Picture: (From left to right) Student Tanya Steinauer, Faculty Justin Perry, Student Heather Clark.
BCIT Forest and Natural Areas Management (FNAM) students Heather Clark and Tanya Steinauer received the Future Faces of Forestry award at the 2025 BC First Nations Forestry Conference. This award celebrates the recipients of the BC First Nations Forestry Council’s Indigenous Forestry Scholarship.
The BC First Nations Forestry Council’s Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program (IFSP) supports First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students attending full-time studies related to forestry. The scholarship includes a paid summer work placement with one of the program’s industry partners.
The students say they first learned about this scholarship program through Mi Chap Tukw, the BCIT Indigenous Gathering Place, a welcoming space for Indigenous students, faculty, and staff.
BC First Nations Forestry Conference: “Everything is connected”
Heather and Tanya, along with Justin Perry, who is BCIT faculty from the Forest and Natural Areas Management, travelled to the traditional territories of the Syilx Okanagan people in SnPink’tn (Penticton) to attend the BC First Nations Forestry Conference.
This annual conference brings together Indigenous communities, industry partners, and government representatives to explore the interconnections within British Columbia’s forest sector.
Heather, second-year student from the FNAM program and member of the Squamish Nation, says the conference was an excellent opportunity to connect with industry professionals and learn from their perspectives.
“It was very exciting to hear what people want to do in the industry. I chatted with Jordon Gabriel, a member of the Líl̓wat Nation who works for Líl̓wat Forestry Ventures as a Forestry Technician. He shared his knowledge and story with me, which was very meaningful.”
During the second day of the three-day conference themed Everything is Connected, Heather and Tanya attended the awards ceremony hosted by BC First Nations Forestry Council members, where they received the Future Faces of Forestry award.
Tanya Steinauer, second-year student from FNAM program and of Metis and Swiss heritage, says it was her first time attending a conference, so she didn’t know what to expect.
“It was my first time attending any kind of conference, and the First Nation Forestry Council, which sponsors the IFSP Scholarship and gave us the award, was kind enough to fly me and Heather to the conference centre in Penticton. It was a fantastic opportunity.”
Justin Perry, Forest and Natural Areas Management faculty and member of the Métis Nation BC, says the award celebrates the work and perspectives the younger generations are bringing to the industry.
“The scholarship and award hold significance because First Nations are the original stewards of our land. So, providing Indigenous students with opportunities to engage more in the forestry sector represents a step forward.”
The future of the Future Faces Awards recipients
The students are only a few weeks away from graduation, and as part of their scholarship, Tanya is doing her paid internship at the BC Ministry of Forests, and Heather is at BC Timber Sales.
Tanya plans to continue her studies at BCIT, where she will complete her Bachelor of Ecological Restoration degree. Students from the BCIT Fish, Wildlife, and Recreation and Forest and Natural Areas Management programs can apply to this degree, the first of its kind in Canada, and later pursue a Master in Ecological Restoration at BCIT.