{"id":497,"date":"2020-09-16T14:32:05","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T14:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8009\/stories\/?p=497"},"modified":"2025-07-01T18:38:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T18:38:16","slug":"meet-vanessa-forester-photographer-and-dog-lover-for-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forestrycareers.com\/stories\/meet-vanessa-forester-photographer-and-dog-lover-for-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Vanessa: Forester, Photographer and Dog Lover for Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In our Rayonier Graduates<\/a> series, we\u2019re talking to recent Forestry College graduates who now work for Rayonier. In this story, <\/strong> Oregon Forester Vanessa McKinney shares how she became a forester, her love for forest photography, and her hope of inspiring more women to work in the industry.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

NORTH BEND, Oregon\u2014Vanessa McKinney follows her dog through thick forestland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They use the same natural paths wild animals have made, knowing the elk and bears have a sense for the safest route. Vanessa draws in a deep breath of fresh air and smiles: she gets paid to be here, tromping through the woods just like she did as a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are treasures all around her: a robin\u2019s nest with beautiful blue eggs waiting to hatch; a snail slithering down a branch; a rare wildflower beginning to bloom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Robins
Vanessa came across this robin’s nest while measuring a plot of trees.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She just can\u2019t help pulling out her iPhone to snap a picture before carrying on with her work in one of Rayonier\u2019s Oregon tree farms, and no one faults her for that: her photography offers a whole new view of forests that grow for decades with almost no human contact<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI get to venture out to places that only I will see and touch for years to come,\u201d says Vanessa, a technical forester. \u201cI love being the boots on the ground and the eyes in the forest for Rayonier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is here today to measure a plot of trees. It\u2019s how a timber company keeps an \u201cinventory\u201d of its forests, tracking how fast the trees are growing to ensure a steady, perpetually sustainable<\/a> supply of both habitat and timber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Snail
Snails are one of Vanessa’s favorite subjects for her forest photos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a Career in Forestry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vanessa has always been drawn to nature. While friends might prefer the mall, she was more likely to navigate her way through the woods than crowded stores. In fact, she admits, she can easily get lost in a crowd. But with her GPS and her intuition as a guide, she can find any plot point in a dense forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Oregon
Vanessa has loved the beauty of forests since an early age. Her favorite photo, taken on Rayonier land, shows the forest through her eyes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She grew up in Eureka, California, known for its majestic redwoods. At an early age, she had an appreciation for renewable resources, and she wanted a career that would give her a role in protecting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t long after she started college that she found herself drawn to forestry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn forestry, the core is that you care for the land and you care for people. I wanted to be a part of that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Vanessa
Vanessa’s love of the outdoors made forestry a perfect fit for her.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Studying Forestry at Oregon State University<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Vanessa was delighted to find herself studying outdoors more than in the classroom while she pursued a degree in forestry, natural resources and conservation at Oregon State University<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The work was challenging, but rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re put in situations that aren\u2019t a casual walk down the street, so you learn a lot about yourself,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Oregon
Vanessa took this photo during a cruise in one of Rayonier’s Oregon forests.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere were times I wondered, \u2018Am I going to make it? Am I ever going to understand this math?\u2019 There\u2019s a lot of satisfaction when you overcome those challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her studies, she helped OSU open a greenhouse, researched forest fires and droughts, and confirmed that forestry was her destiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forestry on the Other Side of the World<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After college, Vanessa\u2019s love of forestry took her even further: to the other side of the world. A nonprofit called Kopel had chosen her for an internship replanting trees<\/a> on an island that had been devastated by fire in Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrees are different from state to state and even county to county here in the U.S.,\u201d Vanessa says. \u201cIn another country, it was really<\/em> different. We had to come up with a way to reforest a marshy island in tropical conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tree
Tree seedlings are ready to be planted in Malaysia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vanessa cherished the experience, which required her to live in a treehouse, eat with her hands, and \u201cshower\u201d using a pan of rainwater collected during a tropical storm. She returned to the U.S. with a new appreciation for modern forestry and for her own abilities. Vanessa joined the Rayonier team soon after in the fall of 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Oregon
Vanessa’s internship in Malaysia showed her a different side of forestry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy Dog is My Partner in the Woods\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tasked with managing tree farms on what are often rough, mountainous properties near Oregon\u2019s coast, Vanessa took her new coworkers\u2019 advice and adopted a dog. She chose a Dutch Shepherd and named him Cruiser. It was a fitting name, as they would cruise timber together most days of the week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Cruising timber is an essential practice in forest management. By <\/strong>measuring specific plots of trees, our foresters are able to estimate the wood volume of entire forests. Our company uses that data to form an overall inventory that guides our decisions. Watch a video of a forester cruising in our article, <\/em>Why do Foresters “Cruise” Timber?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"Forester
Vanessa used to consider herself strictly a cat person. Then Cruiser came along and made her a dog lover for life.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She trained Cruiser to assist her in the woods, helping her navigate through thick areas, alerting her to danger and even keeping deer off the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe turns into a different dog when he\u2019s in the forest. He can point, tell me to stop if something\u2019s not right. He can smell things and find things that I can\u2019t,\u201d Vanessa says. \u201cHe\u2019s a huge relief. He\u2019s my partner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, while working in the forest, Cruiser alerted Vanessa to a swarm of hornets that was headed straight for them. Thanks to that warning, Vanessa was able to run and escape the swarm without a single sting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Oregon
Cruiser, shown in the background, keeps guard while Vanessa photographs a wildflower on a Rayonier tree farm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Forest Photography<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vanessa had been with Rayonier for about six months when she decided to show coworkers some photos she had taken in the woods. Soon, she had fans from Florida to Washington who couldn\u2019t wait to see her artistic, closeup shots of wild plants and critters and breathtaking panoramic views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Panoramic
Vanessa paused to take this photo of a beautiful view from one of Rayonier’s Oregon tree farms.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had no idea I was good at photography!\u201d Vanessa says with a laugh. \u201cI just use the iPhone Rayonier provided me. I never thought about it being a thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And perhaps that\u2019s part of what makes the photos so special: they weren\u2019t sought out for days with high-end equipment and hundreds of shots. They\u2019re just quick snapshots of moments in the forest that she comes across every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Snake
Vanessa found this snake sunning itself in the forest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Women in the Forestry Industry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The photos are one of the ways Vanessa hopes to \u201cdo something bigger than myself\u201d as a forester. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s also a member of Oregon Women in Timber<\/a>, a nonprofit organization that celebrates women in the industry and strives to raise awareness about the value of forestry and forest management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Purple
Vanessa captured this dewy, purple foxglove growing in the forest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople tend to assume our industry is male. But females have forever been a part of forestry since the Industrial Revolution,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women traditionally don\u2019t work at all on the Malaysian island Vanessa interned at. She showed the team there how much a female\u2019s viewpoint can add to a forest plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA woman can offer a different approach and look at things from a different perspective,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vanessa wants to encourage and inspire other women to become a part of the forestry industry too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you love being outdoors and want to play an important role in the future, this is the field for you,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Oregon
A fluffy caterpillar makes its way across a branch in one of Rayonier’s Oregon tree farms.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Learn<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In our Rayonier Graduates series, we\u2019re talking to recent Forestry College graduates who now work for Rayonier. 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