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High School Forestry Skills Camp

COMING IN JUNE 2026

Forestry Skills Camp

Central Wisconsin Environmental Station | Amherst Junction, Wis.

Thinking about a career in the forest industry? The Forestry Skills Camp is an immersive training experience for high school students in which you can choose one of three paths. Each path will be taught by professionals in the industry, allowing you to learn more about the careers that are available in forestry and forest products. The first two days of camp will be training in wilderness first aid, then the following three days will be spent immersed in the path you chose. This camp is designed to build real skills used in the forest industries and each path will provide 1 forestry credit in forestry at UWSP.  Applications and additional information about the 2026 Forestry Skills Camp will be available soon.

HIGH SCHOOL FORESTRY SKILLS CAMP

Participate in hands-on learning and skill development with instruction from industry experts.
PATH 1

Forest Measurement and Management

Students graduating in 2026, 2027, 2028, or 2029

Learn how forest management decisions are made by getting hands-on experience surveying a forest. Experience how to determine a tree’s height, diameter and volume and how that data is used to make decisions on how and when a forest should be cut. Explore harvesting systems and learn how to operate a Ponsse mechanized harvester by using a full Ponsse harvester simulator.

Path 2

Forest Products

Students graduating in 2026, 2027, or 2028

One of the primary reasons trees are harvested is to provide lumber for building anything from houses to cutting boards. Learn how professional sawmills scale and grade logs to assign value to the log and estimate the quality of lumber it will produce. Then turn logs into lumber by learning how to operate a portable sawmill and how to navigate different cutting styles to produce lumber of differing qualities. After the boards are made, learn the process of adding value by drying it in a dehumidifying wood kiln.

Path 3

Chainsaw Safety and Operation

Students graduating in 2026 or 2027

Safe chainsaw operation is a primary skill in many forest industry professions. Learn chainsaw safety, maintenance, and operation through hands on training. From sharpening your chain and learning how often to conduct maintenance on your chainsaw, to cutting tree cookies, felling simulated trees and carving a stool, you will gain the skills and knowledge to operate and take care of a chainsaw efficiently and safely.

INSTRUCTORS

Paul Ahlen

Safety and Training Specialist, Woods Walker

Paul Ahlen is an experienced chainsaw operator and alum of UW-Stevens Point.  He has a passion for running saws, which started at a young age helping his family in the fall and winter cut firewood each year. He credits UWSP with his first official formal chainsaw training, which started him down a life-long road of continuous self-improvement cutting and felling trees. That career road has led him to mark timber, wildland, and structural firefighting, several government agencies, and into the world of arboriculture. All along that path, Paul was running a chainsaw and credited his skill with a saw to giving him a real notable advantage when applying for jobs and performing many job assignments. Paul’s many credentials and certifications include a B.S. in Forest Management from UWSP, ISA Certified Arborist WI-0615A, and CTSP 02721 (Certified Treecare Safety Professional).

Buzz Vahradian

Forester, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Buzz Vahradian is a 1978 graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point with a major in Forest Management and a minor in Soil Science. He has been a forester since 1979, working as a DNR forester for 30 years and after retiring, has been a private consulting forester for 16 years. He and his wife, Marcia, own woodland in Waushara and Portage counties. They live in the township of Mount Morris in Waushara County where they run a choose-n-cut Christmas tree business and sell honey from their beekeeping operation. He enjoys fishing, hunting and wilderness camping.

Shelly Wollerman

Owner/Operator, Soteria Training Solutions

Shelly Wollerman is passionate about emergency preparedness and knowing what to do if an accident occurs on the job site. Her goal is to keep people safe by teaching practical first aid skills needed for common injuries in tree care. Shelly has over 10 years experience as a residential/commercial arborist. She attended an intensive 30 day Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician course in Wyoming and obtained my Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license and her Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician Certificate (WEMT). Shelly’s goal is to make tree crews safer and more efficient with rescues.

TRAINING LOCATION

High School Forestry Skills Camp held at the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station, a UW-Stevens Point field station. CWES is a 200-acre teaching and learning center located on glacial Sunset Lake. Since 1975, CWES has been an integral part of UW-Stevens Point’s College of Natural Resources program and is staffed with professional natural resource and environmental educators.

CWES is located at 10186 County Rd. MM, Amherst Junction, WI 54407.

MAJOR SUPPORTERS

Thank you to the following companies for their in-kind support:

For More Information

Jared Schroeder

Jared Schroeder

  • High School Program Manager
  • Wisconsin Forestry Center
  • College of Natural Resources
College of Natural Resources, Outreach and Extension, Wisconsin Forestry Center
715-346-2084