I overheard one of my colleagues and my boss having a tense meeting one day. There was a spreadsheet, with thousands of records and one single piece of information that needed to be extracted from one column. 


This spreadsheet was a mess. It recorded over a year’s worth of data entered by ten different people in different ways. Worst of all, the information my boss wanted couldn’t be easily extracted. It was hidden in a long comment field. 


Sort, filter, and all the usual spreadsheet tricks just wouldn’t work. 


I listened as the conversation went on, my colleague and boss resigning themselves to this being a manual process, and the discussion shifted to what unlucky person this task would fall to (this was happening at 11am on a Friday). 


I went over to my colleague and told him to send me the spreadsheet. 


I gave my boss an answer within the hour. 


This took no manual work. I didn’t have to copy and paste a thing. I didn’t even use excel. I even got to lunch on time. 


There’s nothing magical about me, or how I did it. My background and training is primarily as a forester.  All it took is just one skill. 


Maybe you’ve encountered a similar situation. Maybe it's wrangling a spreadsheet. Maybe it's pulling data from PDF reports. Maybe it's connecting disparate systems, dealing with tedious, repetitive tasks that happen annually, monthly, or even daily. 


Maybe you’ve got decisions to make, data to analyze but you just don’t have a way to do it effectively. 


Maybe you’ve resigned yourself to manual solutions, or worse no solution at all. 


I used to think the same way, but I don’t anymore. 


I learned one powerful skill. 


How to write a few lines of Python code. 



Forestry is Getting Digital

Technology has changed every aspect of how we work and how forests are managed.

Digitization is a rapidly growing area within forestry. These changes aren't going to happen, they are already happening. 

There will be increasing demand for foresters with digital skills as government and industry adopt more and more technological solutions. 

Learning to code is the absolute best digital skill to acquire. It goes beyond learning any one piece of software

Those that can adapt to this change  will get access to new opportunities. The demand for skilled practitioners in both forestry and the digital space will only increase. If your skills don’t match this new reality, you may be left behind. 

Technology won't replace you, somebody who understands the technology will. So why not become that person? 

Where to Start?

You could get lost in the sea of languages, programs, and jargon. I spent several years stuck in that…


The truth is most of it can be ignored. 


I’ll teach you exactly what you need to know to solve actual day to day problems. 


I learned to code because I saw ways it could improve my career as a forester, and I’m confident it can help you as well. 


There are a lot of languages out there. With weird, silly names or acronyms, or random letters with symbols. 


One of the best for starting out is Python. Its free, widely used and beginner friendly. 


Python has simple, straightforward syntax that is designed for readability. Other languages require a bunch of boiler plate and setup, even multiple files before you can do even the simplest thing. 


If you imagine programming as sitting in a dark room as thousands of lines of cryptic code flow by on a flickering screen, you might be surprised


A Python program (or script) that saves you hours of work could be as short as 15-20 lines of code. 



You do the work of writing the script one time, then any time you need to repeat a task, you simply run the script again. 


Better yet, python has a massive and growing user base which means there are countless libraries and extensions available.


If you use Excel, or ArcMap python can work for you. Python can even get data from the web and out of emails. All of these provide ready to use code that you simply need to adapt to your problem. 


With a language like python its more about using code, than writing it.  


And automation is just the beginning! Python has an incredible set of uses, once you master the basics. Everything from AI to simulation, geospatial analysis to forest growth modelling.


If this sounds daunting, or you don’t have a technical background, then don’t worry. 


You don’t need to get a computer science degree (and the $100K cost of it) or a “coding bootcamp” (They usually take 13 weeks and cost $12-15K) or to spend hours trolling through online tutorials and videos to learn bit and pieces ( I did this for years before things finally clicked)


Sawfly’s Python Foundations for Forestry Professionals is a self directed online course that can be completed on your schedule, in one to two afternoons. 


No fluff, just practical skills that you will find immediate uses for, all you need to do is sign up below. 

What You Can Do

By learning a few Python skills you can:

  • Save hours by creating re-usable code to perform specific tasks, like calculating stand metrics
  • Never manually fix data again, instead use robust logic to check and validate data. 
  • Parse texts to find specific phrases or patterns. 
  • Master spreadsheets. Pull data from specific cells, create worksheets, perform calculations automatically 


And that's just the beginning

Included with this course:

Learn the basics of Python backed up by a no risk guarantee and get access to the material forever

  • Self paced, practical exercises that teach you foundational python skills

  • Lifetime access to course content

  • A 1 year guarantee. Learn practice and apply these new skills, and if after 1 year you’ve not found that value of this new skill then Sawfly will refund your purchase price

One Time Payment

FAQ

  • Do I need any previous coding experience?

    No! Our Python Foundations course is designed for people with no previous programming experience.

  • What software do I need?

    This course uses an install of Python 3, which is available for free. Also recommended is Microsoft Excel or a free alternative installed (like Libre Office or Open Office)

  • What's included in the course?

    The course is primarily video based, divided into six different modules, along with hands on exercises that allow you to apply the material.

Discover your potential, starting today

Join Now

Course curriculum

    1. Getting Started: Download and Install Python

    2. Exercise: Write Your First Python Code

    3. Terminology For Module 1

    4. Module 1 Checklist

    1. If/Else statements

    2. Understanding Scope

    3. Re-Using Code with Functions

    4. Importing Modules

    5. Background: Quadratic Mean Diameter

    6. Exercise: Calculate QMD

    7. Terminology for Module 2

    8. Module 2 Checklist

    1. For Loops and Iteration

    2. Other Types of Loops

    3. Grouping Variables with Containers

    4. Exercise: For Loops

    5. Terminology for Module 3

    6. Module 3 Checklist

    1. Converting Data Types

    2. Manipulating Strings

    3. Handling Errors

    4. Extracting Data With Regular Expressions

    5. Terminology for Module 4

    6. Module 4 Checklist

    1. Handling Files with Python

    2. Exercise: Write Output to A File

    3. The CSV Module

    4. More Containers: Dictionaries

    5. Using Dictionaries to Read CSV Files

    6. Files For Standing Volume Exercise

    7. Exercise: Calculate Standing Volume

    8. Module 5 Checklist

    1. Connecting Excel and Python

    2. Files for Hawk Nest Exercise

    3. Exercise: Find Hawk Nests

    4. Terminology for Module 6

    5. Module 6 Checklist

About this course

  • $97.00
  • 40 lessons
  • 2.5 hours of video content