Agricultural and environmental science students from local high schools in Lawrence County attended the 4th Annual Forestry Career Day. The late-fall event was coordinated by Lawrence and Winston County Extension offices and the Lawrence County Natural Resource Council. The objective is to introduce students to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers in forestry and natural resources.

Career Day Activities

Throughout the day, the following careers were highlighted:

• Game warden
• Forestry consultant
• Forest real estate manager
• Biologist
• Aquatic specialist
• Woodland firefighter
• Forester

Students also learned best management practices in tree identification, fire management, archery, sustainable aquatic ecology, and more. Representatives from the University of North Alabama’s Sports and Recreation Management program and Alabama A&M University’s Forestry, Ecology, and Wildlife program also discussed academic programs.

Community Partners

The 2025 Forestry Career Day was sponsored by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. Other partners included Treewise Alabama, Alabama 4-H, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, Forestry Works, the Alabama Forestry Commission, Wild Alabama, and forest management specialists.

“Coordinating this program with my fellow council members provided youth with the opportunity to explore careers they may never have considered,” said Donna Shanklin, chairman of the Natural Resources Council. “It allows them to take an interest now and learn how they can get paid to do it later.”

As a result of attending Forestry Career Day, ninety students from Lawrence County, Hatton, and East Lawrence High Schools gained a deeper understanding of forestry-related careers and academic programs.