What should an outdoors-loving boy do for a job, when he leaves school? Chris Nelson wanted to be a farmer, but in the 1960s, farming opportunities were scant. His love of the outdoors led him to forestry and a fulfilling, exciting, lifelong career in North Island forests of Aotearoa. Once a Forest Ranger offers a fascinating insight into several decades of sweeping changes in New Zealand forestry management, driven by political ideology and shifting attitudes toward the natural landscape. It brims with anecdotes of hunting, bush mishaps, quirky characters, hilarious reflections and quiet feats of strength and courage. Chris’s personal story is woven throughout, encompassing a fraught childhood, youthful overseas travel tales, family and health challenges.