Senior Forestry Consultant
As a senior forestry consultant you will be involved in many different projects to preserve and protect forests. A big part of the job is providing answers to questions about forests and this involves science, research and maths.
What the job looks like
Salary expectation
starts at $50,000 up to $70,000+
The good
- Improving forest management
- Planting trees throughout Australia
- Helping to preserve high biodiversity ecosystems in developing countries
- Being able to travel
- Using different equipment and technologies
The not so good
- Stressful at times to meet deadlines
- Can be physically demanding
As a senior forestry consultant you will inspect the environment and take samples to measure the impact of pollution or make predictions on forest growth. Your findings are then used to create management policies or implement envrionmental changes.
You get to use a range of equipment as part of your job. You might take soil samples to send to the lab to determine carbon levels in the ground, or you could use satellite images to help predict how much carbon is being stored in a forest.
Forestry consultants should have a good understanding of the forestry industry and climate change policy. Just as importantly, good science and mathematics skills are needed to carry out your duties. Understanding how carbon is created and stored is explained by science. Being able to calculate and measure carbon levels and provide advice relies on mathematics.
English skills will also come in handy when communicating with organisations like councils or governments and writing reports that outline your findings and any recommendations.
If you love the outdoors and want to be involved in sustainable management, then a career as a senior forestry consultant could be for you.
I love that I am preserving high biodiversity eco systems.
Pathways to this career
Subject suggestions for the HSC
Choosing your HSC subjects from this list could really help with your career. Think carefully about what you want to study after school as you might need to choose specific HSC subjects for that course and to count towards your ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank). An ATAR is your academic rank in relation to other HSC students and helps with University admission.
HSC subjects
Some subjects will count towards your ATAR, others will not. Check with your career advisor before making subject selections.
- English (Advanced or higher)
- Mathematics (2 unit or higher)
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Earth and Environmental Science
What can I do after I have finished school?
University degrees
Studying one of these degrees can help with your career.
- Bachelor of Forest Science
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Environmental Science
Suggestions
Check out the Department of Primary Industries for more information
- Get familiar with your environment - If there are bush tracks or trails go for a walk and start to take more notice of things like tree species or how the area might have changed over time
- Keep up to date with research or news relating to environmental issues
- Focus on forest or environmental topics for school assignments where you can
- Go to career expos and events like university Open Days for information about what you will study
