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Careers in Forestry
If you ask young people, not many of them are likely to tell that they want to make a career in forestry. In fact, a large section of the young population may not even be aware that there are courses and career options available in forestry. Ecological balance and environmental protection are buzzwords nowadays. The world is facing a number of challenges today. One of these is growing imbalances in the environment, for which one reason is the depleting forest resources and their unreasonable exploitation by humankind. We should not forget that human society exists because forests exist. Many of humanity needs are met by forests. This can be one reason for considering the importance of forests. However, forests and forestry should be considered valuable for making this Earth liveable. On many of the planets, there are no traces of life because they lack forests and other resources (like water) required to survive. Forests contribute towards shelter, water, livelihood, food items, and fuel, etc. Forest activities directly and indirectly add to our lives. Fruits, vegetables, and wood are more obvious, but many products and bi-products are used in medicines, chemicals, etc. Forests also serve as habitats for wildlife, which is no less important than life elsewhere.
What is Forestry?
The study of forestry focuses on expanding forestation, rehabilitation of wastelands, enhancing forest productivity, efficient utilization of wood and non-wood forest products, development of eco-friendly products and processes, and, of course, the conservation of forests and the environment.
Topics covered under a forestry course include plantation forestry, social forestry, agroforestry, ecology, biodiversity, tree improvement, forest hydrology and watershed management, wood science and technology, forest goods and services, forest resource management, seed technology, rangeland and pasture management, economics of forestry systems, regional and global climate changes, forest geo-informatics, wildlife conservation, and ecotourism, etc.
Education in Forestry
Many colleges and universities in the country offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses in forestry, including B.Sc. (Forestry) and M.Sc. (Forestry) degrees. Most of the agricultural institutes and universities offer these courses. To pursue B.Sc. (Forestry), students should have completed Plus Two with science subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. In some institutes, candidates may choose forestry as one of the subjects at the graduation level.
For a master degree in forestry, graduates in Science with subjects of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, or Agriculture, Horticulture, or Forestry, are considered eligible.
The above is only an indicative list. Definitely, there are more colleges and universities in India offering courses in forestry and allied subjects.
Most institutes/universities have a general course in forestry. However, some offer courses with specialization in particular branches of forestry. For example, some of the areas of specialization are:
- Agroforestry
- Environmental Management
- Forest Genetic Resources
- Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
- Wood Science & Technology
- Watershed Management
- Silviculture
- Sustainable Development
- Forest Biology & Tree Improvement
- Forest Products & Utilization
- University of Forestry, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Beijing Forestry University, China
- Moscow State Forest University, Russia
- Yale School of Forestry & Environment Studies, USA
- Forestry University of British Columbia, Canada
- The Nature Conservancy
- Water Aid
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- Grameen Foundation India
- The Energy and Research Institute
- Spandana Sphoorty Financial Corporation
- Swades Foundation
- Technoserve
- Periyar Tiger Reserve
- Microsave
- Jaipur Rugs
- Jeevikaa Livelihoods Support Organization
- Forest Training Institute, Dharwad, Karnataka
- Telangana State Forest Academy, Hyderabad
- Gujarat Forest Rangers College, Rajpipla
- Central Forest Rangers College, Chandrapur
- Uttarakhand Forestry Training Academy, Haldwani
- Tamil Nadu Forest Academy, Coimbatore
- Forest Training Institute, Jaipur
- Forest Training Institute and Rangers College, Sunder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh
While some universities take candidates selected through the entrance examination conducted by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), others have their own entrance examination/selection process details of which can be checked on their respective websites.
Forestry is taught at many overseas institutions as well, such as:
Although the M.Sc. (Forestry) course covers inputs in management to a certain extent, a full-fledged managerial course in Forest Management can also be pursued. Indian Institute of Forest Management at Bhopal is well-known for its Postgraduate Diploma in Forest Management, equivalent to an MBA. It has also launched a Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainability Management. The institute is recognized as a research center for pursuing doctoral research of the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. Some of the organizations that have recruited candidates from this reputed institute are:
Jobs & Careers
There are different routes to approaching forestry as a career. The following description of different opportunities available may be helpful:
Forest Guard
To become a forest guard, one should have passed 10+2. Recruitments are made at the state level. For this position, no special qualification in forestry or related subjects is required. Usually, vacancies announced are in large numbers, but so is the number of candidates, as the benchmark qualification is not high.
Forest Range Officers
Every state and union territory has requirements for forest range officers/rangers, for which they advertise from time to time. For this position, a formal qualification in forestry is not mandatory, and generally, graduates from agricultural, science, and technological backgrounds are considered eligible. However, other things being equal, those with a B.Sc. (Forestry) degree may have some advantage. Selection is usually through a written test followed by an interview. After selection, extensive training is offered. To fulfill the training needs of forest range officers and other employees of state forest departments, good infrastructure has been created. Many states have their own training establishments for the purpose, such as:
Indian Forest Service
Most of us are aware of the Civil Services examination conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the prestige associated with being finally selected in the process. UPSC also conducts other All India Services Examinations, one of which is the Indian Forest Service (IFS) examination, conducted every year. As every district in the country has a district magistrate, district/divisional forest officers are also appointed in districts and divisions. Indian Forest Service officers are selected