This past week marked a truly groundbreaking event made possible through a powerful collaboration between Northwest Trail Alliance, Trailkeepers of Oregon, Women Who Explore, The Nature Conservancy, and Cascade Volunteers. Together, these organizations helped create the first known 100% women-specific sawyer training event of its kind in our region.
After three full days of training, including one classroom day and two intensive field days, 13 women successfully earned their USFS sawyer certifications. Participants came from a wide range of backgrounds, including volunteer trail crews and wildland firefighters, traveling from across the Pacific Northwest as well as from California and New Hampshire to take part in this unique opportunity.
Day one focused on classroom instruction, where participants learned chainsaw operation, safety protocols, and the importance of understanding tension and compression in trees and the resulting binds. A strong emphasis was placed on respecting the power of chainsaws while also recognizing that proper training, awareness, and teamwork create a safe working environment for everyone involved.
Day two was all about putting classroom knowledge into practice out in the field. Participants spent the day applying newly learned skills, gaining hands-on experience, and building confidence through every challenge and success.
Day three focused on demonstrating those skills while being formally evaluated for certification. What stood out throughout the evaluation process was not only the level of competence and determination shown by participants, but also the encouragement and camaraderie shared among the group. The environment remained one of teamwork and empowerment from beginning to end.
The amount of intention poured into this event was evident throughout the entire training. Three highly skilled female instructors traveled from across Oregon to share their expertise and mentorship. In addition, Vito Perrone, saw program director for Trailkeepers of Oregon, played an integral role in bringing this event to life while also sharing his expertise as an instructor. His supportive and kind presence helped foster an environment where participants felt capable to step into roles they may not have previously imagined for themselves.
This event was never about exclusivity, it was about creating opportunity. It created space for people who may not traditionally see themselves represented in these kinds of leadership and technical roles to gain skills, build confidence, and explore opportunities that may have once felt out of reach. When given the opportunity, support, and encouragement, women consistently rise to the occasion, and this training was a powerful example of that.
This training was made possible through funding from Oregon Tool’s Tools for Good program. Their enthusiastic support of this event and the broader trails community helped make this vision a reality, and we are deeply grateful for their investment in both people and public lands.
These newly certified sawyers will now head back to their communities and public lands equipped with the skills and confidence to help keep trails accessible for all.
The overwhelming success of this training made one thing very clear: this is only the beginning. Plans are already underway to bring this event back again next year.
This training was highlighted by KGW’s Let’s Get Out There. You can check it out here.