A Whole New World Skye initially worried about competing with younger students and feared the technology. She quickly found that the program’s small class sizes and personal attention from instructors calmed those fears. “Talk to the instructors,” she advises other students. “Get to know them; they are your greatest advocates.” She now has another year of coursework ahead of her. Skye then hopes to work for an organization like the Environmental Protection Agency in an area such as water quality. “That’s my long-term goal,” she says. “A lot of our resources are getting used up. Fresh water is one of them.”
For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/naturalresources.
Wildland Firefighter Training at FVTC Wildland Firefighter training has emerged as one of the hottest programs at Fox Valley Technical College. One reason why, according to Rick Buser, Natural Resources department chair, is that employment in the field appears promising. Wildland fires are increasing in intensity and frequency, and baby boomers involved in fire fighting and fire management are retiring. FVTC is one of only five Wildland Firefighter training centers in North America. FVTC courses acquaint students with fighting wildfires as well as using fire to manage grasslands, woodlands, and other habitats. “We give students a lot of experience and training,” Buser says. “When they graduate, they’re poised to work in a rewarding career that protects lives, property, and natural resources from wildfires.” For more information, visit www.fvtc.edu/wildlandfire.
FVTC graduate Dave Peters assesses a wildfire in northern California.
focus fall 2009
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