Diploma in Forestry Technician - Adaptive Practices (Co-op) Fleming College - Frost Campus (Lindsay), Canada

As a Forestry Technician, you will be part of a close-knit community of men and women across the country who are making a difference in our environment. In this two-year program, you’ll learn to work effectively in natural resources management, gaining traditional forestry skills such as compassing and tree identification along with more technical skills working with ArcMap, GPS and other high-tech software.

This program is delivered in-person and combines theory with technical hands-on experiences including a paid co-op, numerous field excursions, and our unique field camp experience. With a focus on managing the forests of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence and Boreal Forest regions for resilience in the face of climate change, graduates will be equipped to carry out technical functions relating to the creation, management, conservation, and restoration of sustainable forests in both public and private operations with a specialization in adaptive practices. These adaptive practices include responses to environmental, social and economic changes within industry.

The recently revised curriculum exceeds provincial program standards and provides the potential for new pathways to and from our Urban Forestry Technician (Co-op) program. It also better positions graduates for a pathway to applied degrees - bringing Fleming graduates closer to achieving the Registered Professional Forester (RPF) designation.


Co-op

Students in the program will participate in a mandatory paid co-op. The co-op provides the opportunity to:

• Integrate classroom learning with work-based learning
• Explore the variety of careers available in the field
• Network for future job opportunities

In addition to paying tuition and fees for 4 semesters of study, students participating in the co-op pay a co-op fee (approximately $558.00) for administrative costs associated with the co-op placement.

Learning Outcomes

• Conduct forest inventory surveys and field measurements to determine forest resources and values in forests and woodlots.

• Assess soil characteristics, vegetation and wildlife habitats to identify their interactions within forest ecosystems.
• Perform technical functions in silvicultural operations and assist in the monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of silvicultural practices.
• Collect, analyze, interpret, and display spatial data using mapping technology and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to contribute to forest resource management.
• Contribute to sustainable forest management plans, including conservation and rehabilitation measures, taking into consideration the perspectives of a variety of stakeholders and the requirements of relevant legislation and regulations.
• Identify and analyze forest diseases, pests, invasive species and other disturbance events and implement mitigation strategies to maintain and improve forest ecosystems.
• Select, operate, troubleshoot and maintain tools and equipment in a variety of environmental conditions and in accordance with safety and operating standards.
• Work independently and in a collaborative environment while applying effective teamwork, leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Communicate technical information to a variety of stakeholders in oral, written, visual and electronic forms.
• Develop strategies for ongoing professional development to enhance work performance in the forestry sector.
• Examine and identify modifications for conventional silvicultural treatments to assist forest ecosystems in adapting to changing climate and environments.
• Examine the impact of economic and resource changes on the adaptations in the forest industry for the processing and use of wood products.
• Design terrestrial habitat management approaches that adapt to changes in natural heritage conservation trends.