How to Become a Forest and Wildlife Conservation Worker in Maryland

If you’re a Maryland resident who loves to work outdoors, consider starting a career as a forest and conservation worker. These outdoor professionals help foresters, conservation scientists and forest and conservation technicians protect, restore and care for forest land. Forest workers protect forests from damage due to disease or insects, prevent disasters by suppressing fires and minimizing fire risks, and help ensure forests meet the expectations and rules of local, state and federal government agencies.

In fact, the most common employers of forest and conservation workers are state and local government agencies. Many forest workers are also employed by forestry organizations, while others are self-employed. Work settings may vary, as some forest and conservation workers serve in heavily wooded areas, some in fruit orchards and other in urban settings. To be a successful forest worker, you need to be detail-oriented, be able to walk for long periods and handle being outdoors regularly.

Tasks completed by forest and conservation workers include tree planting and cutting, the application of pesticides and herbicides, and clearing debris from public areas. They also help collect data on forest quality and care for urban tree growth.

What Does it Take to Become a Forest and Conservation Worker?

Becoming a forest and conservation worker starts with a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Most entry-level positions teach forest and conservation skills on the job. Search for forest and conservation worker jobs in state or local government agencies and other local forestry organizations.

To be better prepared for the job, you can attend a two-year forestry, horticulture or natural resources program in college. Starting an education in forestry will help you advance to positions like a forest technician, conservation scientist or forester.

Study While You Work

Many Maryland forestry programs are four years in length and lead to advanced careers in the forestry field. It’s possible to work as a forest and conservation worker while studying to advance your position. Here are two options for Maryland forestry and natural resources studies:

• Garrett College. This school, located in McHenry, Maryland, offers a two-year Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology associate’s degree. The program emphasizes wildlife, fisheries, forest management and soil and water conservation. Classes are small, include field-based instruction and offer class trips to Chesapeake Bay and southeast Arizona.
• University of Maryland. If you’re interested in urban forestry, try this university’s four-year Urban Forestry bachelor’s degree program. Learn to manage urban trees and forests while enhancing their sustainability. Courses include tree biology, forest ecology and forest assessment and management.

Forest and Conservation Worker Salaries

Forest and conservation workers in Maryland are paid well. In 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that Maryland forest and conservation workers earned a median income of $18.19 per hour. That’s about five dollars higher than the median income for all forest and conservation workers in the U.S. that same year—$13.20 per hour.

In just the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area of Maryland, 90 forest and conservation workers were employed in 2018, earning a median income of $17.77 per hour. These income rates show that Maryland forest and conservation workers have positive career outlooks.

Deciding on a Location

To get an idea of where to work in Maryland as a forest and conservation worker, you can look at job data for forest and conservation technicians, who are paid slightly higher and require more training. Where technicians are needed, forest workers are probably also needed. Forest and conservation technicians were paid highest in the Maryland nonmetropolitan area in 2018. However, the highest amount of forest technicians worked in Baltimore that year, doubling those in the nonmetropolitan area.