Why Choose a Forestry Major?

Forestry is the science of managing, using, conserving, and repairing forests and woodlands to benefit humans and the environment. Foresters may work with natural forests, orchards, and urban settings. Foresters do more than manage trees—they also manage resources like water, wildlife, and soil. They play a key role in protecting forests from pests, diseases, and forest fires.

Forestry professionals use social and scientific principles to manage timber production, conservation, recreation, and more. The science behind forestry is called silvics, and the practical application of silvics is called silviculture. Silviculture involves examining individual trees and how they interact with each other and the forest ecosystem as a whole.

Modern forestry aims to create sustainable forests able to provide multiple benefits while staying healthy and resilient. Managing a forest involves balancing and prioritizing a forest's biological, recreational, aesthetic, and economic value. Foresters also consider the social impact of these resources and help citizens understand the economic, aesthetic, and ecological consequences of any course of action.

What Do Forestry Majors Do?

Forestry is about much more than trees. People with forestry degrees use a blend of specialized knowledge and math, biology, and science skills to monitor the health of forest ecosystems. They help maximize forest resources and crops, including things like maple syrup production in the Midwest. Other foresters travel into rainforests to study the impact of climate change on wildlife, for example studying the health of long-lived birds.

Foresters can focus on something as small as microorganisms on the forest floor or as large as a woodland lake, and everything in between. Foresters monitor multiple aspects of the forest ecosystem to manage its overall health. Foresters work with landowners to reduce runoff and conserve soil in natural forests and orchards. They also plan the harvest and planting of trees to ensure woodland longevity.

A forestry degree prepares professionals for a career in the creation, management, use, conservation, and repair of wooded areas. Forestry professionals conduct studies and advise private landowners and government agencies on water quality and its impact on the understory, overstory, and forest floor. They may interact directly with wildlife through humane research practices, like bird banding, or study them from a distance by observing footprints and collecting scat.

What Careers Are There in Forestry?

A degree in forestry prepares new professionals for a wide variety of careers. Forester and conservation science job opportunities are expected to have a steady annual growth rate of 5% through 2033, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Foresters manage forests, parks, rangelands, and other natural resources. They are involved in timber harvesting, forest regeneration, and wildlife monitoring. Foresters work for government agencies and private companies or as consultants. Urban foresters are a subset of forestry professionals who plan and care for trees and green spaces in urban environments. Their responsibilities include planting, pruning, disease management, and developing urban tree policies.

Studying forestry can also be the start of a career in conservation. Conservation scientists manage the use and development of natural resources, including those found in forests. They work closely with landowners and government agencies to ensure sustainable use and conservation of natural resources, like soil and water. Forest and conservation workers do manual labor to improve the quality of forests, rangelands, and wetlands. They plant trees, clear brush, build and maintain trails, and assist with controlled burns. They typically work under the direction of foresters or conservation scientists.

Forest and conservation technicians assist foresters and conservation scientists by collecting data on forest conditions, helping with reforestation projects and monitoring activities like logging and controlled burns. Logging workers like equipment operators, graders, and scalers use forestry skills to harvest trees for timber and other forest products. They work with or for foresters and other forestry professionals to ensure harvesting practices support forest health.

What Skills Do Foresters Need?

Physical stamina is an important capability that foresters need to be successful in their careers. Depending on their job position, foresters can work in offices, laboratories, outdoors, or in a combination of locations. They travel to remote locations and may need to walk long distances in all types of weather over challenging terrain.

Foresters must also develop strong analytical skills in order to evaluate the results of field tests and experiments and determine the impact of forest management plans on soil, water, wildlife, forest lands, and fire prevention. Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) helps foresters map and analyze spatial data, track changes over time, and make well-informed decisions. They should also be familiar with wildlife and trail management, tree identification, and silviculture (the art and science of establishing and maintaining healthy land and forests).

Critical thinking and reasoning help foresters draw conclusions from data and improve forest conditions. They also need communication skills to explain their plans, data, and reasoning to firefighters, landowners, government officials, and the general public. Foresters also need management and organizational skills to supervise employees and coordinate teams across multiple entities.

What Tasks Do Foresters Do?

Foresters oversee conservation and forestry activities on private and public lands to protect woodland habitats and ensure compliance with government regulations. This includes negotiating contract terms related to forest harvesting and land use, as well as establishing forest resource management plans. To do this, foresters evaluate data on forest, water, and soil quality, as well as wildlife health and ecology.

Foresters also direct and participate in forest fire suppression. They help prevent forest fires by measuring and evaluating how fast fires spread to determine the success of planned suppression. They work with private landowners, government agencies, farmers, and other entities to remove timber or improve land with minimal environmental damage. Foresters also choose and prepare sites to plant new trees. First, they clear land using controlled burning, bulldozers, or herbicides. Then they monitor forest-cleared sites as forests grow or regenerate.

Conservation scientists and foresters inform their decisions with data. They collect data using tools like clinometers to measure tree height, diameter tapes for tree circumference, and increment borers and bark gauges to measure tree growth for calculating timber volume and estimating growth rates. They also use drones, aerial photography, satellite images, and computational tools like GIS to map large forests or range areas.

How Much Do Foresters Earn?

Forester salaries vary based on location, job title, experience, and employer. Top-paying industries for foresters include natural gas distribution, electric power, and the pulp and paper industry.

The Future of Forestry

Forestry is a career focused on long-term planning, but it's impacted by fast-paced changes in social trends, technological advancements, and economic evolution outside the field of forestry. These human dimensions of forest management shape the future of the forestry industry.

Technological Advancements in Forestry

Passenger drones—battery-powered aircraft that take off and land like helicopters but are cheaper and easier to fly—could have a huge potential impact on tourism, search and rescue efforts, and firefighting in remote areas. Autonomous robots are now being supervised remotely by workers miles away. In forestry, this telerobotics technology could be used for forest inventory management, planting, pruning, timber harvesting, and firefighting. Scientists are experimenting with lab-grown wood, similar to lab-grown meat production. This could allow wood to be grown in any shape, which would reduce or eliminate the need to harvest trees, significantly disrupting the traditional forestry and wood production industries.

Human Factors and Health in Forestry

Vertical forests are a growing concept in city planning and have the potential to shape urban forestry and arboriculture. The first vertical forest in Milan, Italy, in 2014 motivated other cities to build tall buildings covered in greenery. These green giants offer health benefits, reduce heat, absorb carbon dioxide, lower energy use, support diverse plants and animals, and help revitalize cities. Vertical forests are far from the only intersection between forestry and human health. Medical interventions promoting time spent in forests have been shown to improve people's cardiovascular and immune system function. They also reduce depression, anxiety, stress, and negative emotions. Healthcare integrating forest management is likely to increase in the future.

Pursuing a Forestry Degree

Forestry professionals have many jobs and career experiences to choose from. The path to becoming a forester is just as varied, but most entry-level positions require a bachelor's degree or higher in a related field. According to our academic advisor, these tips can help you take the first step in your journey as a career forester.

Tips for High School Students

If you're currently in high school and are considering a forestry career, here are some things to consider.

• Focus on your science and math classes, as these will form the basis for scientific knowledge and analytical skills you will need further along in your education. Specifically, courses related to biology, computer modeling, and data analysis will support your future forestry career. Your enjoyment (or dislike) of these courses could tell you a lot about whether or not a career in forestry may be right for you.
• Communication, public speaking, and writing courses will help you build the skills a forester needs when relaying information to the public, presenting forest management plans to private or public land agencies, and negotiating contracts.
• Read overviews of different forestry degrees to get a sense for which one you may want to pursue. Explore institutions accredited by relevant organizations, like the Society of American Foresters.

Choosing a College or University for Forestry

Selecting a school to study forestry can be challenging. Follow these tips to help you find the right fit for your career goals.

• Research colleges and universities that would put you on a successful path. It's not necessary to major in a program called forestry to have a successful career in this industry! Look for degrees that fall within the forestry umbrella, such as natural resources management, wildlife ecology and conservation, or environmental data science.
• Make sure the schools you're considering offer accredited degrees, since most employers will only consider graduates from accredited institutions. The Society of American Foresters, for example, accredits programs in forestry, urban forestry, and natural resources and ecosystem management.
• Visit the schools you're interested in and ask lots of questions about their program(s), scholarships, and financial aid opportunities. Keep a close eye on application requirements and deadlines.

Apply to the schools that are the right fit for you and your goals sometime between your junior year and the beginning of your senior year. Don't miss those deadlines!

Tips for College Students

If you're currently in college, our College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science advisor recommends these tips to ensure your success in the forestry field of your choice.

• Work with your academic advisor to choose a program and courses that will give you the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in a forestry career.
• Gain experiences in real forestry projects. Look for opportunities through student organizations, professional conferences, co-ops and internships, and research projects at your institution.
• Form relationships with faculty members in your program. These connections will help you as you look for relevant hands-on forestry experience during and after your college career.
• Network with professionals. Whether you're at a conference or an on-campus career fair, seize every opportunity to form connections with professionals in the field—you never know when they could come in handy!
• Keep your resume up to date and brush up on your interviewing skills. Your institution may even have a dedicated career center that can help you.