Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary

The forestry and conservation science professor teaches and researches natural resource management—educating students in forestry, wildlife, and conservation while producing scholarship that improves how we manage and protect forests, wildlife, and ecosystems. A typical week during the academic term blends teaching with research and outreach. Perhaps 35% of time goes to teaching: preparing lectures, conducting field courses, supervising student projects. Another 40% involves research—conducting field studies, analyzing data, writing papers. The remaining time splits between extension activities, grading, advising, and professional service.

People who thrive as forestry and conservation professors combine scientific expertise with field skills and commitment to natural resource stewardship. Successful professors develop research specializations while building the pedagogical and field instruction skills that natural resources education demands. They must connect laboratory and theoretical work with field application. Those who struggle often cannot manage the logistics of field-based research and teaching or find the applied orientation unsatisfying. Others fail because they cannot connect their research to practical management questions.

Forestry and conservation education prepares students for careers in land management, conservation, and natural resources research while advancing knowledge of forest and ecosystem dynamics. The field maintains connections to land management agencies and the field traditions that characterize natural resources education. Forestry and conservation professors appear in discussions of natural resources education, forest research, and the academic institutions that train resource managers.

Practitioners cite the meaningful contribution to conservation and the opportunity to work in forest and field settings as primary rewards. The research directly informs conservation. Field teaching in natural settings is rewarding. The students often share passion for nature. The work addresses environmental challenges. The land-grant and natural resources traditions provide purpose. Common frustrations include the declining enrollment in traditional forestry programs and the challenges of field-based research and teaching. Many find that field logistics complicate research and teaching. Climate change is transforming the systems studied. Urban students may lack natural resource context. Agency employment for graduates can be uncertain.

This career requires a doctoral degree in forestry, conservation, or related field, with research productivity essential for tenure-track positions. Strong research, teaching, and field skills are required. The role suits those committed to forest and conservation science who enjoy field-based work. It is poorly suited to those preferring laboratory research, uncomfortable with field conditions, or seeking urban academic settings. Compensation is moderate, with positions concentrated at land-grant and natural resources universities.