Over the next few months we would like to introduce you to the very hard working and dedicated team here at Glen Tanar. From Ghillie's to Caretakers to Handymen - the team at Glen Tanar is varied and diverse. In our first 'Meet the team' blog post, meet Ruari, our Trainee Forester.
Name: Ruari Wild-Wood
Role: Trainee Forester (Apprentice)
What does your job involve?
"My job here at Glen Tanar is very diverse. Typical tasks can include fencing, tree planting, fire wood processing in the sawmill, filling of biomass, spraying of pesticides, deadwood creation, as well as general maintenance such as potholing and off-let clearing, to name but a few!"
Describe your typical working day:
"The variety of the job means there is no typical day, but I usually wake up around 7am and arrive at work for 8am. I live on the estate so getting to work only takes me a couple of minutes walk! Most of the morning is spent working on the task at hand, with maybe a small break in between each job, as it's pretty physical work. After lunch I will continue on and work into the afternoon with another small break later on, finishing around 4:30pm - to fill out my time sheet or to do other administrative tasks. The jobs I do during the day tend to be around fencing and tree-planting, however there are always a few special projects that come in. For example, recently the Forestry Supervisor and I removed a large tree from someone’s garden."
How did you get in to the forestry industry?
"After leaving school, I went to study at the University of Highlands and Islands and they recommended I contact Glen Tanar for a forestry work placement. So, I got in contact with Michael Bruce regarding a week of work experience at Easter last year. Following on from that, I applied and completed the Ringlink internship for 6 months (from June to December), enabling me to then apply for the modern apprenticeship scheme. I was delighted when I found out I had been accepted, as this has led to me to my current position at Glen Tanar!"
What do you enjoy most about your job?
" Well, I enjoy working with all the different people on the Estate, across a range of projects. The nature of my work is so varied, which is fantastic, as it means I get to do something different every day. I particularly like helping with the felling of trees and using the winch to get the harvested trees out of the forest."
What task do you least enjoy?
"I'm not a huge fan of filling in potholes on the forestry track...since there are just so many of them!"
Keep watching the blog for the next installment of 'Meet the Team' - coming soon!