Guest Blog by Colin Kane
Clemson University Student
My name is Colin Kane, and I am working towards my Forest Resource Management degree at Clemson University. This summer, I interned with the GFC under the Region 5 Foresters. I learned a lot of valuable experience from visiting private landowners and being present on wildfires and prescribed burns to just sitting in on meetings with other agencies and seeing first-hand how government and community organizations work behind the scenes.
My favorite part of this internship would be going to the Dixon Memorial State Forest. I was lucky that the Region 5 office was located in the state forest, so when I had free time, I could go out into the woods and help the state forest interns. Cruising that land wasn’t easy, but we had a lot of laughs, and it was nice to be out of the office and the truck and stay in the woods for a few hours. Going out on on-site visits and meeting landowners and getting to see all of SE Georgia was up there too, and I appreciate how much I learned about GIS drawing up the maps for those site visits.
I loved the kind of work I got to do this summer, and I would like to pursue this avenue of forestry once I graduate. Working with the GFC was unique because I could help out individual landowners while still having an exciting job. I’m excited for when I graduate and finish my fire training to be able to get more involved with fires and firefighting, wherever I may end up!