{"id":842,"date":"2021-07-15T18:37:27","date_gmt":"2021-07-15T18:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8009\/stories\/?p=842"},"modified":"2026-01-29T18:41:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T18:41:10","slug":"forestry-students-path-to-becoming-a-forest-researcher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forestrycareers.com\/stories\/forestry-students-path-to-becoming-a-forest-researcher\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get into Forestry Research: One Student\u2019s Path from Environmental Science to Forestry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In our Rayonier Graduates<\/a> series, we\u2019re talking to recent Forestry College graduates who now work for Rayonier. In this story, Ph.D. candidate April Meeks shares her love of the technical and scientific sides of forestry and why she chose to study forestry at North Carolina State University. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

April Meeks is a forestry nerd\u2014and she embraces the title proudly. The Rayonier Tree Improvement Scientist and Research and Development Coordinator loves math, computer models and the outdoors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI grew up in the woods,\u201d says the North Carolina native. \u201cMy parents really fostered an environment for me to appreciate the environment\u2014the trees and the plants and the animals.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discovering Forestry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

April began her education at Appalachian State University where she studied environmental science. She knew she wanted to work in some aspect of the outdoors or the environment, but it was pretty broad. Then, she discovered forestry and had what she describes as an \u201caha moment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018Oh my gosh, this is exactly what I need to be doing\u2014working with trees!\u2019\u201d says April. \u201cI learned how much you get to use math and take what you see in the environment and come back to the computer and run different analyses to make projections for what the future might hold.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Math, data science, outdoor adventure: forestry checked all her boxes, but April knew she\u2019d need more education. That\u2019s when she enrolled in the Master of Science in Forestry program at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. While there she focused on silviculture. April graduated with her MSc in Forestry in 2015 and decided to continue on at NCSU. She\u2019s currently working toward a Ph.D. with a concentration in forest genetics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy favorite thing about studying forestry is being able to learn about how a tree grows and everything that it takes to make a tree grow,\u201d she says. \u201cThe more I learned, the more I wanted. I just couldn’t get enough. That’s why I kept pursuing degrees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Studying
Forests are like laboratories for forestry students: they have to study the trees and the many factors that impact them.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Forest as a Living Laboratory<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NCSU is one of the country\u2019s top forestry schools, and a big part of its success is students\u2019 access to forest land used for hands-on research and training. NCSU students have access to 85,000 acres of land contained in the Hosley, Goodwin, Gates, Taylor, Timaca, Lee and Hofmann forests. The College of Natural Resources controls another 9,000 acres in the Hill, Schenck, and Bull Neck Swamp tracts. These living laboratories allow students to get out of the classroom and into the forests throughout the course of their education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although she was not able to attend one, herself, April says NCSU’s summer intensive field camps have an excellent reputation. These summer studies, which involve traveling to several different forests, allow students to gain valuable practical knowledge and start to see what a career in forestry could look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou cover everything in forestry in a hands-on manner,\u201d April explains. \u201cIt\u2019s that communication through hands-on learning that is really amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"doing
April loved the hands-on learning involved in studying forestry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

April was able to work for two forestry research cooperatives during her time as a graduate assistant at NCSU. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe would do intensive field work in small teams in different parts of the South,\u201d she says. \u201cOne time, we were in Alabama in July outside and we were dying from the heat. So, I went and bought Popsicles for everybody. Basically, I said, \u2018Go measure this rep, and then you can have a Popsicle\u2019 to keep the team high-spirited and keep them going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

April has a lot of fond memories of her time at NCSU, but it\u2019s mostly because she truly loves the work.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really fascinating to me to be able to take a living organism and correlate that to math, and then take that math and play with it and make projections with it,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was the coupling of analytical skills with being outside in the fresh air\u2014it was challenging. I am one of those personalities that need to be challenged and forestry fit the bill.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women Welcome in Forestry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

April was the first woman to graduate from Appalachian State with an environmental science degree, so she\u2019s used to being the only woman in her classes. When she got to forestry school at NCSU, it wasn\u2019t much different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy classes in forestry school were all guys, my professors were all men, but I was really surprised at how welcomed I was into the community,\u201d she says. \u201cEveryone there was so excited that I <\/em>was excited about forestry. The mentorship that I received was just superb. The community as a whole is very open and they just want to foster learning. It\u2019s really a good community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
April thrived in forestry school.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Advice for Future Forestry Students<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now working for Rayonier out of our Andalusia, Alabama, office, April has a very simple piece of advice for students considering whether to study forestry: \u201cDo it. You won\u2019t regret it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really that simple for those interested in forestry, looking for something fast-paced and fun. There\u2019s math behind it, policy behind it, and it\u2019s a good way to challenge yourself to be a better steward of the environment too.\u201d 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Learn<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In our Rayonier Graduates series, we\u2019re talking to recent Forestry College graduates who now work for Rayonier. In this story, Ph.D. candidate April Meeks shares her love of the technical and scientific sides of forestry and why she chose to study forestry at North Carolina State University. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ryn_post_video":""},"categories":[5,2,63,41,42],"tags":[75,18,7,13,45,19],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nHow to Get into Forestry Research: One Student\u2019s Path from Environmental Science to Forestry | Rayonier Stories<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"April Meeks new she loved math, computer models and the outdoors. 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