Tennessee Forestry Camp Introduces Students to Forest Careers

The Tennessee Forestry Jobs Camp will be held at Natchez Trace State Park & Forest in Wildersville from September 13 – 15. The overnight experience introduces high school students to the science, care, and management of trees, forests, and natural resources through field trips and direction with professionals in the forest industry.

The camp is open to all high school students regardless of their educational background or interest in the forest industry. The camp has proved to be one which has appealed to a wide range of students, creating a new appreciation for the outdoors as well as career interest in the forestry field.

“We’ve had students who struggle with normal school subjects leave the sawmill going, ‘I finally found something I think I want to do!’ We have other students who love learning about the different types of trees, and others who just light up when they learn about forests as wildlife habitat. Other students love the fire segments,” said Megan Carpenter, Tennessee Department of Agriculture Camp Program Director. “What is fascinating about natural resources is that there are learning and career opportunities that appeal to almost every personality – whether someone is academically inclined, very introverted or extroverted, an animal lover, mechanically minded, etc. My favorite piece of feedback we heard from a student at our last camp was that he would never be able to look at the forest the same again. He used to just see a lot of trees, but now he actually understands what he sees.”

Ms. Carpenter shared a variety of careers students may not be aware of in the forestry industry. Several of those are highlighted during the camp.

“There are a very wide range of careers available. Some foresters focus on helping private landowners manage their forests, others focus on growing new trees and reforestation. Some focus on forest health management, others focus on the intersection between forests and wildlife or forests and urban areas,” said Ms. Carpenter. “People like me manage communications in natural resources, while some of my colleagues use data and technology to gather and analyze data to support natural resources management decisions. Some in forestry are wildland firefighters who use prescribed fire to achieve land management goals and fight wildfires in Tennessee and across the country.”

Ms. Carpenter went on to share that jobs in forestry are ones that should not only be considered by those who love being outside or are an adventure-seeker, but those who are “ndoorsy people” too.

“There are careers in natural resources and forestry that fit you – from being a forester or a data analyst to being wildland firefighter, or working with communities to make lives better,” said Ms. Carpenter, who shared her takeaway for students from the camp. “At the end of the day, while we hope that students will be inspired by their camp experiences to explore a career in natural resources. We hope that every student will leave with a greater appreciation for the natural world, its complexity, and the important role that forests and forest management play in our lives, whether we realize it or not!”

Event: Tennessee Forestry Camp

Date: Sunday, September 13 – Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Location: Natchez Trace State Park Group Camp in Wildersville, Tennessee, 38388

Apply Now: Complete the application and email it to [email protected].

Application Deadline: August 28, 2026