Forestry

Volunteers help communities conserve natural resources by working on projects such as soil conservation; watershed management and flood control; production of sustainable fuels; improvement of agroforestry practices such as fruit production; building live fences and alley cropping; and preservation of biodiversity, sometimes near national parks or other reserves.

Education

Applicants can qualify with a bachelor's degree in forestry, watershed or natural resource management, environmental science, or ecology; or a degree in biology, botany, ornamental horticulture, or geology and six months of work experience; or a degree in any discipline and three years of work experience.

Experience

Most applicants have at least six months of practical experience in gardening, farming, or nursery management.

Other relevant experience includes vegetable production using organic and low-input methods, tree planting or other local conservation activities, landscaping, a high level of comfort working in the outdoors, an understanding of how natural resources can be managed to sustain people's livelihoods, and use of computer applications such as geographic information systems for environmental research and modeling.

Last updated Sep 27 2008