Clean and Green Career in Social Forestry

As an alternative to highly competitive STEM courses, students are widely opting for courses in Forestry after their secondary education. Students looking for degree courses after 12th Science can consider Social Forestry as a great career option. Moreover, you get the opportunity to actively take part in the process of plantation and management of trees in both urban and rural areas. 

What is Social Forestry?

Social forestry refers to the protection and management of forests and afforestation for the benefits of local communities in rural and urban areas. It deals with planting trees in barren and deforested lands with the purpose of helping tackle environmental issues while encouraging social and rural development. It has countless benefits which include meeting the need for wood, timber and food without depending on the forests. Social forestry involves active participation by the communities. Environmentalists globally have stressed on the need for afforestation as it is crucial to tackling the challenge of global warming. Besides, it has been crucial in preserving biodiversity which is significant for the balance of the ecosystem.

Types of Social Forestry

Social forestry refers to the management of forests for the benefit of local communities. It helps in preserving forests and the green belt. There are various types of social forestry such as-

• Agro-forestry 
• Farm forestry
• Extension forestry
• Community forestry

Studying Social Forestry

As such there are very less or no separate courses for Social Forestry, but that does not necessarily mean it cannot be pursued as a full-time career. To study the subject, you may choose from the range of available Agricultural courses or it can be studied as a subfield in Forestry courses. The courses can be pursued at both bachelor’s and master’s level. With the rising demand for food and need to meet the climate challenges, these programs are becoming a popular career choice for the aspirants wishing to contribute towards the betterment of the society and overall health of the planet.

Also Read: 

• BSc Agriculture
• MBA in Agriculture

Social Forestry in India from Priyanka Kureel

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility requirement to study Social Forestry abroad varies for different universities with some of the top agricultural universities have a strict selection procedure which requires you to have a strong profile while applying for admissions there. The standard eligibility criteria to pursue bachelor’s level courses is to have completed your 10+2 examination from a recognised education board. Besides, you will be required to take an English-language proficiency test which includes IELTS, TOEFL or PTE. If you are looking forward to pursuing a master’s degree, then you would need to have a valid GRE score and a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field to get admission to most of the universities. 

Social Forestry Courses 

The universities abroad are known for offering exhaustive courses in Forestry. Those wishing to delve deeper into the aspects of Social Forestry can take up a range of courses. Supplemented with leading class educational infrastructure and an abundance of study resources, the universities abroad are a perfect place to excel in the field. With top recruiting companies in proximity to international institutions, the placement rates are higher.

• Forestry BSc (Hons)
• Forest Management BSc (Hons)
• Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences (Hons) in Forestry
• BSc in Ecological Forestry
• Postgraduate Certificate in Agricultural Health and Medicine
• Master of Forestry
• Master of Sustainable Forest Management
• MSc in Entomology
• MSc in Plant Bleeding
• MSc in Wildlife and Conservation Management
• Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management
• Master of Forestry and Environmental Management
• Master of International Forestry
• M.Sc in Wildlife
• MSc in Agrobiology
• MSc in Sustainable Viticulture and Enology
• Master of Science in Agroforestry
• Master of Science in Forest Products
• Master of Urban Forestry Leadership
• Master of Science in Tree Improvements
• Master in Wildlife Sciences

Top Universites in the World

Here is the list of top universities that offer courses in Forestry: 

Bangor University	UK	3 Years
University of Cumbria	UK	3 Years
University of Canterbury	USA	4 Years
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	USA	4 Years
Australian National University	Australia	2 Years
Lakehead University	Canada	4 Years
University College Dublin	Ireland	4 Years
Iowa State University	USA	4 Years
University of Alberta	Canada	4 Years

Top Universities in India

• Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam
• GB. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar
• Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
• Forest Research Institute University, Dehra Dun
• Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Himachal Pradesh
• Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
• Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur
• Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore

Career Prospects

The career prospects after pursuing a degree in Forestry are brighter. With social forestry being in high demand, you are likely to be working with government agencies and NGOs. With a firm understanding of the subject, depending on the level of the course, you can land in a high paying job and build a successful career in Ecology and Environment.

• Forest Departments 
• Zoological Parks 
• Nurseries 
• Colleges and Universities 
• Horticulture Departments 
• Wildlife Sanctuaries 
• Agriculture Departments

Average Salary 

The average salary after social forestry courses ranges between INR 3 to 7 lakhs. Salary increases with experience and the company. 

Job Profiles

Some of the popular job profiles you can consider taking up include:

• Forester
• Forest Officer
• Forest Range Officer
• Forestry Staff
• Lecturer
• Forestry Technician
• Operations Forester
• Senior Forestry Consultant
• Silviculturist
• Field Investigator
• Assistant Manager
• Farming Manager
• School Teacher
• Professor
• Agri-Credit Manager
• Nursing Manager

Also Read: MSc Environmental Science

To know more about the interesting career opportunities offered in Social Forestry reach out to us at Leverage Edu. From finding the right university to writing engaging SOPs, our experts will handle it all. To get started, book your 30-minutes free career counselling session with us now!