Overview
You don’t just want to protect our natural environment, you want to enhance it. We feel really good about that!
Take your passion for the environment to new heights in the Forestry Technician – Conservation program. This two-year program offers a hands-on, field-oriented approach to learning essential skills in natural resource management.
Gain experience in ecological data collection and identifying interesting and unique ecosystem components. Learn about insects and other organisms that threaten our forests and how to safely control them. And use the latest GPS technology, tools and equipment to help you navigate the massive outdoor lab that waits for you at the heart of Ontario’s Great Lakes.
Did we mention, the federal Great Lakes Forestry Centre and Forest Pest Management Institute and the provincial Ontario Forest Research Institute are both located within a few kilometres of our Sault Ste. Marie campus? Feel free to use us for our connections, we don’t mind.
Test your knowledge on multi-day field trips, collaborate in shared workspaces, and start your natural resource career through a cooperative work placement.
Your pathway to a degree is within reach! Complete your diploma right here in two years and then move on to one of our partnering universities to complete a Bachelor of Science degree. Click here for more information about our pathways.
Accredited By ECO Canada
Accreditation of our School of Natural Environment programs provides formal validation of our commitment to high-quality education, accountability, and public trust. A program's curriculum is critically analyzed against national occupational standards to ensure it meets environmental industry needs. As of 2023, Forestry Technician - Conservation is one of our five programs to be accredited.
The programs have been accredited by the Environmental Careers Organization of Canada (ECO Canada) based on conformance with the National Accreditation Standard for Post-secondary Environmental Programs. The accreditation has been granted through the Canadian Environmental Accreditation Commission (CEAC), an independent body that oversees ECO Canada’s post-secondary accreditation program.
Learn more about our accreditation >
Courses
| ENV411 - 1 Career Readiness |
| NRT242 - 2 Natural Environment Business Management |
| NRT244 - 3 Urban Forestry |
| NRT245 - 3 Forest Harvesting and Products |
| NRT248 - 4 Forest Management and Planning |
| NRT261 - 3 Forest Inventory |
| NRT262 - 3 Advanced GIS |
| NRT235 - 2 Sustainable Resource Management |
| GEN110 - 3 Student Selected General Education |
| Note: *This student-selected general education course code indicates a general-education course is taken in this semester. Students will choose from a selection of courses (details) prior to the semester in which the student-selected general education course is to be taken. |
Requirements & Program Information
Ontario Secondary School diploma with Grade 12 English (C) ENG4C or mature student status. Missing any requirements? Get them for free from Academic Upgrading.
Career Path
According to every recent employer poll, forestry in Canada is about to face an employment crisis with an insufficient number of trained forestry professionals and workers available as current employees retire. Sault College Forestry Technician - Conservation graduates are sought after by a wide variety of employers hoping to fill the following job types: resource and lands technicians, firefighting technicians, federal and provincial research technicians, photo interpretation analysts, inventory field workers and supervisors, greenhouse supervisors, insect and disease rangers, forest industry scalers, foremen and harvesting supervisors. Our graduates may find work in the forestry sector soon after graduation. A reality of today`s world though is that work will generally be available to new graduates on a contract basis for a few years until your work abilities are demonstrated. The willingness to move throughout Ontario or Canada is a definite asset when looking for a job.
Graduate transfers to BScF degree programs are available at Lakehead University and Michigan Technological University. For more information, and to explore entrance requirements please contact Lakehead University and Michigan Technological University..
Fees & Costs
| Domestic | International | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Ancillary | Tuition | Ancillary |
| $2,975.80 | $1,652.00 | $15,757.30 | $2,302.00 |
These fees are for the 2024-2025 academic year (year 1 of study), and are subject to change. Please visit your Student Portal to view your Schedule of Fees.
Important links
Contact
This is a co-operative education program. Students are required to complete at least one co-op work placement (CWF100) in order to graduate. To prioritize preparing graduates for employment in the natural environment field, a career management course is taken in each semester of the program.
Program Coordinator: Elisa Muto, (705) 759-2554 ext 2464, elisa.muto@saultcollege.ca
Program Coordinator: Ryan Namespetra, (705) 759-2554 ext 2853, ryan.namespetra@saultcollege.ca
September and January Intakes are available for this program. Please contact the Registrar`s Office for further information.
Sault College has been named an official SP100 Forest Firefighter Certification training agency. The Forest Firefighter Certification will be delivered to all Forestry Technician - Conservation students in their program beginning immediately.
This 40-hour course is intensely focused on safety and will prepare students to assume the role of an entry-level forest fire crew member. Students will be trained to MNRF standards in the maintenance and operation of equipment such as the power pump, and in proper use of suppression hand tools, communications and camping equipment. Students will also learn basic fire behaviours and fire terminology.
Interested students can obtain the certification by enrolling in the Forestry Technician - Conservation program at Sault College. The SP100 certificate is embedded in the forest fire management course, which is offered in the first semester of the program.