Terrestrial Ecosystems Career Services Information

Favorite TE Job Search Websites	What exactly is the Study of Terrestrial Ecosystems (TE)?
Employers of SNRE Graduates and Interns	Why Should Employers Hire TE Students?
Job Titles and Employment Sector of SNRE Alumni	Examples of TE Coursework
Other Employers of Interest	Conferences of Interest
TE Focused Master's Projects	Professional Organizations to Join
Interested in TE Focused Internships?	Need Help Finding a Job?
eRecruiter TE Highlights	Need Help Finding an Internship?
Conservation Ecology

Favorite TE Job Search Websites

eRecruiter
Ecological Society of America Job and Internship Board
Environmental Career Opportunities (Please go to eRecruiter to obtain the password for the job subscription)
Environmental Jobs
govtjobs.com
Green Careers Journal (Please go to eRecruiter to obtain the password for the job subscription)
SNRE Job Posting Websites
State of Michigan Vacancy Posting Page
Texas A&M University: Wildlife and Fisheries Job Board
USA JOBS

Employers of SNRE Graduates and Interns*

Check out the Professional Network on eRecruiter for a listing of TE students and alumni who have professional experience in the TE field.

Coca-Cola Company (development of a sustainable sugar strategy)
Department of Natural and Environmental Resources: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Environmental Resources Management
Feira de Santana State University, Brazil
Huron River Watershed Council
Institute for Fisheries Research
LimnoTech
Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Landowner Incentive Program
Michigan Tech Research Institute
Old Westbury Gardens
Oregon Department of Energy
San Francisco Parks Trust
The World Bank
University of California Davis
University of Michigan, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum
University of Michigan, Soil Lab
University of Minnesota, Forest Resources
University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
US Department of the Interior, National Park Service
US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey (USGS), Great Lakes Science Center
Vivero Alamar Organiponico Cooperative - Havana, Cuba
World Wildlife Fund

Job Titles and Employment Sector of SNRE Alumni*

Please note that some positions may require a PhD.

Non-Governmental Organization/Non-Profit/Multilateral Institutions

Natural Resources Management Specialist

Private (Consulting and Industry)

Education Coordinator
Technician

Academic

Assistant Professor
Chief of Staff for The Office of the Rector
Laboratory Technician
Research Assistant
Research Scientist
Teaching Assistant

Government

Biological Scientist
Biological Technician (forestry)
Director, Bureau of Fisheries and Wildlife
Regional Wildlife Ecologist

Click here for some sample TE Career Opportunities

Other Employers of Interest

These are just a handful that have been suggested by faculty, students, or are registered employers on eRecruiter...many more are out there! Check out eRecruiter for a complete listing of TE employers that are registered with SNRE.

Aqua-Terra Environmental Ltd.
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
ASTI Environmental
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest
Biohabitats
Bioversity International
Campion Foundation
CINCS, LLC
Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation
Council of Western State Foresters
Crop Science Society of America
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association
Ecoagriculture Partners
Ecotrust
ENTRIX, Inc.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Freedom to Roam
High Country Conservancy
Huron-Manistee National Forests
Institute for Applied Ecology
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance
Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District
Kachemak Heritage Land Trust
Legacy Land Conservancy
Michigan Nature Association
Nassau Land Trust
National Association of State Foresters
National Forest Foundation
North Coast Land Conservancy
Northern Woodlands
Restore America's Estuaries
Sierra Forest Legacy
Sierra Institute
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Terrestrial Ecology Lab
Tallgrass Restoration, LLC
The Land Trust Alliance
The Sitka Conservation Society
The Terrestrial Carbon Group
The Trails and Open Space Coalition
The Wilderness Society
United Nations Environment Program
US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency: Their Conservation and Environmental Programs Division (CEPD) administers several conservation programs, the most well known being the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and they have recently added several new programs including the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP)
US Department of Agriculture Forest Service
US Bureau of Land Management
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Weyerhaeuser
World Agroforestry Center

TE Focused Master’s Projects

El Yunque National Forest Master's Project: "Working in El Yunque National Forest and having the US Forest Service as our client was incredibly valuable to me as a Terrestrial Ecosystems student. I used my knowledge and experience in forest ecology as an excuse to hike around in the rain forest (collecting field data), and the GIS experience I acquired during the analysis portion of the project allowed me to land two internships, the second of which eventually became a full-time job. Despite my TE status, the project encompassed a wide-variety of issues from climate change and invasive species management to stake-holder satisfaction analysis." -Michael Billmire, SNRE TE Alumni

TE Students and Master’s Projects

Interested in TE Focused Internships?

Go to the SNRE Internship Website to view TE student internship reports.

eRecruiter TE Highlights

Search for TE related jobs/internships
Network with fellow TE alumni
Find career events on campus
Search for Employers who hire TE students
Apply for TE jobs/internship on-line
View our Document Library, full of helpful career related resources

What exactly is the Study of Terrestrial Ecosystems (TE)?

Terrestrial ecosystems extend from uplands to wetlands, which form the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This field of study provides students with an understanding of the composition, structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems through classroom and field-based instruction. The Terrestrial Ecosystems curriculum focuses on forest ecosystems.

Why Should Employers Hire TE Students?

Graduates are employed in a variety of occupations, which are focused on research, management, restoration, consulting and education pertaining to a wide range of forest ecosystems in the governmental and private sectors.

"SNRE Terrestrial Ecosystem students are unique because we have strong natural science backgrounds but our competence in the social sciences allows us to effectively incorporate our scientific understanding into practical solutions. We can integrate our awareness of social issues into our knowledge of the natural sciences to produce feasible outcomes or products that are based on scientific facts." --Russell Martin, SNRE TE Student

Terrestrial Ecosystems students go on weekly field trips, to study the ecology, biology and identification of trees, shrubs and vines. Special excursions to northern Michigan and the Great Smoky Mountains enables students to understand forest ecosystems, with a major emphasis on field biology and ecology, soil processes, and the physical and biological factors that influence the geographic distribution of forest plants. Some students also have the opportunity to work in Dr. Don Zak's Soil Lab, the Ibanez Lab, or work with the International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) located on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, MI.

Examples of TE Coursework:

The curriculum focuses on such areas as applied plant ecology, ecosystem ecology, biogeochemical cycling and modeling, landscape ecology, spatial analysis and the management of forest and agro-forestry systems. Students study the ecology, biology and identification of trees, shrubs and vines. Additional coursework will afford a practical overview of various facets of ecological restoration, particularly as it relates to restoring and managing the kinds of ecosystems found in southeastern Michigan and the upper Lake States region.

Courses

Woody Plants Woody Plants is an intensive field- and lecture-based learning experience, in which students will learn to identify 160 trees, shrub and vine species that are important in Michigan environments. Students will learn about plant taxonomy, distribution, habitat associations, and biogeographic history and how to identify plants in their leafless winter condition. The lab component consists of weekly field trips in the Ann Arbor area, which include riparian and floodplain habitats, glacial lakes, moraines, bogs, fens and mesic forests.

Forest Ecology This course focuses on the study forests ecosystems in the context of global change (climate change, landscape fragmentation, invasions, pests, management). The ecological mechanisms behind individuals, populations, communities and whole ecosystems together with the dynamic processes associated to forests (succession, disturbances) are studied.

Soil Properties and Process Soils as central components of terrestrial ecosystems. Major emphasis in this course is placed on physical, chemical, and biological properties and their relationships to plant growth and ecosystem processes.

Ecological Restoration The Society for Ecological Restoration defines ecological restoration as "the process of renewing and maintaining ecosystem health (or integrity)." This course is designed to provide a practical overview of various facets of ecological restoration, particularly as related to restoring and managing the kinds of habitats found in Southeastern Michigan and the upper Midwest. Through a combination of lectures, readings, field trips, and project work, students will examine background theory and issues relating to ecological restoration and attempt to develop approaches for solving specific problems associated with local habitats. While most of the examples studied will be local, the principles and processes will have applications world-wide.

Principles of GIS This class will provide a firm understanding of the issues that affect the use of geographic information systems (GIS) for application, research and planning in natural resources. Students will learn to conceptualize and implement geographic data management and analysis for research and application.

Students can also reach out to other schools and departments on campus to find faculty member with Terrestrial Ecosystems interests. Faculty members in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology offer courses and conduct research in Terrestrial Ecosystems.

Conferences of Interest

Conferences are great avenues for resource sharing, presenting papers/poster, networking, and meeting possible future employers!

Conference Alert (listing of upcoming environmental conferences)
Food System Economic Partnership (FSEP) Conference (check with FSEP for future conference opportunities)
Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference (search the internet for workforce, labor development, or other green job conferences)
View the SNRE Conference Website
Many of the Professional Organizations listed below hold annual conferences, visit their websites for more information. There are also many state and local chapters that hold conferences in which you may have interest. The benefits are that the conferences are close to home and usually are less crowded than national conferences.

Professional Organizations to Join

Air & Waste Management Association
Ecological Society of America
Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance
National Association of Environmental Professionals
Society for Ecological Restoration (SER)
The Stewardship Network, (Conference 1.22-23.2010)
The Wildlife Society (National Meeting 9.20-24.2009, also check with state chapters for meeting times/locations)

Need a help finding a job?

Email snre.careers@umich.edu to request an appointment with a SNRE Career Services staff member.

Lisa Yee-Litzenberg: Coordinator of Student Career Services
Room 1520 Dana Building
(734) 615-1633, yeeha@umich.edu

Need help finding an internship?