Seven weeks of rugged living, adventure and challenge
Feature story posted on February 1, 2008
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Kaitlin Taves, a member of the 2006 Nordegg Junior Forest Ranger Crew, enjoys a lesson in firefighting. |
A helicopter ride to survey a forest. A day spent breaking a new recreational trail in the wilderness. Tracking a wild deer by using traditional aboriginal knowledge.
These are just some of the extreme learning opportunities 140 Alberta high school students could enjoy this summer through the Junior Forest Ranger and Aboriginal Junior Forest Ranger programs.
The programs give 16- to 18-year-olds skills and knowledge in forest management, conservation and wildfire prevention. They allow students to gain hands-on experience in careers in forestry and other natural resource-management occupations. Past participants have gone on to become wildland firefighters, fire technologists, fish and wildlife officers, foresters and wildlife biologists.
Great experiences aren’t the only benefit. Students are paid $9.50 per hour—that works out to about $2,900 for the summer. In addition, they can earn high school credits and qualify for certificates as a radio operator, a chainsaw operator, or a specialist in wildfire orientation.
As well as learning about renewable natural resource management, students develop valuable life skills. In the Junior Forest Ranger program, students live and work in the outdoors and participate in a two-to-three day wilderness trip. In the Aboriginal Junior Forest Ranger program, students live in the community and learn about aboriginal culture and heritage, including medicine harvesting, hunting methods and cultural ceremonies, and participate in a three-to-five day cultural awareness camp.
At the end of the summer, all participants will test their skills in the Bull of the Woods lumberjack games, complete with unique contests like blind-folded chainsaw repair and the accuracy chop.
Seven weeks of rugged living, adventure and challenge. That’s the promise of Junior Forest Rangers and Aboriginal Junior Forest Rangers. Visit the website, www.albertajfr.ca for more information or an application form, or call (780) 422-9276 (Junior Forest Rangers) or (780) 422-4473 (Aboriginal Junior Forest Rangers). The application deadline is April 1, 2008.
