Exploring Green Jobs In

Forestry

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Research & Breeding

Would you believe researchers breed the best tree families just like horse breeders would breed their best horses? This allows foresters to grow healthier, more disease-resistant trees. They can also choose breeds that grow fast and straight: perfect for the lumber future generations will need to build their homes! Click below to watch how it's done in greenhouses and seed orchards.

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Seedling Nursery

Many trees get their start in a seedling nursery, where they're pampered in rich soils and ideal watering conditions for the first months or even years of their lives. Nursery employees make sure the baby trees have strong root systems and healthy stems before they're taken out of the ground and replanted in the forest. Come along with us to a nursery by clicking below.

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Site Preparation & Planting

In Working Forests, replanting the forest is one of a forester's most important jobs. Typically one or two years after mature trees are harvested, the ground is prepared for planting. Then baby trees are brought in and planted either by tractor or by hand. Some planters can plant more than 1000 trees in a single day! Watch how it's done by clicking below.

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Caring for the Environment

Foresters are the caretakers of some of the most important resources in the world! They care for trees, which ensure cleaner air by capturing carbon and producing oxygen. Foresters also monitor and protect water quality. And they're trained to recognize and protect the habitats of protected species like bald eagles and gopher tortoises. Watch how foresters play a special role in protecting the environment by clicking below.

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Maintaining the Forest

Working forests, where trees are grown for their timber, grow for a very long time: at least 20 years in the Southeast, and more than 40 years in the Pacific Northwest! Over the course of the forest's lifetime, foresters are stewards of the trees and the land. They monitor the health of the forest using tools like prisms, clinometers and even drones. Learn about the tools of the forest and how foresters keep trees healthy by clicking below.

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Harvesting

When trees are fully grown, it's time to harvest them to produce important products people depend on. In the forest, loggers have to assess each log to determine its best use: should it be made into a telephone pole, a piece of furniture, or perhaps paper and cardboard? There are also times when loggers have to use special equipment to safely remove logs from steep ground without damaging the soils and waters nearby. Click below to see how this complex process is handled in different parts of the U.S.

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Products to Market

Forest products are all around you! Wood is used to frame homes, make floors and create furniture. Logs are also used to make paper products, cardboard, and 1000s of lesser-known products like paints, bath products, and even the touchscreen on your phone. Have you ever wondered how these products are made? Click below to watch how trees become the various products you rely on.

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Why We Work in

Forestry

Want a career you'll feel good about? There are hundreds of Green Jobs in the forestry industry that directly protect the environment. The forestry industry also plays a critical role in America's economy, which couldn't function the same way without it.

  • Healthy forests give us clean air, filter our water and take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
  • Foresters don't just take care of trees: it's also their job to protect endangered species.
  • There are forestry jobs at every level of education, from high school diploma to graduate degree.
  • Trees are needed not only for wood and paper, but for 1000s of other products like medicines, soaps and lotions, even the touchscreen on your phone!
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What is a

Green Job?

Green Jobs are occupations that benefit the environment or protect natural resources. The forestry industry is full of them! As you explore this website, you'll see videos about Green Jobs in each stage of the forest life cycle. You can also review all of these jobs on our Green Jobs page.

Explore Forestry Careers

Discover the diverse opportunities in the forestry industry.

Forester

Foresters guide decisions and policies for land management. Among job responsibilities, they plant and care for forests, look out for vulnerable wildlife species and protect water quality.
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Forest Engineer

Forest engineers design, negotiate and supervise major projects in the forest, including road construction, bridge installations, harvest unit designs, and the development of rock quarries. All this work must be done with the least possible impact on the environment.
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Forestry Firefighter

This job is focused on preventing and fighting fires in the forest. As a trained wildfire firefighter, this individual will be prepared to fight wildfire at a moment's notice during dry seasons. Prevention is also key, with active work done to eliminate fire risk.
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