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Find your Path

Explore careers from the Oregon Forest Resources Institute.



Careers featured:


Forest Engineer

Field Forester

Wildland Firefighter

Fish Biologist

Recreation Manager

Travel into the woods with Mary Castle of Molalla, Oregon, as she shows what it's like to be a forest engineer. She designs the roads and bridges necessary for timber harvest and works with logging and road contractors to ensure the work is done properly.

In this two-minute video, Joe Newton shows what it's like to be a field forester. He spends most of his time outdoors, helping forest landowners grow trees that may some day be harvested for timber. It's a field known as silviculture, and as Joe says, "it's both an art and a science."

Brian Burnside of Miller Timber Services in Philomath, Oregon explains what it takes to be on a fire fighting crew. You need to be a strong individual, but you also need to be backed up by a strong team and a strong organization. It's tough work. It's dangerous work. But it's exciting work as well.

In this two-minute video Elise Kelley shows us what it takes to be a fish biologist. It's a highly competitive position that uses hands-on science to keep our fish populations healthy, while trying to keep recreational users happy.

Most of us love the forest because it’s where we enjoy our weekends and vacations. Recreation is a big deal in Oregon’s forests. Clyde Zeller (Recreation Manager) of the Oregon Department of Forestry shows us how good forest recreational opportunities don’t happen by accident. A forest needs a good recreation plan that takes into consideration all points of view in order to achieve balance.

Discussion Questions:


  • Which career did you find my interesting? Why?

  • What do you think are the most difficult and most enjoyable parts of that career?

  • What are your favorite subjects in school?

  • If you could choose anywhere in the world, where would you like to work? (In the forest? On a boat? In a lab? In your hometown?)

  • What steps can you take now to make that goal a reality?

Sources: Oregon Forest Resources Institute

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