Careers in Forestry

ARE YOU GOOD AT SCIENCE? DO YOU have a passion for the great outdoors and a deep-rooted desire to protect the environment? Then consider a career in forestry. Surrounded by wildlife and lush woodlands, you will use your skills and knowledge to serve humanity and preserve the wilderness for generations to come. Forestry offers jobs on the local, state, and national level, with employment opportunities in foreign countries as well. From forest rangers, to resource recreation managers, to urban foresters, this is a field with a wide range of careers. Foresters employ the latest advances in science and technology to address the numerous challenges and threats to the productive use of timberlands, without destroying this valuable natural resource. Forestry is a career that encourages discovery and innovation. Imagine having a job developing methods to use wood more efficiently, or finding new, effective, expedient ways to battle forest fires, sparing more of this valuable land from needless ruin. The view of forests has changed a great deal since early settlers came to North America. Heavily wooded areas were once considered a hindrance to progress. Forests were ravaged so farms and homesteads could be developed. However, as society gained knowledge of the important roles these bountiful lands play in the course of human survival, people started treating forests with greater respect, though it took centuries for these concepts to take hold. Until just over one hundred years ago, forests were still being cut down without care or concern. Vast forests that provided so much humankind needed were being neglected. No attention was given to preventing disease, insects, soil erosion, and even fires, from destroying large swaths of forestland. There was little public recognition of the importance woodlands play in providing refuge for wildlife, help with climate control, clean water and air, and a peaceful, unblemished retreat for people of all ages. In addition, we depend on wood for products, from paper to furniture. Maintaining healthy forests requires hard work, strategic planning, and endless care. Fortunately, the forestland that is left can still be saved, and that vital job falls to foresters. Future foresters will continue this proud tradition, armed with modern technology and applying it to enhance the growth of woodlands around the globe. It can take up to 250 years for nature to produce mature, harvestable trees to replace those cut down. The demand for this wood is simply too great for nature to provide what is needed. Scientists working in forestry have found ways to grow trees on managed property in one-fifth the time and with six times the volume. People get the wood they need from these controlled wood-growing environments, and natural forestland can be preserved in its undisturbed state.