Pueblo Community College Southwest again will offer forestry classes at its Mancos campus, citing growing workforce demand in these areas.
The two forestry classes, Foundations of Forestry and Forestry Field Techniques, will start on Monday, Feb. 17. The college’s Wildland Fire Academy will be held June 2-7.
“These classes will prepare people for high-demand careers in which people can serve their communities by stewarding our natural resources,” said Laurel Smerch, coordinator of natural resources at PCC.
The forestry classes are funded through the Forestry and Wildfire Mitigation Workforce Development grant, which the school also received for these classes last year.
Each class will have a capacity of 25 students, and any adult with a high school diploma is able to register. High school students can also participate.
“High school students as young as 14 can take these classes as a way to get a head start on college,” Smerch said.
Interested high school students will be required to work with PCC’s Go!Zone, concurrent enrollment staff and their high school to register.
Smerch added that individuals who are interested in an outdoor, nonprofit land or wildlife conservation career would find a great “starting point” in these courses. She added that programs like these can lead to a plethora of career paths and opportunities.
“Some industries and job types that this program can lead to include forest products, timber, manufacturing, fire mitigation, forestry technicians, private forest management and land use consulting. There are also natural resource agencies at all levels, local, state, federal and tribal, that need workers,” Smerch said.
Smerch also noted that forestry programs can teach students how to steward public land and natural resources, which also contributes to public safety.
“I would imagine that with the wildfires in Los Angeles going on, there would be folks thinking about how we can better manage our natural resources,” Smerch said. “Land stewardship is a matter of public safety and infrastructure. This program could be an essential starting point if this is something you want to dedicate your career to.”
Foundations of Forestry will teach students the “principles of forest science, ecology, tree identification, forest fire behavior” and more, while Forestry Field Techniques will “focus on technician-level skills such as forestry surveying, navigation, GPS software” and other aspects.
The Wildland Fire Academy, which will be held in June, will teach the skills students need to apply for a red card and work as a wildland firefighter.
More information about the classes can be found by contacting Smerch at laurel.smerch@pueblocc.edu or by calling (970) 564-6218.
Registration and financial aid information questions can be directed to gozonemancos@pueblocc.edu or by calling PCC’s Mancos campus at (970) 564-6201.
