How to Become a Forest and Wildlife Conservation Worker in Iowa

If you know you’re destined for a career in the great outdoors, now might be the time to get started as a forest or conservation worker. These professionals complete tasks to help protect forest quality and manage natural resources. Under the supervision of foresters and conservation scientists, forest and conservation workers assess tree health, plant and remove trees, help prevent forest fires and clear debris from trails and public areas.

Other tasks a forest worker might undertake include spraying plants with insecticides or herbicides, inspecting forestry equipment and collecting data on forest quality. Becoming a forest or conservation worker doesn’t require post-secondary education, but pursuing a certificate or degree in a field such as conservation or forest technology can lead to a more fruitful career.

The number of forest and conservation workers is slowly declining across the country due to technology replacing their skills, so more workers are training to become forest and conservation technicians, who are trained to work with forestry technology.

Steps to Becoming a Conservation Worker

To get started as a forest or conservation worker, you’ll first need to graduate high school or earn your GED equivalent. Then, you can begin searching for entry-level forest worker jobs with local and state governments, forest agencies and natural resource organizations. You’ll likely be trained on the job, though you can certainly pursue college education in forestry or conservation to gain a head start in your career.

Forestry and Conservation Education

If you want to work in the forestry and conservation field, a degree can offer valuable training and help you get hired. Those with an educational background in forestry, conservation or natural resources can quickly move up in their career and find better-paying work. Here are a couple Iowa forestry and conservation programs to get you started:

• Ellsworth Community College. This Iowa Falls community college offers a two-year associate’s degree in Wildlife/Fisheries/Forestry or Conservation Technology. Students spend time studying woodland, wetland and prairie ecosystems at Calkins Nature Area & Interpretive Center, a 76-acre wildlife area close to campus. Class sizes are small, and students can receive a number of scholarships.
• Hawkeye Community College. At this school in Waterloo, you can earn an Associate of Applied Science in Natural Resources Management. Coursework focuses on hands-on learning activities, including training on a variety of equipment used in the field. Students experience plenty of field trips and natural resource activities, including an Outdoor Recreation Class where students travel to the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area. A 320-hour internship is included in the program to ensure students begin their careers with experience. Hawkeye’s program is accredited by the North American Wildlife Technology Association.

Outlook for Forest and Conservation Workers

According to the Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), there were 430 forest and conservation technicians employed in Iowa in 2016, but only 190 forest workers. These numbers show the decline in forest workers and increasing number of forest technicians. By the year 2026, the PMP estimates that Iowa forest technicians will grow in employment by 2.3 percent, while the number of forest workers will stay the same.

The pay for these two types of employees also differs greatly. In 2018, Iowa forest technicians made a median income of $18.50 per hour while forest workers made only $12.16 per hour. If you start out as a forest or conservation worker, you may want to eventually become a technician to find better work opportunities.

Forest and Conservation Technicians by Location

Location makes a big difference for forest and conservation workers and technicians in Iowa. In 2018, most Iowa forest technicians were employed in the southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area, which also experiences a high employment rate for this field. The highest paid forest technicians lived in the northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area, making $24.10 per hour. However, pay fluctuates substantially by area, as those technicians in the northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area earned a median income of only $14.87 per hour.

No matter where you begin work, the best way to ensure a successful career is to build a strong foundation of education and experience. It’s completely possible to have the outdoor career of your dreams if you’re creative and dedicated.