Stewards of the Land: Dylan Savoie

For Dylan Savoie, forestry began with a lifelong connection to the outdoors and an opportunity that came through a family connection. Growing up in southern Ontario, he spent much of his time outside. His first real experience in the field came in 2010, when his older brother helped him secure a place on a tree planting crew. What began as seasonal employment soon became the foundation for his career.

“I credit my older brother for getting me a spot on his planting crew,” Dylan said. “That experience sparked my passion for the silviculture side of forestry operations and ultimately launched my career in forestry.”

Tree planting introduced Dylan to silviculture, the practice of managing the establishment, growth, health, and quality of forests and woodlands. The experience gave him a practical understanding of the planning and effort required to help forests grow and recover.

Today, Dylan is the Silviculture Project Lead with Siya Forestry (Siya), coordinating silvicultureand restoration projects across Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) territory. His role includes reintroducing native species through planting programs, helping disturbed areas recover through restoration and treatment programs, and ensuring projects reflect OIB’s long-term priorities for the land with monitoring and survey programs.

Alongside his position with Siya Forestry, he serves as President and Chair of the Valemount Community Forest Board of Directors. Although the two roles are based in different regions, they share a similar approach to forest management.

“The community forest model shares many of the same forest management values as OIB and Siya,” he said. “The knowledge sharing and constant learning from working with amazing team members at Valemount Community Forest, Siya Forestry, and Nk’Mip Forestry are making me better in my work every day, and I’m proud to represent all of them.”

Working with these teams allows him to bring lessons learned from one role into another while continuing to learn from the people around him.

One area he is especially proud of is helping reintroduce native species across OIB territory. This includes collecting local seeds, growing plants suited to local conditions, and restoring vegetation in places where it has been lost or slow to return. His work has also included supporting the federal 2 Billion Trees Program with Nk’Mip Forestry. Through the program, trees, shrubs, and native plants are being established in areas affected by wildfire and other disturbances.

“Knowing that the projects I get to be a part of have direct, positive outcomes for the community and the land base has been one of the most rewarding parts of my work,” Dylan shared.

He also values being part of a team that is open to practical ideas while keeping OIB’s cultural and land values at the centre of its decisions. “I’m happy to be part of a team that supports and encourages innovation and provides opportunities to explore unique ideas that align with management objectives that prioritize OIB cultural and land values,” he said.

From tree planter to silviculture, restoration, and community forest leadership, Dylan’s career has continued to grow while remaining rooted in the same purpose: caring for forests in a way that creates lasting benefits for the land and the communities connected to it.