A chainsaw-wielding ecologist

It took him a while to get into academia. Today, however, Per-Ola Hedwall heads one of SLU’s master’s programmes, and ecology is – and always has been – his focal point.

- I started at what was then called skogsingenjörsprogrammet [forest engineer] in Skinnskatteberg. This was before skogsmästarprogrammet made its return. Plants have always fascinated me. Buteven though I identify as an ecologist, I also have a good grasp of forestry. That breadth has served me very well in my professional life, says Per-Ola.

Started with a chainsaw

Per-Ola was raised in north-east Scania, and that’s where he still lives. Like many others at SLU, he comes from a forestry background – albeit not in his immediate family. As a younger man, he worked for a few years in forestry before setting off for university. At that time, most forest jobs were still manual.

- I worked in planting, clearing and that sort of thing. It was a lot of chainsaw work. You still did that back then, especially in the south where we have more deciduous forests. You could saw I had a forestry background, but it wasn’t strictly forestry but a broad interest in nature, too.

Ecology at the heart

His interest in nature led to Per-Ola pursuing an academic career. An interest in nature is the basis for everything, Per-Ola says, not just for him but in all forest and forestry work.

- I feel like it’s at the heart of everything we do. I’m not just thinking of nature restoration and so on, but production ecology too. Plant ecology tells you why certain trees like thrive in certain places, for example. How they grow and compete. That to me is plant ecology, says Per-Ola.

Per-Ola Hedwall currently serves as programme director of studies for the Euroforester programme. He used to have the same job at the now defunct Jägmästare programme. Half of his working day, roughly speaking, is spent on principal’s duties and teaching. The rest is devoted to his own research. That research also informs his view of teaching and education in general:

- The focal point in my research is the effect of climate chance on forest ecosystems. Specifically plant communities. This affects how I view education too – I think we have to teach for the future, with all the challenges that will bring. We need to prepare students for a turbulent future.

What students want – and what they need

Working as programme director of studies is nice, says Per-Ola, not least because of the relationships that develop with the students. Having a broad background and not just being “one thing” is key to doing a good job, he says:

- As PSR I have an overview that others maybe don’t – that’s part of the job. I also have a different kind of contact with students than if I’d only been a teacher. Meanwhile, I don’t think I could be a good PSR if I hadn’t also been teaching.

His workload varies and it’s sometimes very high. But the biggest challenge, says Per-Ola, is making sure the programme doesn’t have any superfluous overlap. And, of course, balancing what the students want and what they need.

- It’s difficult when you’re juggling tasks. Work tends to swallow you whole. The biggest challenge is making sure the students get what they want but also what we think their future jobs are going to require. What do those roles demand, and what will you need further down the line?

Mixed groups

The Euroforester programme has a relatively heterogenous group of students, something Per-Ola Hedwall thinks has its upsides. But it also comes with its own set of challenges:

- When we get students from very different background, like through Erasmus, we cannot be too specific as far as our own requirements go. We can’t assume that everyone has a SLU-style forest background. Because if we did, a lot of students would never qualify, says Per-Ola, and continues:

- At the same time, having everyone be “too similar” is also a challenge. You don’t get enough new perspectives in discussions, for example. If you only recruit from a specific bachelor’s programme, you homogenise the group not just in terms of knowledge but also in terms of values. If we look at an issue like sustainability, having a more mixed group of students might be advantageous.

Text: Henrik Persson
Photo: Jörg Brunet

To Vårt SLU