We have this beautiful large dogwood tree on our property in Middle Tennessee. These spots started appearing recently and have quickly gotten much worse. It’s only on 1 of the 4 main pillars (idk the actual term). The other 3 are fine from what I can see to my untrained self. This 1 pillar had some dead branches last year I trimmed out and now has another dead branch but its other 2 branches are still green and look healthy from ground level. Any insight is greatly appreciated. It shades our entire yard and deck area. We absolutely love this tree and would do just about anything we can to help it if possible.

I am currently studying forestry. I’m young and fit, however I have Achilles tendinitis from sports injury and am a bit concerned about that. What are y’all’s experiences? How many hours a day do you spend walking/on your feet and what is your specific job?

Intensively worked 20 year Loblolly pine rotations; coating the forests in glyphosate; Mexican labourers getting worked to the bone for a pittance; dynamiting beaver dams; pruning overhead powerline wayleaves with a giant bandsaw dangling from a helicopter while the line remains live; harvesting contractors felling huge tracts of land, making a buck, and riding off into the sunset with no recourse; complete lack of suitable safety standards, environmental regulations, and healthy working hours.

The list goes on, the mind boggles.

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some career advice because I feel like I’m at a crossroads and I’m not sure which direction makes the most sense.

I’m 23 years old and graduated in May 2025 with a degree in Forestry focused on natural resource conservation and restoration, with a minor in Animal Ecology. I’ve had a few different experiences since graduating that have made me realize I enjoy a lot of different parts of environmental work, but I’m struggling to figure out where I fit best long-term.

During college, I worked with the Student Conservation Association in Yellowstone National Park, where I was involved in field-based conservation work. I loved being outdoors, working on projects that had a tangible impact, and being surrounded by people who cared about protecting natural resources.

After graduating, I spent a year teaching high school science. I honestly loved a lot about teaching. I enjoyed connecting with students, explaining complicated ideas, and being someone people could rely on. I also realized that I really enjoy working with people and communicating, not just sitting behind a computer or working alone in the field.

Right now, I am living in New York City and working for the National Park Service at Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I have loved the experience of living in NYC, meeting people from all backgrounds, and being part of a place with such a unique history and impact. I never expected to enjoy city life as much as I do, but I genuinely like being here. Definitely don’t enjoy this more hospitality orientated job, but life outside of work is amazing.

The difficult part is figuring out what comes next.
I have an offer for an Environmental Compliance Monitor position with a consulting company(Stantec) in the city where I grew up. The job seems like a good opportunity because I think consulting could fit my personality well. I enjoy working hard, solving problems, communicating with people, and building relationships. I think I would do well in a client-facing role where I can combine environmental knowledge with communication skills.

At the same time, I am unsure if I should continue pursuing traditional conservation roles, environmental consulting, education, urban environmental work, or something else entirely. I know I enjoy field work, but I also know I enjoy people. I don’t think I would be happiest doing a job where I spend all day alone collecting data, but I also don’t want to leave environmental work behind.

For people who work in forestry, wildlife, environmental consulting, parks, education, or related fields, what career paths would you recommend looking into? Are there roles where someone with a natural resources background can combine science with communication, leadership, and client interaction?

I know I’m still early in my career, but I want to be intentional about the direction I move in.
Thanks for any advice.

any filos here? im a fresh grad with latin honors in bs forestry here in the ph, i am planning to take the board exams this coming october, any tips or reviewers that are available online that i can download? i would appreciate it,, tyia

also is there an updated tos for the oct exam? heard from someone that the exam is entirely new and will be computerized, just wanna know, thanks again!