In 2020 Rayonier Lumber Engineering Manager Marc Smalley reached out to Cheryl Brown, Executive Director of Grays Harbor Youth Works. One of the Rayonier harvesting sites is located directly next to Wishkah Valley Schools. Marc realized that surely the students wondered about what was happening on that hill next to their school, so why not show them. From that idea, Careers in Natural Resources was born. What started off with one school getting to tour and experience hands on, careers in forestry and natural resources, has grown. We now have 5 schools attending monthly excursions to various Rayonier properties to introduce students to career options. We learn about Timber Cruising, Unit Layout, Road Construction, Fish Stream Surveying and more. You can find short videos from our most recent excursions this year below. This program has gotten so popular, and space is limited, so some schools have a waitlist or application requirements to allow students to attend. We have also received interest from other lumber companies in the area wanting to replicate the program.
Excursions
Below are a list of our past and upcoming excursions for this school year. All links will take you to a brief video showcasing the events from that excursion. Enjoy!
September 2023 Drone Usage in Forestry and Road Construction
October 2023 Timber Cruisuing
November 2023 Forest Engineering Unit Regulation and Layout
December 2023 Tree Nursery
January 2024 Grays Harbor College and The Polson Museum
February 2024 Tree Planting
March 2024 Fish Stream Survey
April 2024 Logging Operations
May 2025 Land Surveying
