Environmental Occupations

The Environmental Occupations program prepares students for employment and advancement in the exciting and ever-expanding fields of natural resource conservation, environmental education, park maintenance, outdoor recreation, and ranger services. Students graduate with the edge necessary to compete for entry-level jobs or for entering a two or four-year college.
Willowbrook
This program occupies a 181 acre environmental education center for student use and training. This land laboratory includes two ponds, a woodland stream, wetlands, prairie, miles of trails, 80 acres of mature woods, and state of the art instructional facilities. This bounty of natural resources enriches each student's learning experience.
Skills for Life
Operating a tractor
Reading and interpretation of maps
Guiding nature and museum tours
Using tree-climbing equipment
Using wildlife management skills
Using a chainsaw safely
Conducting prescribed burns
Trimming a tree correctly
Performing water testing
Earning trapper certification
Cutting and splitting firewood
Being environmentally aware
Identifying waterfowl
Operating a skid loader
Making maple syrup
Constructing museum exhibits
Our Grads in the Workforce
Upper Valley Career Center Environmental Occupations graduates are currently working across the state in the following places and careers:
State & County Parks
Golf Courses
Landscaping
Tree Trimming
Surveyors
Nature Centers
Garden Centers
Lawn Care Companies
Yellowstone
Environmental Occupations students also enjoy the opportunity to attend a 10-day field study trip to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Montana and Wyoming. This once in a lifetime trip is exposes the students to vast expanse and beauty of our national parks, as well as all the wide range of occupations that are available in this line of work.

Entry-Level Careers
Park Maintenance Technician
Tree Service Worker
Soil Conservation Aide
Park Naturalist’s Aide
Advanced Career Opportunities
Park Ranger
Park Naturalist
Surveyor
Wildlife Officer
Park Manager
Water Quality Technician
Wildlife or Fisheries technician
Environmental Education Instructor
Certifications Earned
Hunter Safety
Trapper
Ohio Safe Boating
Skid Steer Training
Chainsaw Operator
Tractor and Implements Operator
ATV Rider
From ur Graduates
"Environmental Occupations is the foundation for everything in my park/forestry career. The training has helped me obtain my arborist certification as well as my current position as city forester."
Jeremy Drake, Superintendent
Troy City Parks, Forestry Department
Colleges to Consider for Further Education
Hocking College
Edison State Community College
The Ohio State University
Ohio State ATI, Wooster
Muskingham College
Clark State Community College
Meet the Instructors
Jim Metz
Instructor Level II
metzj@uppervalleycc.org
937.778.1980 x748
Michaella Quinter
Instructor Level I
quinterm@uppervalleycc.org
937.778.8763 x732
Career Technical Student Organization

All students of the Environmental Occupations program are also members of the Upper Valley Career Center FFA program as part of their career-technical education.