AMHERST JUNCTION, Wis. (WSAW) – A skills camp was held for high school students at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Central Wisconsin Forestry Center in Amherst Junction on Thursday.
The camp focused on showing students the various career paths available to them if they choose to pursue a career in the forestry industry.
“If they’re interested in forestry and the forest management aspect of things, if they’ve completed their-their freshman year or are older, they can take that pathway,” Wisconsin Forestry Center Curriculum Developer Jared Schroeder said. “If they’ve completed their sophomore year, or are older, they can do the sawmill or kiln operation. Then, if they finish their junior or finish their senior year, they can do the chainsaw operation safety.”
Not only did the instructors encourage students to enroll in the camp, but other students attending this year’s skills camp did too.
“I’d say definitely do it, it’s a really good experience,” Freedom High School Student Brooklyn Gulmire said. “You learn a whole lot, and it really opens your eyes to nature and the outdoors and what you can do with your life in the future.”
The students attending the camp are periodically tested on the knowledge they’ve obtained over the week. We observed one student who had just completed her chainsaw test.
“That was so cool,” Janesville-Craig student Ivy Petkus shared. “I mean, the beginning, I was kind of scared because it’s a big tree and it could crush you in two seconds, but overall, it just made me feel more powerful. I was like, ‘Wow, I just tackled a challenge.'”
Petkus went on to say that even though she does not intend to go into the forestry industry, she did enjoy her time at the camp.
“You get to do so many things, like archery, kayaking, paddleboarding, looking for like, frogs and stuff like that,” Petkus said. “It’s fun, it’s also nice to have like a little social group, new people around. Of course, from different areas of Wisconsin, that’s even cooler.”
If students pass the tests, they can earn one credit towards UWSP’s Forestry Program.
The Wisconsin Forestry Center plans on having the Forestry Skills Camp in early June next year, but the date is not finalized.
Read more on https://www.wsaw.com
