communities is a big challenge, because there is still a bit of machismo in my country, but it is also very pleasing to see that when you show them that you know what you are doing and what you are capable of, people adopt you as part of their family, and we work together hand by hand.
Lili: What awakened your interest in working with producers, how was your process?
Kaylee: I really like human relationships and being able to enhance the skills of the producers I work with is very interesting, and it’s a learning process for them as well as for me.
Lili: what do you consider to be the skills that a forest engineer develops?
Kaylee: Well, in the field an engineer, no matter who the engineer is, must know a little bit about everything, I have been asked about engines and cattle, things that are not in my area of study, but here in the process you learn, and you have to be trained in different subjects, which always help you to improve.
Lili: From your experience, do you think that women’s participation in the forestry sector has changed from what it was 10 years ago?
Kaylee: Of course it has, the participation of women in the forestry sector has changed and I have seen it from the classrooms of my university, our faculty is more or less 50 years old and at that time only men attended, unlike when I studied the percentage of women was higher than men, and now I am pleased to see that many of my colleagues lead many projects in the sector.
Lili: And finally, what are the current and future challenges facing women in forestry and what advice would you give to future female foresters?
Kaylee: I think there are challenges for both men and women, to gain the trust of the people you work with, to know how to give yourself your place and above all to study and train, to always be constantly improving. The advice I can give you is to try hard, that nothing in this life is easy, that all the achievements you get will always be with a lot of effort, with a lot of sweat and tears.
So we close this interview, I hope you enjoy it. And for the people who listen or read us, do not forget to comment and share.
Thank you all! See you in the next interview.
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