Career Choices: What About Forestry?

I was about 13 years old when I decided to be a forester. Never mind that I didn't know the first thing about what a forester did, it sounded good . . . kind of manly and important, characteristics inordinately appealing to a teen-aged farm boy in the 1960s.

I zipped through high school, got a nifty ring with a red stone and a College Board score with four numbers in it. I thought I was ready to matriculate, and the University of Georgia thought I might be a good risk. Before it was over, we both had reason to doubt our judgment. . .

Turns out, forestry school had a lot more to do with math, chemistry, and physics than it did with manly activity. Some of those subjects were so enjoyable that I took them several times; in Physics 101 alone, I had more seniority than some professors.

Eventually the draft board took notice. Their letter started off with great promise: "Greetings from the President of the United States." Then they got down to business, saying, "Your friends and neighbors have selected you . . ." Turns out they wanted me to participate in another manly activity. They called it Infantry, but that's another story.

For a while, I got a different kind of education, learning important stuff with lots of letters and numbers, like M16A1 and M60 and M79. If you recognize those, we probably went to similar schools.

The military sabbatical over, I finally completed the requirements for a BS Forestry with about a tenth of a point to spare and there was rejoicing among the faculty. Still striving for consistency in my collegiate experience, I cut the graduation ceremony and headed for South Carolina where a real job awaited. Yes, indeed, I was finally a forester.

Interestingly enough, in almost 40 years of practicing forestry I never had to use any of the physics or chemistry that seemed so important to the folks down at the University of Georgia. Just as well.

I'm pretty sure a lot of folks make their initial career choice like I did: on a whim, based on emotion rather than information, and with little thought for the long-range ramifications. If you know someone who is pondering a career in forestry, tell 'em this:

1. Being interested in hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking are not good reasons to become a forester.

2. Take all the math and science your high school offers, and prepare for huge doses of the same in forestry school.

3. Don't plan to play sports or participate in lots of extra-curricular activities . . . you won't have time.

4. Look for summer jobs or internships in forestry early on. Find out if this is really what you want; forestry courses may not transfer well into other disciplines if you decide to change your major.

5. Don't expect to make lots of money. Most foresters earn a reasonable living, but it's unlikely that you'll ever get rich.

Forestry. It ain't for everybody, but it suits me.