Career as Forest Officer
Forestry in actual terms means the art and science of planting, maintaining, using, repairing and conserving of forests, trees and its associated resources to ensure sustainability and human needs. This protection includes protecting forests from fires, encroachment, deforestation, diseases, pests etc. as it is a vital component of the entire ecosystem as a whole. Forest economics, watershed management, reforestation, forest biology, tree improvements, medicinal, and aromatic plants study are now gaining momentum. Forestry as a career is highly rewarding especially in the Indian context and there is a huge demand-supply mismatch in the industry. With their ever-increasing demand. There is a huge scope in this profession going forward and some of the great opportunities are in line with a lot of focus of the government (both central and state) and industry bodies shifting their focus to wildlife and forests. This profession is here to stay in India.
- About Forest Officer :
- Job Profile |
- How do I get there?
Job Profile
Due to the massive demand for a Forest Officer, the job prospects in this field are bright. Many governmental and private bodies require such talented Forest Officers, who can manage and develop wooded protected areas for the economic and ecological purpose. He must possess the ability to think creatively and possess analytical skills, to communicate with other forest rangers and community people. The current market requires Foresters with specializations in Conservation and Resources, Procurement, Forest Management, Natural Resources, Fisheries and Wildlife.
Candidates pursuing a Forestry course can take up common
designation such as Faller, Technician, Forest Ranger, Forestry
Technician, Field Investigator, Forest Officer and Forestry
Development Officer. Their job profile includes ecological
restoration, timber harvesting and development, plantation of new
trees and monitoring and conservation of wildlife habitats.
Wildland firefighters are trained to help people in danger and work
closely with people when there are fire-affected forest areas.
Candidates with M.Sc degree can work as Operation Technician,
Silviculturist Officer and Forest Senior Consultant and as an
Auditor.
The life of a forest ranger is full of activity with lots of
fieldwork, as he is required to visit forests very frequently to
work collaboratively with fallers to make project estimation and
formulate regulations; prevent disorder. They are also required to
maintain safety standards while using dangerous equipment to clear
debris, map surveying, and while checking content and quality of
the soil.
Sometimes work hours also need to be stretched to meet the required deadline. Travelling and staying away from family is also a part of job requirements.
In India, the government sector offers an average pay scale of Rs
5-6 lakhs/annum depending on experience and qualification, a
private sector pays something around 15,000 to 30,000 pm for a
fresher, which keeps on increasing every year depending on work and
performance.
In the USA an average salary of $47,000 annually is paid to Forest
Ranger. M.Sc. graduates can get a higher package between 7-10 lakh
who work in the Operations and Research sector.
Companies that hire candidates are ICFRE, BioTechnology firms, Plan Resource Laboratories and Chemical Industries, Wild Research Institutes and National Parks and Sanctuaries.
They can work as Hydrologist, Wildlife Biologist and Conservation Scientist depending on work and experience.
Pros and Cons of being a Forest Officer
Pros
- A rewarding career for those who like to explore and feel the naturalistic atmosphere with no desks and cubicles
- There is the use of unique technologies for new insight
- Use specialized knowledge to solve problems through data analysis that affect wildlife
Cons
- The job requires extreme work hours, stamina and strength
- The position requires analytical skills, active listening, critical thinking and listening skills
- This profession requires substantial skill, knowledge and practical experience for a lucrative career
- Forester job demands to deal with dangerous work areas
- Ability to work in varied and unpredictable weather conditions
- To deal with poisonous plants and dangerous wildlife
Future Growth Prospects and How to get there faster
After starting your career as a fresher in this field as a Forester or a Forest Range Officer, one can take two to three years to get promoted in the hierarchy. From there on the career growth graph is steep. A lot also depends on external factors here like your alma mater, the place from where you have completed your B.Sc., or whether you have completed your post-graduation or not, whether you have worked and contributed or not. Good academic background with the premier institute in your CV and good track record while working can take you to heights in this career.
How do I get there?
Jim Corbett, the renowned British Naturalist once said, “The
study of nature has no beginning and it surely has no end.”
A student must have passed Higher Secondary (class XII) in
Science stream with Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PCB) as
compulsory subjects. One must have 40-50% aggregate marks on a
level to study for the next level. This makes you eligible to apply
for a B.Sc. in Forestry. It is unlike an ordinary UG course which
is usually of three years, B.Sc. Forestry is instead a four-year
course which trains individuals to become forest specialists.
If you want to dive deeper into this pool, you can go for M.Sc. in
Forestry which is a two-year program. The specializations offered
here are Forest Management, Forest Products, Wildlife Science,
Forest Economics, Commercial Forestry, Agroforestry to name a few.
You can further study and apply for M.Phil./PhD in this field to
become a scholar and open more doors for yourself.
Apart from this, there are certain certifications and diploma courses which one can do. These are Certificate Course in Wildlife Management, Diploma in Zoo and Wild Animals Health Cure Management or Post Graduate Diploma in Forest Management (PGDFM).
How much does it cost?
What are the Top Colleges where one should be studying to become a Forest Officer?
When it comes to pursuing bachelors and masters’ degrees in Forestry, there are several excellent colleges in India. These institutes have long been in existence and offer ideal facilities with experienced academia. The infrastructure and quality of experiential learning in these colleges are of the best quality and are thus favoured by umpteen forest professionals. Some of these premier institutes are listed below:
|
Rank of College |
Name of College, City |
Program Fees (annual) |
|
1 |
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore |
Rs 1,44,000 |
|
2 |
Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture, Pant Nagar |
Rs 39,000 |
|
3 |
College of Forestry, University of Kerala, Thrissur |
Rs 75,000 |
|
4 |
Integral University, Lucknow |
Rs 1,60,000 |
|
5 |
Doon Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun |
Rs 2,20,000 |
|
6 |
BFIT Group of Institutions, Dehradun |
Rs 2,45,000 |
|
7 |
OPJS University, Churu |
Rs 21,500 |
|
8 |
Orissa University of Agriculture of Technology, Bhubaneshwar |
Rs 73,000 |
Books and other Study Material
Some of the books that can enhance knowledge and give better
insights about forestry as a subject are mentioned as follows:
- Introduction to Forestry Science by De Vere Burton
- Indian Forest Service by R. Gupta
- Indian Forestry: A Breakthrough Approach to Forest Service by K. Manikandan and S. Prabhu
- Forest Resources & Sustainable Developmentby Kailash Chandra Bebarta
- Farm Forestry in India – An Economics and Environmental Analysis by Dr S.Puttaswamaiah
- Forestry: Principles and Applications – Antony Joseph Raj and S.B. Lai
What if this career does not work out for me? What are the other options for a person with these credentials?
Though this is a great career option for someone aspiring to start his career with the forest department as there are a lot of perks and you are on the job where you are working for the benefit of future generations and their needs. Though if you realize that this is not your ideal career path after pursuing B.Sc. Forestry, then you have the option to switch to other professions in this domain like soil testers, forest product marketing, botanist, silviculturist, zoo curators, forest economist, auditor forestry, lecturer. You can return to academia and can become a forest department professor in a college.
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Content on this page is by Career Expert Mrs. Kum Kum Tandon MA (Psychology), M.Ed, Diploma in Educational Psychology, Vocational Guidance & Counseling (NCERT, Delhi) | View Complete Profile |