Soil Conservationists
NRCS soil conservationists spend
most
of their time in the field
working with
farmers, and other land users.
They
offer conservation planning and
technical
help to everyone from family
farmers to
local government officials. They
suggest
ways to conserve the soil,
improve water
quality, manage nutrients, and
protect
and improve wildlife habitat.
Qualifications: A degree in a
soil
conservation, or a related
discipline
such as natural resources,
agriculture, agronomy, soil,
plant or
crop science. Coursework must
have
included 30 semester hours in
agriculture or the natural
sciences.
Additionally, you must have at
least
12 semester hours in soil, crop
or
plant science. Of those 12
hours, at
least 3 must have been in soil
science.
More info.
Soil Conservation Technicians
Soil conservation technicians (SCT)
work on the land with farmers to
show
them how to install conservation
practices and oversee the
quality of
those practices. SCTs perform
engineering surveys and design
standard
conservation practices such as
waterways, terraces, and
agricultural
waste management systems.
Qualifications: Knowledge of
farm
operations. Coursework or
experience that involved
designing
and implementing conservation
practices.
Other Careers
NRCS also offers careers for
people
trained in computer and
administrative
fields. |
Soil Scientists
Soil scientists map and classify
soils. They
identify problems such as
wetness and
erosion. They use aerial
photographs to map
soils and write soil
descriptions. They sample
soils and evaluate quality,
analyze watershed
information and record changes
in land use
patterns.
Qualifications: A degree in a
soil science
or a closely related discipline.
Coursework
must have included 30 semester
hours in
biological, physical, or earth
science.
Additionally, you must have at
least 15
semester hours in courses such
as soil
genesis, pedology, soil
chemistry, soil
physics or soil fertility.
More info.
Engineers
NRCS engineers develop and
utilize
specialized skills in erosion
control, water
management, structural design,
construction,
hydraulics, soil mechanics, and
environmental
protection. They develop and
implement
stream bank and erosion control
measures and
water supply systems. They
design waste
management systems and concrete
and
earthen dams. NRCS typically
employs
agricultural, civil, or
environmental engineers.
Qualifications: At bachelor's
degree in
agricultural, civil, or
environmental
engineering.
Civil Engineering Technician
Civil engineering technicians (CET)
plan,
design structures used in
conservation
practices. They survey the land
and lay out
the construction measures. CETs
gather data,
make computations, prepare maps
and cross
sections of profiles serve as on
site inspector
during construction.
Qualifications: Coursework or
experience
in the engineering field.
More info. |
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