Sara Johns is just beginning her career in forestry. She has an associate degree in forestry from Hocking College and is studying for her bachelor’s at the University of Kentucky while working for the Kentucky Division of Forestry.

That job keeps her busy with a wide variety of tasks—and a wide variety of people. In any given week, she might find herself

• preparing a talk on forests for a school
• inspecting a logging operation to see that it is complying with state law
• answering questions from landowners about the trees on their property
• helping a local fire department get specialized equipment for fighting forest fires
• or helping to fight a wildfire herself!

Sara is also gaining skills in collaboration and teamwork by working with other government agencies.

The Kentucky Division of Forestry is an agency of the state Cabinet for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. It is responsible for keeping state-owned forests healthy, educating the public about forest health, and enforcing state laws on timber harvesting.