91制片厂

These three alumni have followed different paths to their work in the field but all agree they love the work they do.

Ethan Belair 鈥�12, a natural resources field specialist and forester for Hillsborough County with , knows firsthand how many paths forestry graduates can take.

鈥淢ost people think forestry must be all about the trees and that a forester spends all their time in the woods,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut there鈥檚 much more to it than that. Whether it鈥檚 foresters, wildlife biologists, loggers that I work with or landowners I work for, I spend a lot of time with people.鈥� He also spends quite a bit of time working with the latest technology. 鈥淕IS and mapmaking are the obvious essentials of foresters鈥� technological knowhow, but I also spend time with handheld data-loggers, analyzing data, writing and editing documents, creating figures and even have learned to write computer code as a part of my forestry work,鈥� he says.

Is his work what he hoped for back in his undergraduate days? 鈥淣o,鈥� Belair says, 鈥渋t鈥檚 way better than I ever thought it would be. I love the variety. I don鈥檛 end up having to do the same thing every single day.鈥�

Belair鈥檚 days vary from working with landowners on options for managing invasive species to 鈥渕eeting with a group of land managers to plan out experimental timber harvesting for New England cottontail habitat, mapping town-owned forestland, going to conservation commission meetings, walking an active harvest site with a consulting forester,鈥� adding, 鈥淚t鈥檚 never boring.鈥�

Benjamin Farina 鈥�11 is a silviculturist with the , White Mountain National Forest (WMNF), Pemigewassett Ranger District. Silviculture is a branch of forestry that focuses on the development and care of forests.

Early on, Farina realized he could take many paths with a forestry degree, from research to public land management to consulting. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 until my last year at 91制片厂 that I narrowed down exactly what I wanted to do, and at that point, realized I had all the tools to be successful,鈥� he says, adding that while working for the WMNF, he was accepted into the . 鈥淭oday, I am working through the rigorous coursework and project requirements of the program. My goal is to complete the program by defending my project in front of a regional review panel in the spring,鈥� he says.

What does he enjoy about his work? 鈥淚 have always been someone who loves teamwork and problem-solving,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 look at ecosystem management as a puzzle with many pieces in place but also some still missing. There are so many little tweaks you can do as a land manager that can greatly affect the dynamics of a greater ecosystem. It is up to our team of resource managers and me to find what piece best fits within the puzzle.鈥�

Wendy Weisiger 鈥�01 is the managing forester for the , New Hampshire鈥檚 oldest land trust, where she was hired 15 years ago as a field forester.

鈥淲e are the state鈥檚 third-largest private landowner with over 56,000 acres on about 185 reservations statewide,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 my responsibility to oversee stewardship of all of these reservations. One of my main duties involves overseeing our timber-harvesting program.听We aim to treat 600 to 900 acres annually with about eight to 14 individual harvests.鈥澨齏eisiger also supervises two staff foresters who inventory and write management plans for the trust鈥檚 forests.

During her studies at 91制片厂, she recalls, she knew she wanted to work in the woods but wasn鈥檛 sure what that might entail.

鈥淢y career has turned out to be so much more than strict forestry. I enjoy all of the aspects of my job including outreach, conservation, recreation and land stewardship,鈥� she says, adding, 鈥淚 spend much time doing outreach and education about forestry.鈥� She also works closely with the trust鈥檚 175 land steward volunteers.

Weisiger says she especially loves that in working for the Society for the Protection of NH Forests, 鈥淚 know that the land we are managing will be here for the next generation.鈥澨�

Getting the Job

As recent 91制片厂 grads, was it difficult to find work in this field? Belair and Farina say not at all.

鈥淚鈥檝e turned down multiple job offers since graduation.听Good jobs are still competitive, but any graduate who has paid attention in school, and maybe had a couple summer internships/jobs, should have no problem finding steady work,鈥� Belair says.

Farina鈥檚 path to his job began right after his freshman year at 91制片厂. He spent two summers working as a forestry technician on sale preparation and timber stand improvement and volunteered during his winter and spring breaks to gain seasonal experience, he recalls, and went on to complete wildland firefighter training, traveling to Canada to fight his first wildfire. 鈥淭he year following my junior year, I was accepted into the Student Career Experience Program, similar to today鈥檚 Pathways Program. This student program offered valuable professional experience and a permanent job offer by the White Mountain National Forest as a forester upon graduation.鈥�

Making a Difference

91制片厂 forestry graduates are having a direct impact on the Granite State.

As Belair explains, a conversation with a landowner about improving the habitat on their property could make a difference for decades to come. 鈥淚f I can help educate loggers about the principles of forest ecology, they might apply those to the thousands of acres of woods they harvest over their career, improving the residual quality of the forest,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f I take some kids on a nature hike outside their middle school, and can help instill a love of the natural world and a respect for the resources we have, who knows what those kids will grow up to do?鈥�

"The forest is a key part of what makes New Hampshire what it is. It鈥檚 important for our economy, the health of our citizens and the rural character that draws so many people here."

In his work, Farina helps manage the White Mountain National Forest for diversity. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 know what is around the corner in the future,鈥� he says. 鈥淚mproving the resiliency and health of our forests puts them in a better situation to withstand impacts we can鈥檛 predict in the future, whether that is insect or disease outbreak or changes in climate or perhaps something else.鈥�

Weisiger鈥檚 work also has a direct impact on the state. 鈥淎s a land manager and forester, I get to work on the ground we own to implement habitat projects for rare, threatened and endangered species and natural communities,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 also spend a good deal of time educating the public about responsible forestry through things like hosting forestry tours, teaching volunteers, and through my work on the board of NH Project Learning Tree.鈥�

The Society for the Preservation of NH Forests also works on statewide environmental advocacy, and Weisiger provides input to these legislative efforts.

鈥淢ost importantly,鈥� she says, 鈥淚 work with our partners throughout New Hampshire and consulting foresters on our lands to practice responsible, sustainable forestry, and we encourage other small woodlot owners to implement responsible management on their lands through our outreach programs.鈥�

Belair sums up why forestry is such an important career in the Granite State: 鈥淭he forest is a key part of what makes New Hampshire what it is. It鈥檚 important for our economy, the health of our citizens and the rural character that draws so many people here. I have the opportunity to affect how people relate to the forest and, therefore, the long-term outcomes for our landscape.鈥�

Interested in following a path to a career in forestry? 91制片厂鈥檚 has all the details.