Like a Tree, a Career in Forestry Takes Root: One Woman's Journey from Seedling to Supervisory Forester

Mama Always Said 'Life is Like a Forest...'

Well hello there. Forrest Gump here. I reckon you're reading about this Sarah Myers and her love for trees. She's kinda like me and shrimp she just loves them trees. Says she loves the history you get in the forests and these trees been here for generations outliving folks and all. Sounds peaceful like sitting under a big ol' oak tree with Jenny.

Run Forrest Run... to Seasonal Jobs!

Now Sarah she wanted to be a forester managing them trees and planting new ones. But it weren't easy. She had to do a bunch of seasonal jobs like running back and forth across the country. She went to Virginia Maine South Dakota in the summers and then Arkansas Arizona New Mexico and even Alaska in the winters. She said it was fabulous in Alaska probably 'cause it reminded her of snow peas.

Stuck Like Mud on a Tire

These seasonal jobs they sounded kinda tough. Sarah was measuring tree things like height and diameter. I reckon it's kinda like measuring Bubba's shrimp gotta know the size and all. But she was living out of a suitcase and always looking for the next job. That's like chasing after Jenny always moving and never settled.

Fifteen Dollars an Hour? That's All I Have to Say About That

And get this she was making about $15 an hour! That's less than what I made shrimping! She had to stretch that money 'cause there was no guarantee she'd get hired again. Life is like a box of chocolates you never know if you gonna get that coconut one or another job.

Colorado Dreamin'

Eventually Sarah landed a permanent job in Colorado. Still making that same $15 an hour. She was paying rent in two places one during the week and one on the weekends. I guess you could say she was living the American dream! At least it made her feel like this whole tree thing was a real career.

Supervisory Forester: Like Shrimp Boat Captain But With Trees

Now she's a supervisory forester! That's like me being the captain of my own shrimp boat the Jenny. She even makes $92,100 a year including overtime pay! She says it's exactly what she wants to be doing. Like me and Jenny she found her happy place. She's even giving advice saying you gotta learn from all sorts of folks not just the tree people. And that there's no such thing as 'that's not my job.' Now that's what I call a hard worker!