USDA Forest Service

wilderness ranger crew intern

May - August 2023 • North Bend, WA

What I liked

Got to be with nature, physical exercise. Nice community, close to home.

What I wish was different

Better communication

Advice

Try and keep morale up, this work can get really difficult, and after a while you lose the fun, so find things to keep it fun.

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Botany Intern

May 2023 • Hines, OR

What I liked

I enjoyed being outside for work, and that I had a few educational trainings, such as plant identification experiences.

What I wish was different

I was expecting more hands-on guidance and great deal more organization. I was disappointed by the great lack of both. I often wasn't given thorough explanation or guidance, so I would go into the field with a vague idea of what I was expected to do, and be quite stressed trying to figure it out.

Advice

Ideally, you will be able to get an feeling for the office culture and standards of the forest station you would be working at. If lack of organization stresses you out and you get hints of that during your interview process/in the job posting, beware.

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student trainee

January 2023 • Fort Collins, CO

What I liked

I liked how i got me some engineering experience while working with my school schedule .

What I wish was different

Advice

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Forest Engineering Intern

June 2023 • Missoula, MT

What I liked

Flexible schedule, outdoor job, customizable work, gained field skills

What I wish was different

Only worked field season so not great for gaining technical design experience if that is what you are looking for

Advice

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Forestry Technician

May - October 2019 • Kooskia, ID

What I liked

I received excellent training and was constantly given training opportunities. I got great experiences ranging from backpacking in the most remote designated wilderness areas in the lower 48 to suppressing wildfires from helicopters as well as true wildfire use (managing for ecological benefit instead of full suppression). On this crew specifically, I frequently used knowledge and skills I learned in classes here at HSU. With this seasonal position, I traveled all over the western US and got paid to work places most people will never get the opportunity to visit.

What I wish was different

Advice

Network, network, network. Work hard, learn your role and keep a good attitude. Be proficient in your role mentally, intellectually and physically. Strive for excellence.

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Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2018 • Grangeville, ID

What I liked

I loved being able to use my degree in food science and experience fighting wildland fire together. I was able to help to many people work, live, and perform at their best, and collect food and nutrition research that will impact the entire wildland fire population.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more time this summer to spend in this line of work! It was incredibly fulfilling.

Advice

I would say "If you love something, tell people about it.". I was connected with this opportunity because someone I knew was listening to me speak about two things I am most passionate about, and they saw an opportunity to bridge these two things together with a really unique summer job.

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Botany Intern

June - September 2018 • Thorne Bay, AK

What I liked

I was able to gain hands on experience in forest ecology and botany, and many other branches of natural resource sciences.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Wilderness monitoring intern

June - August 2017 • Mammoth Lakes, CA

What I liked

Being outdoors all the time, working with GIS and a team

What I wish was different

It was pretty disorganized and job description wasn't that accurate.

Advice

Be ready to do a lot of hiking (6-12 miles a day) and manual labor.

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Forestry Technician

May - August 2018 • Kamas, UT

What I liked

Working outdoors and the 4/10s schedule

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

Be willing to move around for USFS jobs

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Range Pathways Intern

May 2018 • Stanley, ID

What I liked

Working outside everyday and seeing new places.

What I wish was different

More people to work with

Advice

Take a chance and take the job that’s in a place you’ve never been before!

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Public Affairs Intern

May 2018 • Ogden, UT

What I liked

Getting out in the field, writing, photography, educating others about natural resources

What I wish was different

Not spending so much time in the office. It sucks sitting in the chair and staring at a computer all day.

Advice

Make friends. :)

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Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2018 • Helena, MT

What I liked

My favorite part of the job was being outside all day with the best people.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Recreation Technition

June - August 2018 • Prairie City, OR

What I liked

Wonderful coworkers, constantly busy, great bosses.

What I wish was different

Not a thing

Advice

Be ready for work

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Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2018 • Eureka, MT

What I liked

Great work, and lots of overtime.

What I wish was different

Advice

Continuous Improvement.

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Rangeland Management Intern

May - August 2018 • Logan, UT

What I liked

I liked being able to work out side and see how a federal agency operates.

What I wish was different

It would have been nice to have a more predictable schedule of tasks to complete.

Advice

Ask lots of questions about the internship during the interview, and don't be afraid to inquire about additional experiences that you could have in an internship.

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Wildland Firefighter

June - August 2018 • Montpelier, ID

What I liked

It’s a great job with a great culture and people to work with. You work constantly in beautiful areas. The pay is great too.

What I wish was different

- no complaints

Advice

Apply early

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Wildfire Engine Crew

May - August 2018 • Cortez, CO

What I liked

Being outside, working hard, learning new things, meeting interesting people

What I wish was different

Advice

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Hi-Mountain Intern

June - September 2018 • Santa Margarita, CA

What I liked

This internship allowed me and my partner to live at the lookout for part of every week during the Summer. Every day, we would do field work, plant surveys, radio telemetry for California Condors, as well as allowing visitors to stop by for the view and the lookout.

What I wish was different

I wish we could have had more time to brainstorm and settle on the project methods before those we were collaborating with left on trips for the rest of the summer. While it was nice to maintain the independence, it made it hard to collect the resources we deemed necessary.

Advice

Bring a camera! The lookout was originally intended to be used for fire spotting so it's at the top of a mountain - you can see for miles. The views are amazing.

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Timber Sale Prep Crew Member

May - August 2018 • Potlatch, ID

What I liked

I got to hike around in the woods all day every day, so that was pretty dope.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Trails Crew/IA fire crew member

May - August 2018 • Durango, CO

What I liked

The summer before this one was in a recreation position whereas this new position offered me over 10 training and certifiable courses in much more technical forestry work. Not only did we work on some of the roughest and most remote trails, we fought fires all summer! My crew was fantastic and the experience was unforgettable.

What I wish was different

I could have had more open minded bosses.

Advice

Get out there and DO IT! The USFS will house you for $6 a day, pay you around 14 dollars an hour for 40 hour weeks and firefighting adds hazard pay! Meaning I was paid 28 dollars an hour at one point for 60 hours of overtime! Keep in mind, it is intense but you will be prepared for it!

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