USDA Forest Service

Wilderness Ranger

June - August 2019 • Grand Marais, MN

What I liked

I really enjoyed spending time with other wilderness Rangers, and working in the backcountry

What I wish was different

The training was a little rushed, you kind of had to learn on your own

Advice

Be prepared to work hard, but the benefits are amazing

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Biological Science Technician

May - August 2019 • Sonora, CA

What I liked

Getting paid to backpack in the Sierra Nevadas.

What I wish was different

That the winter was less severe and sites opened up sooner in the summer.

Advice

Field work is the way to go.

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Field technician

May - August 2019 • Tuscaloosa, AL

What I liked

I worked through the forest dynamics lab as a contracted field technician. We worked on establishing the Terrestrial Ecology Unit Inventory (TEUI) in the southeastern US. Previously, TEUI had only been conducted in Arizona and other western, arid locations. What I really liked about this job was the opportunity to conduct leading edge work in the area of the country I grew up in.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Timber Hand

May - August 2019 • Happy Camp, CA

What I liked

The training opportunities

What I wish was different

Advice

Klamath national forest is fantastic for wildland fire, in that it's by far the hardest terrain in the country and good conditioning. It also provided me with numerous training opportunities.

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GS 4 Range Technician

April - September 2019 • Dubois, ID

What I liked

I liked being in the mountains every day. I liked riding ATV's and UTV's even if I was just spraying weeds. I also liked learning about what my supervisor does as a Range Management Specialist. I also liked the people I worked with. They all liked to work hard, and at the same time they enjoyed their work and were fun to be around.

What I wish was different

My primary position was to spot spray weeds from a John Deer Gator. I learned a lot, but I would have liked to have had more experience with plant surveys such as nestings, greenlines, and utilization.

Advice

Any government gob you apply for is through the USA Jobs website. With the Forest Service you usually have to apply months in advance. The deadline for many seasonal positions has already passed. I am not sure about when Beura of Land Management (BLM) and Natural Resource Conservation Services Apply (NRCS) for seasonal positions, but if I were you, I would create an account on the USA Jobs website and start looking for seasonal positions now. There are all sorts of positions available in recreation, range, forestry, and biological sciences. Be expecting to work hard. We worked 4 days a week 10 hours a day. Some mornings in June were cold, and some days in July were very hot. You just have to prepare accordingly for the whether and deal with it. You also have to become Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) certified to apply herbicides. There is a safety test that includes 50 questions, and a Agricultural Herbicide test that is 100 questions. My first month on the job, much of my time was spent studying for these tests. You can find study material on the ISDA website. Once you find out you have the job, begin studying immediately so you are ready to take the tests. The tests are more difficult than you would think. There is some math involved with conversions for calibrating spray equipment and mixing chemicals. The safety test was not as difficult as the Ag Herbicide. I had to take the Ag herbicide twice before I passed. You have to pass with at least a 75%. You will need this license to spray on your own, and also to use Restricted Use Pesticides (RUP's).

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Biological Science Tech (Soils)

May - November 2019 • Kettle Falls, WA

What I liked

travel opportunity. cheap housing. made new friends.

What I wish was different

Advice

be open to going anywhere

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Forestry Technician

May - August 2018 • Salt Lake City, UT

What I liked

Being in the mountains every day.

What I wish was different

More training opportunities.

Advice

Come in shape and ready to work hard and learn a lot.

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Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2019 • South Fork, CO

What I liked

The opportunities that I had as well as the people that I got to work with.

What I wish was different

It was pretty much perfect.

Advice

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

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Programming Intern

September 2020 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

The work life balance was great and the environment was casual. Our work had a greater chance to be impactful as interns at the USFS rather than a larger public company.

What I wish was different

I wish the structure for interns had been more organized and for us to be given more direction.

Advice

Reach out to your mentors and don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help.

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Forest service trail crew

May - August 2020 • Bonners Ferry, ID

What I liked

It was a fun job that got me outside everyday, up into mountains. I got to see a lot of cool places, and use a lot of cool tools like chainsaws.

What I wish was different

The only bad thing this season had nothing to do with the job itself, just the COVID 19 pandemic. It delayed our start date and made traveling as a crew difficult.

Advice

It's a tough job, but also a rewarding one. Don't let yourself get scared off by the workload, because it is totally worth it.

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Economic Research Assistant

January 2020 • Fort Collins, CO

What I liked

This job applies to my major

What I wish was different

I wish the office didn't close down, but I understand it was necessary

Advice

Communicate with everyone!

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Hydrologic Technician

April - August 2020 • Cedar City, UT

What I liked

I loved being able to spend so much time in the mountains working with one of the West's most vital resources.

What I wish was different

I wish there had been a little less office work. There really wasn't that much though.

Advice

I would say to work hard and engage your supervisors to learn all you can about what they do.

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Forestry Aide

May - August 2019 • Cody, WY

What I liked

I really liked our daily schedule. We had PT in the morning and then we did project work, worked on fires, took fuel samples, prepped burn sites, or did warehouse work. We stayed busy and the days usually went by really fast. I gained a lot of experience that I can use for my future career.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have been on more fires. This past season was slow for everyone and nobody could control it.

Advice

My suggestion going into a season is to work out before you start. This job is physically demanding and you need to have some background in exercising. We did cardio everyday and at the beginning, I was struggling.

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Botany intern

June - August 2020 • Wellston, MI

What I liked

The people were very nice and like able, I learned so much and am very excited to take my experiences into my field in the future.

What I wish was different

I wish it had been a longer internship and that I got paid more.

Advice

Get as much from the internship as possible, accept all learning opportunities and make as many connections as possible!

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Climbing Ranger

May - August 2020 • Ten Sleep, WY

What I liked

It was great to be outside all summer interacting with people in a National Forest. I met a lot of great people and got to see how the USFS operates.

What I wish was different

I wish COVID-19 had not limited the amount of training opportunities.

Advice

You won't make a lot of money doing a seasonal job with the Forest Service, but it could be a really awesome experience. You also get in the door with the agency, making it easier to get future Forest Service jobs.

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Biological Technician

June - July 2019 • Mount Shasta, CA

What I liked

I loved identifying endemic plants by keying through the Jepsonii Manual.

What I wish was different

I wish i had more time to work with the botany crew.

Advice

If you like hiking and being out in the wilderness, try applying the USFS.

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Wildland Firefighter

June - August 2021 • Libby, MT

What I liked

It was a unique experience every single day.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have worked there longer.

Advice

Be prepared to work hard but always rely on your team if you need help.

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Hydrology Intern

May - August 2021 • Laramie, WY

What I liked

I got to be outdoors every day working in the Forest!

What I wish was different

Nothing, it was very fun, and I learned a lot.

Advice

Be prepared for all kinds of weather.

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Biological Science Technician (Wildlife)

June - August 2021 • Escalante, UT

What I liked

I got to work every day outdoors at beautiful remote sites in the Dixie National Forest. Most of my time was spent hiking, performing field work, or monitoring wildlife. I got experience in northern goshawk monitoring, hummingbird monitoring, banding, and identification, bat mist net surveys, bumblebee surveys, and various other wildlife projects.