Since then, Cecilia has continued working to increase safety in the southern Swedish forests. Many courses and training sessions covering Safe Forest practices have been conducted, both as an instructor and examiner.
Intense times
When Cecilia started as an instructor, she held a few courses per year. Then it became more.
– At times, I have worked very intensively with the courses. Often, it has been 3–4 days a week and then exams on weekends.
When the safety training started, there was pent-up demand among forest owners. When the law requirement came, the demand grew even more.
– In recent years, it has decreased somewhat, but there are still new forest owners who want to learn how to work safely and ergonomically. In total, we have 12 instructors in Södra's area working with safety training.
No Problems
Even though many women have been trained, both in all-female groups and in mixed settings, most participants have been men.
– Initially, I thought it might be challenging to be a female instructor for men, Cecilia admits. It does involve handling a chainsaw. But it's gone very smoothly. Sometimes I've needed to have a bit of backbone, but when I've shown what I can do, I've always earned participants' trust and respect. It's consistently been a great group of course participants.
Prevented Accidents
Cecilia emphasizes how rewarding it is to teach and share her knowledge. She also feels that the courses have been very beneficial.
– I am convinced that we have prevented many accidents and foolish mistakes over the years, she says. Participants learn both to think carefully before doing anything and technically how to do it safely to minimize risks.
Cecilia is also engaged in other types of courses and training. At home in Flakulla, she teaches students from Linnaeus University about oak forests and oak forest management. She is also on the board of the Oaks Advancement, an association that teaches how to manage deciduous forests, buck large oak logs, promote interest in deciduous forests, and care for oak and other noble deciduous forests.