As the population on the earth and especially in the third world countries is increasing the demand for agricultural land for more food grain and wood for infrastructural development is putting pressure on the forests. Although both i.e., food grain as well as wood are important for the survival of the human race and can be obtained only at the cost of forest land but a balance between Agricultural land and forest land is the need of the hour as both are equally important for the mankind and need to be protected for the sustained growth of the human life. It is a well-known fact that forests form part of the vital natural resources of a country. From time immemorial forest resources have been a source of human sustenance. They are home to the most amazing herbs, medicinal compounds, natural cosmetics, and above all Wildlife. Forestry and Wild Life go together since forests serve as homes for wildlife which itself is also very important for the maintenance of ecological balance on the earth.
Forest resources and wealth also contributes significantly to the economy of the country. These specially trained personnel are required to maintain a balance between agricultural and forest land by regenerating the forest cover, forest wealth, and resources thereby opening career options for the younger generation in this field. These career options involve the services of forestry specialists, forestry management experts and forest officers, foresters, dendrologists, ethnologists, entomologists, silviculturists (forest propagation and culture), forest range officers, zoo curators, etc to name a few.
Forestry involves the protection of forests and verities of trees to ensure contributing timber supply. Forester takes care of forest resources by protecting them from fire, pests, disease, encroachment, and indiscriminate felling of trees. They can take up work either in offices, laboratories, or outdoors depending on their field of specialization. The misuse of forests like other natural resources has led to severe natural calamities like landslides, floods, and droughts. The indiscriminate killing of wild animals has led to the extinction of many rare species.
With increasing awareness about the harmful effect on the earth like global warming etc, of fast cutting of the forests and depletion in wildlife at alarming rates various governments as well as world bodies along the NGOs worldwide are taking huge steps towards protecting the world forests and wildlife thereby giving emphasize on recruiting employees at various levels in this field thus creating various employment opportunities for the young aspirants interested to make their career in this interesting and challenging field. There are opportunities for the aspirants to work in the following areas
- Governmental, Semi- government organizations and NGOs interested in the preservation of forest resources
- Corporate having their own plantations for timbering
- Industries that utilize forest resources employ industrial and agricultural advisors and consultants
- Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and its affiliated Forestry research institutes such as Forest Research Institute and Institute of Social Forestry and Eco-rehabilitation situated in Dehradun and Allahabad respectively etc.
- Wildlife Research Institutes.
- Zoological Parks
- Wildlife Ranges
Young enthusiasts with a zeal for adventure can take on the duty of protecting the forests of the country by joining any of the above-given organizations. This field of action also promises a lot of jobs to youngsters not only inside the country but also abroad. Some of the Careers in this field that one can choose from are:-
Forester :
Responsible for protecting and regenerating forests, protecting wildlife habitats, checking for and fighting wild fires, landscape management, and so on. With experience foresters can graduate to managing public relations, preparing reports, and managing budgets.
Dendrologists :
These professionals are specialists in the scientific study of trees and woody plants. Their work involves research on the history, and life span, measuring, grading, classifying the varieties of trees and studying ways and means of tree improvement through forestation, etc.
Ethnologists :
Experts of animals' behavior in their natural environment. Ethnologists study and analyze the evolution, behavior, biological functions, etc. of an organism in its natural environment. Ethnologist plays an important role in designing healthy habitats for animals in zoos, aquariums, and labs. They also study animal behavior to enhance our knowledge of human physiology and psychology.
Entomologists:
Entomologists specialize in the study and control of diseases caused by various kinds of insects and pests.
Silviculturists:
This professional is apt in the growth of plantations that yield periodic harvests.
Forest Range Officers:
Forest range officers take care of public forests, sanctuaries, botanical gardens, etc. They have conservators, loggers, and other junior personnel working with them. Entry into this post is through the IFS Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.
Zoo curators:
They are responsible for animal welfare in zoos and also undertake conservation programs. Zoo curator plays a role in the administration of zoo functions and captive breeding programs. They review reports made by zookeepers, calculate the budgetary requirements for the zoo and encourage research activity.
Other than the various career options mentioned above forestry specialists with attributes like Liking for outdoors, the spirit of adventure, good health, stamina, physical fitness, patience, scientific temperament, organizing ability, public relations skills, practicality, courage, decision-making ability, capacity to work long hours, a genuine interest in the preservation of the natural environment and habitat, the inclination for research and academic bent of mind, curiosity, excellent skills of observation, interest in agriculture and geography and appropriate qualification in the related fields can get jobs abroad as wildlife consultants for esteemed organizations. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is one such organization that deserves special mention. Many organizations are also recruiting Indian professionals in this field for work in countries like Kampuchea, Vietnam, and South Africa to name a few.
As far as Animal Husbandry is concerned Commercialization of the livestock, dairy and poultry-based industry have increased the demand for the raw material required for the industry thereby necessitating a professional approach towards animal husbandry and its allied fields. This professional approach has opened the floodgates of various career options in this field. Various specialized areas like animal breed improvement by 'selection breeding' and artificial insemination, animal research in order to control the spread of diseases transmitted through animals, poultry management and health care, livestock insurance, and rural development, etc required specialists in respective fields. These specialists play a major role in the conservation of livestock and domestic animal wealth.
Professionals involved in this field work for breeding desirable characteristics, such as improvement in strength, maturity rate, disease resistance, and meat quality; into economically important animals including cattle, goats, horses, sheep, swine, poultry, dogs, cats, or pet birds, and determine the genetic composition of animal populations, and heritability of traits, utilizing principles of genetics. They also, crossbreed animals within existing strains or cross strains to obtain new combinations of desirable characteristics, select progeny having desired strains of both parents, and continue the process until an acceptable result is obtained.
With the globalization of the economy and commercialization of this field, there is a great demand for professionals apt in the field of animal husbandry. Although many existing Farm Professionals were trained on the job by more experienced Animal Husbandry Professionals and have lived on farms their entire lives yet present-day youth require bachelor's degrees in Farm Management or other related fields to do their work with greater efficiency and in a more professional manner.
Working in this field can be a very rewarding and inspiring career choice for aspirants who are really interested in this particular area. Although physically demanding and sometimes dirty yet it is one of the very satisfying jobs owing to its nearness to nature and livestock.
After gaining the skills and knowledge aspirants can earn handsomely both in any of the jobs related to the field or as an entrepreneur in the field.
