Description
The Forestry Field Skills Program (FoFSP) provides students with leading edge technical skills that are in demand within forestry, cultural heritage, and natural resource disciplines. By providing hands on field skills, participants will be able to work as forestry technical assistants, aiding crews in environmental assessments, including cultural heritage, wildlife, and riparian assessments.
In the field, you will apply technical skills using the lifecycle of a harvest cutblock as an example – from the planning stages to the free growing of a new forest. Techniques of practicing forestry while treading lightly on the landscape is considered throughout the course.
You may expect daily field labs with an emphasis on:
- Planning: Safety, forest measurements, GIS, riparian assessments, wildlife assessments, cultural heritage assessments, LIDAR, species at risk, wildfire considerations, recreational considerations, and invasive species management.
- Engineering and Development: Compass use, GPS training, road layout, harvest engineering, riparian management, soil classification, biogeoclimatic classification, and cultural protection techniques.
- Silviculture: Regeneration techniques, site preparation, silviculture surveys, cultural heritage audits, and long-term monitoring.
Specific wildfire courses like the S100 basic fire suppression and safety certification can be included to the program at the client’s request.
Please be advised that at present, this program does not provide transferable credits recognized by accredited bodies and post-secondary institutions.
Program Outcomes
Upon successful completion, Forestry Field Skills Program participants will be qualified and able to:
- Identify key wilderness awareness strategies and procedures
- Conduct basic Forestry measurements, assessments and field procedures
- Conduct Forestry surveying and field mapping
- Identify and apply standard silviculture, stand tending and fuel management field procedures
- Conduct field work as a recognized “Qualified Persons” field technician
- Operate and maintain a chainsaw, brush saw, water pump and winch
- Work safely and responsibly in the forestry workplace
- Identify the key phases and management of Wildfires
- Conduct Fire Suppression & Safety procedures as a qualified S-100 Wildland Firefighter
- Understand the roles and responsibilities with the Incident Command System
- Conduct standard field communication protocols and procedures
- Conduct helicopter safety procedures
- Operate portable water pumps
Prerequisites
None.
Each NRTG course includes free, lifetime admission. Enrol once – come back anytime.
Who attends?
Course participants typically include new workers to the forest industry, cultural heritage assessment crew members, and guardians and university students who want to acquire technical skills. The course also applies to forest professionals who would like to add new tools to their forest practices.
How do I attend?
The course is available via contract to organizations or community groups for in-person deliveries. The course can be customized to meet the specific needs and geographical considerations of your organization. To arrange a contract delivery, please contact us.
What should I bring or supply?
Course participants are required to provide their own personal field clothing (e.g., warm layers, sturdy boots, gloves, rain gear, etc.), field notebook, and a handheld device (phone or tablet).
Course Format
The course is typically 120 hours in length but can be customized to include subjects applicable to students.
Customization
NRTG will work with clients to customize our existing course content to meet your needs. As an example, this may include additional or advanced training relating to silviculture surveys, wildfire prevention & management, drone applications, managing wildlife with silviculture systems, and biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification (BEC), or topics of interest to your community or organization.
Have questions or comments about customization? Please contact us.
Instructor Profile
Morgan Brown, RFT
NRTG Instructor and Forest Professional
Since 1990, Morgan has trained over 1,000 environmental practitioners. Highly regarded, Morgan uses his 30+ years of experience to passionately share knowledge and is able to deliver focused material that brings value to the client and students. Through patience, empathy, and kindness he makes a direct connection with many of the students and passes on his experience in a meaningful format.
Frequently Asked Questions
We offer this course throughout the year, and most commonly beginning in February in coastal regions and March in interior regions throughout North America. Please refer to our Schedule page for course timing and locations.
First aid training may be obtained before or after this training program.
Ensure first aid training is recognized and endorsed by WorkSafe agencies in North America. This one-day training program may be referred to by different titles, such as “Occupational First Aid” or “Standard First Aid”. Consult with your provincial or state WorkSafe authorities for more information.
You can purchase forestry supplies from a Forestry supplies retailer, such as Cabela’s, or industry suppliers such as Dynamic Aqua Supply (Surrey, BC), IRL Supplies (Prince George, BC), Winners Edge (Lillooet, BC), Surplus Herby’s (Williams Lake, Kamloops, Vernon BC), Forestry equipment suppliers across Canada, and other outdoor equipment outfitters.
No, there is no requirement to recertify for this program. If there is a significant pause in your environmental monitoring fieldwork (e.g., four years or more), we would recommend that you recertify with NRTG. Note: all NRTG courses include free, lifetime certification. Enrol once – come back anytime.
Course fees will vary by course delivery location. For further information, please contact us.
Testimonials
Morgan is knowledgeable, hardworking, and always brings a sense of camaraderie to the crew. I learned invaluable skills in the field of forest development thanks to Morgan always taking the extra time to explain and talk ideas through. He is a great team leader and a pleasure to work for.
Morgan has extensive leadership skills, knowledge and understanding of the principles and practices pertaining to resource management. His experience with legislation, policies, procedures, directives and guidelines, highlights Morgan’s exceptional skill set in the management of organizational resources.
Of all the people I have known and worked with for over 25 years, Morgan has been the most consistent and level-headed. He embraces challenges as opportunity for change and is enthusiastic about innovation and how it can improve deliverables for the client. Morgan has a wealth of experienced and I consider him a leader in project planning and management. He is well liked by those that work for him and those that he works for and he is not afraid to engage in thought-provoking conversations.
Strongly recommend Morgan as an instructor! Morgan is crystal clear as an instructor, and I really benefited from his knowledge.
