Forest and Conservation Technicians

• Cultivate land.
• Inspect condition of natural environments.
• Collect biological specimens.
• Collect environmental data or samples.
• Set up laboratory or field equipment.
• Train personnel in technical or scientific procedures.
• Prepare documentation for permits or licenses.
• Record research or operational data.
• Survey land or properties.
• Advise others about environmental management or conservation.

• Having face-to-face discussions.
• Working with a group or team.
• Working outdoors exposed to weather.
• Making decisions that impact co-workers or company results.
• Responsibility for others' health and safety.
• Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
• The importance of being accurate or exact.
• Meeting strict deadlines.
• Exposure to sounds or noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable.
• Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

• Ecology
• Natural Resources/Conservation, General

• Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
• Forestry
• Natural Resources Conservation and Research

Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges, technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota, and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.

If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:

• Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
• Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
• Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
• Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.

Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.

• Visit Transferology to see if your courses will transfer.
• Search Articulation Agreements to find formal transfer agreements between schools.

• Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Managing Time—Managing one's own time and the time of others.
• Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Managing People—Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

• Geography—Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Mechanical—Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Biology—Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Enterprising—Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

• Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators
• Precision Agriculture Technicians
• Firefighters
• Geological and Petroleum Technicians
• Forest and Conservation Workers
• Supervisors of Construction and Extraction Workers
• Environmental Science Technicians
• Environmental Engineering Technicians
• Surveying and Mapping Technicians
• Agricultural Inspectors

• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

• Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators
• Precision Agriculture Technicians
• Firefighters
• Geological and Petroleum Technicians
• Forest and Conservation Workers
• Supervisors of Construction and Extraction Workers
• Environmental Science Technicians
• Environmental Engineering Technicians
• Surveying and Mapping Technicians
• Agricultural Inspectors