Women in arb: Ann Elisabeth Jacobsen

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?

I grew up on a small farm on the Norwegian west coast with a lot of weather, sheep, farm work and a single mum using a Jonsered for firewood. It was hard at times but I’m thankful for that now. I learned a lot about giving what you’ve got and never giving up.

WHERE ARE YOU BASED?

I’m based close to the city of Uppsala, one hour from the Swedish capital Stockholm.

WHAT DOES YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK INVOLVE?

Most days, I work with felling hazardous trees in public areas, but I do other tree-related jobs for private clients and business clients too. I’m also a chainsaw instructor and arrange courses. Right now I’m felling large spruce timber in an old forest. It’s fun and easy compared to the trees I normally have to deal with.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO PURSUE A CAREER IN FORESTRY/ARBORICULTURE?

I kind of slipped in to an agricultural school not far from home. During the winter we spent a lot of time in the forest but back then I had no idea I could actually make it my profession. So, I chose a different way and became a gardener. I worked with all kinds of stuff; fencing, digging, planting, growing, etc. before I ended up in forestry.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE OF FORESTRY/ARB WORK?

I started my first job in forestry in the spring of 2004. I was taking care of nature reservations together with my crew. It was then that I first started to operate chainsaws for a living. During the following years I took different certifications for different levels of felling trees, and after four years I started my own company and left for new challenges.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WORK AS A TEACHER? WHAT LED YOU TO PURSUE TEACHING?

My first thought of teaching came in 2007 when I did my ticket for using a chainsaw from a basket. The company that arranged that course invited me as a help teacher a couple of times. They wanted me to continue working for them but I wasn’t ready to sign up. I needed to make my own way. It took some years more until I joined a chainsaw instructor course and started to arrange my own courses.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU HAVE LEARNED DURING YOUR TIME IN THE INDUSTRY?

That I’m still learning new things, almost every day, but I also learned that I can do almost anything I want, and I need new challenges to be happy. I easily get bored so I need to have my freedom in my own company to work in different places, with different people and missions.

WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT IN THE INDUSTRY?

That’s a hard one. Felling a really difficult tree perfectly can make me proud, or people writing to me to let me know they learned something from my posts on social media, but I guess I was quite proud when I had the privilege to work at two forestry meetings in India last year, showing some techniques and stuff. That was special!

WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF BEING A WOMAN IN A MALE-DOMINATED INDUSTRY BEEN?

It’s been more than 25 years so lots of things have happened, but we still have a long way to go. I still get questioned and many people still choose to talk with my male colleagues before me because they seem to think I’m “just helping my boyfriend” or something like that. It can be a bit annoying, but I feel confident enough to keep my head high. I feel sorry for younger women in the business who can’t lean back on their years of experience and doubt themselves because of what they meet at work. Of course, it’s been helpful for me that I prefer to work with men. I think if you want to be treated equal and want at least 50 per cent women at work, this is not the right place to be. Yet. But we need to be the change we want, and we should keep believing.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ENCOURAGE MORE WOMEN INTO THE SECTOR?

I think the way of looking at women in traditional male businesses needs to change. Men also need to get used to facing women at work. It is easier said than done, but I can still meet new guys at work who seem to be insecure when I show up. I’m there to do my job, just like they are. It’s no big deal! I think we need teachers and instructors in the industry that let go of the macho style and behave more professionally, no matter who they get on their course. Where you come from, your gender or looks should not be the important thing. It’s what you do and how you do it!

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING THE SECTOR AT THE MOMENT, IN YOUR VIEW?

Climate change, emission rules, bugs, fungus, dry seasons, wildland/forest fires and storms, and now also Covid-19 affecting the economy and workers. I still have work to do; Sweden hasn’t said stop when it comes to this business, but I don’t know how long it will last. I really think being outside all day is the best way to stay healthy though, so I’m happier than ever when it comes to my profession.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH HUSQVARNA AND BECOME A H-TEAM MEMBER?

Husqvarna called me over four years ago and had some questions. They followed me on Instagram and wanted me in the H-Team. I guess they thought I did something right on social media. I checked with a couple of people I knew in the team before I made up my mind and I have never regretted that I accepted.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE IN THE H-TEAM INVOLVE?

I’m part of an awesome team with tree professionals from all over the world. We get to test some products and influence the development of coming products. Sometimes I join forestry exhibitions and other kinds of activities. I also spend a lot of time answering questions on the internet about all sorts of chainsaw-related stuff.

ANY PARTICULAR AMBITIONS YOU ARE LOOKING TO ACHIEVE IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

I will continue to work on my climbing skills but I also want to get more involved in forest fire business. When I grow up, I will probably still use a chainsaw on a daily basis to make a living. That’s what puts the biggest smile on my face!

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