Why Choose Natural Resources Technology A.A.S. Degree at CLC?
• We provide an affordable education option without compromising the quality of education – students leave our program with less debt and equally prepared as their peers at four-year schools
• Financial assistance is available to Natural Resources students through scholarships and student research positions – more than $50,000 was available to students during the 2015-16 academic year alone.
• With low instructor to student ratios (approximate class sizes of 20), students receive personal attention from their instructors and develop strong relationships with their classmates
• Most of our students continue on to a four-year school to complete their Bachelor’s degree, equally prepared as their peers at these schools, and often arriving with more advanced training
• We offer full articulation agreements with Bemidji State, South Dakota State, University of MN Crookston, and University of WI Stevens Point, to complete Bachelor’s degrees
• We offer paid internships through our agency partners, including MN DNR Fisheries, Wildlife, Eco-services, and Parks, the MN Pollution Control Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Camp Ripley Military Reserve, and Crow Wing County Land Services
• Located at the intersection of three biomes and adjacent to the 55,000 acre Camp Ripley Military Reserve, the Brainerd Lakes Area is diverse and accessible place to study and recreate
• Our instructors live and breathe natural resources, with broad and varied experiences, ongoing ecological research activities, and extensive networks of natural resource professionals
Program Information
Special Department Information:
NATURAL RESOURCES A.A.S. DEGREE
Program Course Requirements
First Year – Fall Semester
NATR 1112 Land Measurement (3 cr)
NATR 1120 Dendrology (3 cr)
NATR 1115 Plant Taxonomy (2 cr)
NATR 1200 Introduction to Natural Resources (3 cr)
NATR 1280 Introduction to GPS & GIS (Arc View) (2 cr)
Total 13 Credits
First Year – Spring Semester
NATR 1130 Mammalogy (3 cr)
NATR 1135 Ornithology (3 cr)
NATR 1140 Limnology (3 cr)
NATR 1125 Ichthyology (3 cr)
NATR 2170 Advanced GPS & GIS (2 cr)
BIOL 2416 General Ecology (4 cr)
Total 18 Credits
Second Year – Fall Semester
NATR 2120* Wetland Ecology (3 cr)
NATR 2130* Wildlife Management (3 cr)
NATR 2155 Soil Science (3 cr)
General Education (7 cr)
Total 16 Credits
Second Year – Spring Semester
NATR 2110 Herpetology (2 cr)
NATR 2140* Fisheries Management (3 cr)
NATR 2161* Ecosystem Management (2 cr)
NATR 2201 Intro to Parks & Interpretation (2 cr)
NATR 2235* Silviculture & Forest Management (3 cr)
General Education (4 cr)
Total 16 Credits
GRADUATION REQUIREMENT – 63 CREDITS
*Denotes Prerequisites
Career Description: People in the natural resource field often become involved with issues like biodiversity, environmental pollution, endangered species, and the future quality of human life. To prepare for this field, students will gain the skills needed for assessing, implementing and evaluating land and water practices as part of an integrated wildlife program. Graduates in natural resources use their knowledge and develop skills in forestry, fisheries, wildlife, and parks and recreation. They have learned the identification of organisms, methods for collecting data, and resource management principles.
Program Information: The Natural Resource Program prepares students for work in the natural resource field by providing a well-rounded background of course work and the opportunity to work with specialists in the field through internships. Credits can be transferred to a four-year college with which we have special transfer agreements, including the University of Minnesota at Crookston and the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point.
Program Outcomes:
Graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate field identification of regionally important plants, mammals, birds and fish and their communities;
- Use a broad range of technological tools to research, document, map, measure, record and analyze data relevant to natural resources;
- Interpret how ecological relationships influence plants, mammals, birds and fish distribution, succession and biodiversity in ecosystems;
- Analyze land characteristics and create land management plans;
- Communicate in oral and written forms with supervisors, peers, area visitors and natural resource agencies;
- Navigate and safely function in an outdoor workplace.
Special Program Requirements:
Accreditation: We are part of the Minnesota State Colleges and University System and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Transfer Opportunities: Students have the opportunity to transfer to colleges like University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, WI and the University of Minnesota at Crookston, MN with this degree.
Career Opportunities: Employment opportunities include seasonal and part-time work and internships while in school. The best opportunities for full-time work will require a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university in one of the natural resource areas or from a more holistic natural resource management degree.
Career Titles: This program will help students prepare for a wide range of careers, including the following: forester, forestry technician, wildlife manager, wildlife technician, fisheries manager, fisheries technician, parks manager, parks technician, naturalist, hydrologist, soils scientist, non-game wildlife personnel, natural resource conservation personnel, biologist, and plant taxonomist.
Instructors
Natural Resources Instructor
Dr. William Faber holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State University, and a Master of Science and Doctorate degrees in wildlife ecology from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, where his research focused on moose. He is a board member of the Minnesota Chapter of The Wildlife Society and the Minnesota Sharp-Tailed Grouse Society, in addition to being appointed as a citizen member of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on MN Resources (LCCMR) and the Budgetary Oversight Committee (BOC) overseeing spending of the Game & Fish Fund by the MN Department of Natural Resources. Dr. Faber provides an international perspective on natural resources management and his extensive global commitment to natural resources is proven in travel to 30 nations primarily for wildlife ecology-related work.
Natural Resources Faculty
Kent Montgomery earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology and Education from the University of Montana, and a Master of Science degree in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He has worked in ecological field research activities for more than thirty years, including seabird ecology along the Pacific Coast and in Antarctica, moose ecology and forestry management in Montana and aquatic research across coastal Georgia, south Florida, and central Minnesota. He also has experience in planning and implementing prescribed fire, creating and enforcing conservation easements, and utilizing remote imagery/sensing in wildlife and forest management. When not at the campus, Kent coaches Nordic skiing and manages his land for multiple uses including wildlife, recreation, lumber, firewood, and maple syrup production.
Photos
Student Testimonials
Employment Statistics
For more information regarding employment statistics, career salary information and estimated job growth, follow the resource links below:
https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/ces/
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm
http://www.iseek.org/jobs/jobmarket.html