The Hands that Shape a Forest’s Future

When you walk a forest trail with Griselda Guarino, it’s clear she belongs there; not just as a forester, but as someone in quiet conversation with the land, always asking what more she can do for it. She doesn’t fit the conventional image of a forest manager in rural Argentina, and she never tried to. 

Two decades ago, when few women worked in the field, Griselda led a team of 30 men in forest harvesting. Today, she continues to lead - not just in operations, but in shifting mindsets across landscapes, classrooms, and communities. Her approach to forestry is deeply personal: it’s not just about managing trees, but cultivating care, responsibility, and a vision for what forests and people can become. 

Although Griselda spends much of time in the forest, her impact extends far beyond the trees. She is a force for change, launching educational programs, pioneering conservation projects, and mentoring future foresters. Her goal is simple: to ensure forests are not only preserved, but valued by those who live near them and those who depend on them from afar. 

Following the call of nature 

Griselda’s story starts in the countryside, on her family’s farm, surrounded by grapevines, walnut, and stone fruit trees. That landscape left a mark. “I always felt a deep bond with nature,” she says. But forestry didn’t enter the picture until years later, during a university internship. She’d been studying agronomy and was uncertain about her next steps — until that hands-on experience changed everything. 

“I said, ‘Well, this is my thing,’ and from then on, I never stopped. I traveled, I learned from different forests, and I lived those experiences.” 

That discovery shaped not just her career, but the way she sees her role.  

Being a forest manager means sharing messages about environmental care and responsible forest management with nearby communities, she says. Being a forest manager means more than tending to trees - it’s about bringing messages of care and responsible forest management to nearby communities. Sharing those tools and stories helps grow a more conscious, committed society. That’s how forestry reaches beyond the forest. 

Leading change through multiple initiatives 

Griselda’s commitment to education has guided much of her work. When she joined Pomera, she took charge of the company’s “Forests + Future” program, teaching sustainable forest management in rural schools. Initially outsourced, Griselda and her team developed their own content, aligning lessons with FSC-certified practices. During the pandemic, they digitized the program, expanding its reach to previously inaccessible areas. Today, they reach 1,800 children annually. Through students, these messages spread to families and communities. 

She also co-led the “A Tree for My Neighbourhood” program with the municipality of Posadas. Before planting 300 native trees in a low-income neighborhood, her team conducted awareness campaigns - workshops, talks, and distributing materials - to ensure the trees were not just planted, but cared for. 

A voice for equity and biodiversity 

Griselda's path hasn’t been easy. When she started, she was often the only woman in the room - or the forest. But with support from her management, and sheer determination, she earned the trust of her peers. Today, she helps create that space for others. Through her work with the Argentinean Forestry Association (FOA), she advocates for more flexible work policies to support women in balancing family and professional life. She also ensures that female forestry students and interns are given real opportunities to grow. 

Her work extends beyond social equity to biodiversity conservation. One of the projects she’s most proud of is a partnership with the Pampas Deer Rewilding Foundation. The initiative protects an endangered native species — the pampas deer — by preserving grasslands, training forest workers, and promoting coexistence with plantation landscapes. 

She’s also behind a long-term carbon capture and forest restoration plan: converting old livestock lands into pine, eucalyptus, and native forests that will be dedicated exclusively to carbon sequestration and heritage protection for the next 30 years, with no harvesting or development permitted during that time. 

Through it all, Griselda’s work has been recognized globally. Her educational programs, wildlife conservation efforts, and commitment to FSC standards have earned her awards and accolades, but for Griselda, the greatest reward is knowing she’s making a difference. But to her, it’s clear that it’s not about the recognition, it’s about knowing that she’s left the world a little better than she found it. 

Now working as a consultant, Griselda is training to become a forest certification auditor;  staying close to FSC, and close to the work that has always inspired her. Her message remains clear: forests must be valued not just ecologically, but economically, so they can thrive for generations to come. 

To protect forests from degradation, we must ensure they have enough economic value to support their long-term care. FSC certification is key in promoting responsible management, benefiting both the environment and the communities that depend on it. It proves that sustainable forest management is achievable and has a positive impact on both the land and society.

As she reflects on her career, one thing is clear: Griselda Guarino is not just shaping forests, she’s shaping the future. 

Learn more about FSC certification and its impact on sustainable forest management in Argentina by visiting the FSC Argentina website. 

Click on the image below to meet more passionate individuals working in FSC-certified forests, and discover how they’re helping shape a more resilient future for forests and communities alike.