In 1961, Doug was appointed to the Wood Preservation Section of the CSIRO Division of Forest Products. Being involved in all aspects of timber treatment, wood borers and termites, he was responsible for CSIRO’s work associated with the importation of the Sirex Wood Wasp and the European House Borer. In 1968, this led to the award of a 10-month Churchill Fellowship “An International Study of the incidence, distribution and economic significance of certain wood-destryoying insects having the potential ability to establish in Australia”.
In 1969, the Division of Forest Products decided to expand its entomological work on assessing wood preservatives and wood susceptibility to various insects. Having specialised particularly in EHB and the West Indian Drywood Termite during his Fellowship, Doug was given the opportunity to head up that area. As an Experimental Scientist, he also worked closely with the pest management and timber industries and as a result of this involvement, he was awarded Honorary Membership of the Pest & Weed Control Association of Victoria in 1975 and Life Membership of AEPMA on its formation in 1988. After some years as Industry Liaison Officer Doug left CSIRO in 1992 as a Senior Specialist and Assistant to the Chief of Division.
With his expertise in pest management, termite management, chemical assessments against wood-destroying insects, industry liaison and his networking abilities, it is not surprising that Doug then became National Executive Director of AEPMA for ten years and, partially concurrently, National Secretary of the Timber Preservers Association of Australia (TPAA) for twenty.
C. D. Howick is author of 60+ scientific papers on various aspects of forest products entomology, wood technology and pest management as well as a further 50+ reports, conference papers, and presentations.
In 2006, he was honoured with the title of Honorary Advisor for the Federation of Asian & Oceania Pest Managers Associations (FAOPMA). Doug is now the Editor of “PPM News”, the newsletter for FAOPMA, and of the TPAA Newsletter “CONTACT”, both of which are electronically circulated on a bi-monthly basis.