Glacier Country News

MISSOULA – Every Veterans Day weekend, Beth Dodson from the University of Montana organizes an all-women outdoor excursion known as the "Best Hunting Trip Ever" (BHTE). This event, aside from being a hunting trip, is a 15-year tradition of creating a support network among women in forestry, a field predominantly male-dominated. Dodson, aware of the influence she has as a trailblazer, actively supports her students in this environment.

Remarkably, Dodson was, until recently, the sole female forest operations professor in the U.S. She recounted, “When I was in my master’s program or going to conferences, I would notice that I was the only woman in the room.” This sentiment hit home when a female student expressed gratitude to Dodson for showing a possible career path in forestry.

Women constitute less than 20% of forestry professionals nationwide, but in western Montana, the scene is different. Dodson and three UM alumni, also her best friends and hunting colleagues, are carving paths for future female forestry professionals.

Cindy Super, one of these women, hails from a forestry family in Ovando. Her journey included receiving an ROTC scholarship for forestry studies at UM and a stint at airborne school, which led her to become a smokejumper with the Missoula Smokejumpers. Super spent years in active duty before her long career at the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). "I used to tell myself it’s like going to bat with a strike already against you,” Super said about her experiences in male-dominated fields.

Sarah Lyngholm, who followed Super in school, draws inspiration from her. “I remember everyone was so impressed that Cindy was going to be a smokejumper,” Lyngholm said. With a bachelor's and master's in forestry from UM, she has spent 20 years dealing with timber sales and environmental planning, currently a program specialist with DNRC's Good Neighbor Authority. Lyngholm credits the women mentors in her career. “Just knowing that there are women in leadership – even if they’re not 50% – that’s always been nice,” she said.

Amy Helena, emerging from a logging family, pursued a four-year forestry degree, eager for career advancement. Now, the Missoula unit manager since 2022, she had few times when being a woman was crucial in her career. “But you feel like you have to work harder because of it," Helena acknowledged. She appreciates the professional support system surrounding her, including Super, Dodson, and Lyngholm.

Dodson invites female professionals into her classroom at UM, aiming to showcase the expertise of women in forestry to all students. "I don’t shy away from my own technical knowledge, and I make sure that I’m getting folks like Sarah and Cindy and Amy in front of my students,” Dodson said.

These women continuously encourage budding female professionals to remain true to themselves. “You can bring so much more when you’re just yourself,” advised Super, while Lyngholm added, “Go and sample different jobs and agencies, and you’ll figure out your fit."

That support system has proven invaluable for Helena, who emphasizes the importance of finding such a group, saying, “Because of them, I know that I always have a lifeline. This support system has been invaluable to me.”

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Contact: Elizabeth Harrison, director of communications, W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, 917-656-9773, elizabeth.harrison@mso.umt.edu.