UNH Forestry Program any good?

[Tenderfoot]

Anyone know if the UNH forestry program is any good? I got accepted for the fall and am seriously considering it. I know they are SAF accredited, but I am unsure if they are a well respected program by the guys actually working in the industry now. UMO is the school to beat in my neck of the woods.

 

[Jhenderson]

Everybody in know got their degree from Paul Smiths.

 

[Tenderfoot]

Where I am there are very few licensed foresters, and I honestly cannot recall where they got there degree. Maine is up there and looking at the curriculum is more intensive with operations, but the silviculture side looks similar at UNH.

 

[Jhenderson]

How about calling you local state service forester and asking them?

 

[Tenderfoot]

How about calling you local state service forester and asking them?

HAH! Good luck with that, been trying to get them to answer my calls for weeks. I gave up. Figure a few guys actually boots on the ground now would be good to ask. Want to know if they will actually work with me post graduation, ya know?

 

[madhatte]

We had a seasonal employee a few years ago who was a student of UNH. Good dude, quick learner. I have not kept in touch so I don't know what he's up to now.

 

[Tenderfoot]

We had a seasonal employee a few years ago who was a student of UNH. Good dude, quick learner. I have not kept in touch so I don't know what he's up to now.

I think at the end of the day, YOU as an employee or business associate need to be good, not the school you went to. But, I do want a head start. The job market here is pretty brutal.

 

[madhatte]

I'll say this: dirt foresters from 2-year schools make better cruisers, generally, than researchy types from 4-year schools. I'm neither, by the by. I fell into this business by accident.

 

[Tenderfoot]

I'll say this: dirt foresters from 2-year schools make better cruisers, generally, than researchy types from 4-year schools. I'm neither, by the by. I fell into this business by accident.

I dont want to cruise, Im looking at a more of an operations side. Management is interesting, but the operations side is what gets me. Ideally I would want to be licensed and have a crew. It would be a nice niche, write the prescriptions and oversea the operations all in one go. Dont know if there will be an issue with conflict of interest, though.

 

[madhatte]

I write my prescriptions, it's fun. I like seeing the changes over time that is my hand on the landscape. I also like leading a crew. I also like cruising. Frankly, the only part that really doesn't tickle my fancy is sale administration itself.

 

[Tenderfoot]

I write my prescriptions, it's fun. I like seeing the changes over time that is my hand on the landscape. I also like leading a crew. I also like cruising. Frankly, the only part that really doesn't tickle my fancy is sale administration itself.

Nobody likes the sale administration stuff. But my god, I did cruising for a short while. I could not stand it. Got too boring too quick when all I did was count and paint, count and paint all summer. Now firing up some equipment, now that does it.

 

[madhatte]

Painting is another story. I do like it but I need to break it up a lot. It takes 100% of my attention while I'm doing it, and that's a recipe for disaster. All of my other responsibilities have to wait if I'm marking. We generally pass that role on to our seasonal crews as much as possible so that we can keep all of the balls in the air.

 

[Tenderfoot]

About half of my 'cruising' was painting or inventories. I did not get to do any fun stuff, but it beats retail. I had a very, very blue set of clothes for it.

 

[madhatte]

I know that routine all too well. I have a pair of BDU pants and a sta-dri shirt in the truck for that purpose.

 

[Tenderfoot]

You could say the whole thing left me feeling quite blue.

 

[madhatte]

Smurfin' it up ain't for everyone.

 

[Deleted member 110241]

About half of my 'cruising' was painting or inventories. I did not get to do any fun stuff, but it beats retail. I had a very, very blue set of clothes for it.

To get to do the fun stuff a newbie first has to do the jobs everyone hates.
I'm not in NA but I'm sure it is the same everywhere, the most important thing is how you present yourself, not where you got your education?
I actually worked for free a few weeks last year and now I have a contract for this season with that company. And I really don't have the right education for this.

 

[madhatte]

I really don't have the right education for this.

That only matters when it does. Academically I'm trained as a photographer, a nuclear reactor operator, and as a plant ecologist. This has not kept me out of a career in Forestry. Ecology was close enough to get contract and seasonal work, which led to a permanent job, which led to a career.

 

[Deleted member 110241]

That only matters when it does. Academically I'm trained as a photographer, a nuclear reactor operator, and as a plant ecologist. This has not kept me out of a career in Forestry. Ecology was close enough to get contract and seasonal work, which led to a permanent job, which led to a career.

And I'm a aircraft maintenance technician
I like the woods better!

 

[Tenderfoot]

To get to do the fun stuff a newbie first has to do the jobs everyone hates.
I'm not in NA but I'm sure it is the same everywhere, the most important thing is how you present yourself, not where you got your education?
I actually worked for free a few weeks last year and now I have a contract for this season with that company. And I really don't have the right education for this.

Hell, the licensing requirements in my state is just to sit for a test. As far as I can tell from sitting on the phone you don't even need experience to get licensed as a forester.