Career Profile: Forester

Foresters mange, use, and help protect forests and other natural resources.  They can either work for private timber companies or state and federal governments.  Foresters who work for private timber companies acquire timber from private landowners.  They appraise the value of the timber, settle on a price, and then draw up a contract for that timber.  They serve as a liaison between the workers and landowners.  Foresters who work for state and federal governments manage public forests and parks.  They also work to plan and carry out conservation programs, control floods and fires, and develop plans for harvesting timber.  They can also conduct educational programs for the public.  Foresters consider the environmental impact of their work, comply with regulations, supervise the planting and growing of new trees, and write environmental reports and recommendations.

 

Helpful high school courses for a career in forestry include:

• Computer Applications
• Forestry
• Horticulture
• Keyboarding
• Natural Resources Management
• Plant & Soil Science

You might also want to look into completing a mentorship or internship with a forester to get a better idea of what they do.

 

Forestry might be the field for you if...

• You like math and science, working with people and things, and communicating with others
• You like to keep physically active and work with your hands
• You enjoy being outdoors
• You work well independently and as a team

Some Minnesota colleges and universities that offer programs in forestry include the University of Minnesota (Bachelor of Science in Forest and Natural Resource Management), Hennepin Technical College (Associate of Applied Science in Urban Forestry Technology), and Itasca Community College (Associate of Applied Science in Natural Resources - Forestry).

 

You can find out much more information on the field of forestry by clicking on this link.

 

Information gathered from www.mncis.intocareers.org.