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Forester is a professional who is responsible for taking care of the forest area and its inhabitants. Conserving the forests for the next generation keeping in mind that Forest wealth also contributes significantly to the economy of the country make this job all the important. Specially trained personnel are therefore needed to maintain and regenerate the forest cover, forest wealth and resources.

This involves the services of forestry specialists, forestry management experts and forest officers. This is a career in which you are not only supposed to work yourself only but you have to make your team work hard for the society you have vowed to serve while joining this career.

What Forest and Conservation Workers Do

Forest and conservation workers measure and improve the quality of forests. Under the supervision of foresters and forest and conservation technicians, they develop, maintain, and protect forests.

Duties of Forest and Conservation Workers

Forest and conservation workers typically do the following:

• Plant seedlings to reforest land
• Clear away brush and debris from trails, roadsides, and camping areas
• Count and measure trees during tree-measuring efforts
• Select or cut trees according to markings, sizes, types, or grades
• Spray trees with insecticides and fungicides to kill insects and fungi and to protect the trees from disease
• Identify and remove diseased or undesirable trees
• Inject vegetation with insecticides and herbicides
• Help prevent and suppress forest fires
• Check equipment to ensure that it is operating properly

Forest and conservation workers are supervised by foresters and forest and conservation technicians, who direct their work and evaluate their progress.

Forest and conservation workers perform basic tasks to maintain and improve the quality of the forest. They use digging and planting tools to plant seedlings and power saws to cut down diseased trees.

Some work on tree farms or orchards, where they plant, cultivate, and harvest many different kinds of trees. Their duties vary with the type of farm and may include planting seedlings or spraying to control weed growth and insects.

Some forest and conservation workers work in forest nurseries, where they sort through tree seedlings, discarding the ones that do not meet standards. Others use hand tools or their hands to gather woodland products, such as decorative greenery, tree cones, bark, moss, and other wild plant life. Some may tap trees to make syrup or chemicals.

Forest and conservation workers who are employed by or are under contract with state and local governments may clear brush and debris from trails, roads, roadsides, and camping areas. They may clean kitchens and restrooms at recreational facilities and campgrounds.

Workers with a fire protection background help to suppress forest fires. For example, they may construct firebreaks, which are gaps in vegetation that can help slow down or stop the progress of a fire.

In addition, they may work with technicians to determine how quickly fires spread and how successful fire suppression activities were. For example, workers help count how many trees will be affected by a fire. They also sometimes respond to forest emergencies.

Employment Opportunities

• Government
• Private and public sector organizations dealing in forest produce
• Forest based industries
• Research and consultancies
• Paper mills
• International donor agencies
• Development organizations
• Financial institutions
• Tourism
• Media

Forestry scientists work in government or industrial research centers dealing with forest products

Various courses are available in the field of forestry. You can pursue forestry courses at graduate, postgraduate, diploma as well as at Ph.D. level.

Bachelor’s Courses

• B.Sc in Forestry
• B.Sc in Wildlife
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Tree Improvement and Genetic Resources
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc – Hons) in Forestry

Eligibility Criteria

If you have passed your intermediate examination with PCB group then you are eligible for this course. The duration of B.Sc forestry professional course is 4 years.

Some other certificate & diploma course in Forestry are listed here

• Certificate Course in Wildlife Management
• Diploma in Zoo and Wild Animal Health Cure and Management
• Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry Management (PGDFM)
• Post Master’s Diploma Non Wood Forest Products

The Universities/colleges that offers forestry courses in India are as follows

• Dr BR Ambedkar University, Uttar Pradesh
• Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar
• Arid Forest Research institute, Jodhpur
• Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
• Forest Research Institute University, Dehra Dun
• Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Himachal Pradesh
• Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
• Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur
• Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore

Admission Process

One can apply for the bachelor’s course in forestry after clearing the 10+2 examination with PCB/PCM/PCMB group (Career options after 12th). The candidates who have passed All India Entrance Exam of ICAR (ICAR AIEEA 2019) are eligible for admission to agricultural Universities that offers forestry courses. The candidates can also apply for state level exam of Jharkhand (JCECE 2019). Various Universities/institutions conduct their own entrance examination for providing admission

Salary package

The pay scale in the field of forestry depends upon the firm you are working for. The salary in government sector is as per the government pay scales. A forester earns an average salary of $47,548 annually in abroad. Depending upon experience and qualification, you can earn an annual salary of around Rs. 5 to 6 lacs in India.

“Salary packages offered in this field are very high for the well experienced candidates”.