Podcasts

Season 3 | Young Professionals in Forestry and Natural Resources | Episode 14

#49 | Sometimes the imperfect plan bears the sweetest fruit

November 8, 2017 | Peter Dieser

Peter Dieser is the Minnesota Public Lands Coordinator for the American Bird Conservancy and is currently stationed at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in Rochert, Minnesota. Peter switched his career track a couple of times while in school before landing in forestry and earning a M.S. in Natural Resources Science and Management from the University of Minnesota. His diverse studies also include literature, astrophysics, and archaeology! He believes if you bust your butt, work hard and treat your education like a job, you will change your life and rate of success. Also, in this episode, Peter recommends that if you’re not 100 percent sure of what you want to do in life, then just keep exploring and trying new things until you find what you love.

Key Takeaways:

[1:05] A quick intro about Peter’s background.

[2:45] How did Peter first get started in forestry?

[8:05] Peter had an illness throughout high school and college that was misdiagnosed as cancer, and it had him reevaluate his life and goals.

[11:15] Despite everything, Peter wouldn’t change his past challenges, because those early experiences made him the person he is today.

[14:55] What lessons did Peter learn while he was trying to discover his true calling and passion in life?

[18:25] What kinds of mentors did Peter have along the way?

[21:45] Since we serve so many diverse people, it’s important that our skillsets and perspectives are diverse, too.

[22:10] What do young professionals want in a career?

[26:50] What’s the most fun part of Peter’s job?

[29:15] What’s been difficult about working on the people side of forestry?

[36:30] Peter offers some advice for those young professionals out there getting started.

[39:10] What does the forestry profession need to improve upon?

[41:40] How can the profession attract and retain more of the younger generation?

[45:40] Peter shares some of his favorite books!

[51:25] Tom’s Leadership Tip of the Week – The Imperfect Plan

Mentioned in This Episode:

www.ABCBirds.org
Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman
Ishmael: A Novel, by Daniel Quinn
The Story of B, by Daniel Quinn
www.LeadershipNature.com