Written by Ryan Salyers
This week, I stepped into the role of crew leader. We worked a full 40-hour week, splitting our time between Clifton Farms and a prescribed burn operation. On the first day in the field, we completed hack-and-squirt treatments on trees that had been marked the previous week. For the remainder of the week, we focused on marking trees for future hack-and-squirt work, maintaining a steady pace and ensuring accuracy in our selections.
On the final day of the work week, we traveled to Natural Tunnel State Park to assist with a prescribed burn in coordination with the Department of Conservation and Recreation. This was a valuable and rewarding experience, as we were able to actively participate in a burn that covered approximately 30 acres of the park. During the operation, we also had the opportunity to work alongside the Department of Forestry, gaining additional insight and experience in prescribed fire practices.
Overall, it was a productive week that allowed me to develop leadership skills while contributing to both vegetation management and fire operations.
