Learn Practical Skills At Home

Your comprehensive lessons are clear and well-organized; easy to follow, yet challenging and engaging at the same time. Each lesson begins with an introductory note from your instructor, plus a preview outlining the subject matter and study objectives.

Next comes the reading assignment from your beautifully illustrated textbook, lesson book or supplemental references. Practice exercises help you check and review the key concepts you’ve learned. Then, turn in your open-book exam (available online) for the lesson, whenever YOU are ready.

In addition to your course materials, you’ll also receive these professional quality supplies as a student in The Professional Forestry and Wildlife Conservation Program. All are yours to keep, at no extra charge:

• Lensatic compass with rugged pop-open case
• Swiss-design army knife, a fifteen-function instrument

Use these accessories while you explore the outdoors, both during your studies and then later in real-world applications.

Enroll online or call 1-800-535-1613 to speak with an Admission Advisor!

Meet Your Instructor

Carla Bahun is the chief instructor of The Professional Forestry and Wildlife Conservation Program. Her experience in natural resource management covers many areas. In addition to teaching at The School of Conservation, she is an editor for The Environmental News and a writer for the Wetlands Newsletter. She has worked in pollution control, energy conservation, fish and game protection, bird banding, and wetlands conservation. Her career has taken her to classrooms, offices, and wildlife sanctuaries.

Carla will make sure you progress smoothly through your studies. If you need help or have questions along the way, just write, call, fax, or E-mail us 24 hours a day. Our staff of caring, courteous career educators will give you prompt, personal guidance.

What You’ll Learn Lesson By Lesson in this Course

Lesson 1: LESSONS FROM ECOLOGY. Understanding the relationships between organisms and their environment; principles of ecology; the ecosystem defined; the two laws of energy; food chains of various organisms; the biomes: forests, grasslands, tundras, and deserts.

Lesson 2: THE HUMAN POPULATION PROBLEM. How population growth rates are determined; overpopulation and its effect on the environment; methods of birth control; comparing population trends of different countries; solutions to the population problem.

Lesson 3: THE NATURE OF SOILS. Where soil comes from; the importance of fertile soil development; the characteristics and composition of different kinds of soil: loam, gravel, sand, silt, and clay; soil structure; determining quality in good soil and poor soil; the soil profile; ten major classifications of soil.

Lesson 4: SOIL CONSERVATION AND AMERICAN FARMS. Problems threatening usable farmland; critical issues concerning land use; natural and accelerated erosion; factors affecting natural erosion including rainfall, soil structure, and topography; erosion control practices; soil fertility conservation; synthetic fertilizers.

Lesson 5: FEEDING A HUNGRY PLANET. Understanding the world hunger crisis; undernutrition and malnutrition; increasing the efficiency of food production; strategies for overcoming hunger; genetic, chemical, and electronic ways of producing food; reducing pest damage; how new food sources are being developed.

Lesson 6: WATER. Factors contributing to shortages of water; phases of the water cycle; oceans, groundwater, surface water, and evaporation; problems with the water supply; the environmental impact of floods and droughts; flood control; methods of irrigation; techniques for conserving water; ground water resources; desalination; rainmaking; iceberg harvests; water diversion.

Lesson 7: WATER POLLUTION. Types of water pollution and their origins; how pollution is being controlled; classification of lakes; algae and weeds; over-production of nitrates and their effect on ground water; groundwater pollution; thermal and toxic chemical pollution; metal pollution; sewage treatment and disposal; new technologies for improving water quality; effects of oil spills; uses for sludge; disposal of industrial wastes.

Special Report: TIME MANAGEMENT GUIDE. Efficient techniques for conservation professionals.

Lesson 8: FISHERIES MANAGEMENT. The ecosystems of streams and lakes; the impact of weather and seasonal changes on lakes; the reproductive nature and cycles of fish; environmental factors affecting the lifespans of fish; controlling the fish population; laws protecting fish; populating aquatic systems; improving habitats for freshwater fish; removing undesirable fish; the pros and cons of creating artificial lakes; responsibilities of fisheries managers.

Lesson 9: COASTLANDS, ESTUARIES, AND OCEANS. The problems caused by coastal erosion; methods of controlling coastal erosion; coastal marshes and wetlands; the marine ecosystem; three zones in oceans; food chains in oceans; types of ocean pollution and efforts to control them; the effects of dumping plastic and waste in oceans; dangers facing whales and porpoises; locating and harvesting fish; sea farming; the ocean fishing industry.

Lesson 10: RANGELAND MANAGEMENT. Growth characteristics of range grasses; types of grazing livestock; laws regulating range abuse; range composition: plant types and pasture conditions on ranges; duties of ranchers and range managers; techniques for rangeland improvement; insect and predator control; how ranges deteriorate.

Lesson 11: FOREST MANAGEMENT. The many uses of forests; methods of reseeding and planting; how reforesting is accomplished; timber harvesting; hybridizing trees; controlling forest pests; forest fires and wildfire; methods of fighting forest fires; AmericaÕs tree supply; the demand for wood products and paper; causes of tropical rain forest depletion; duties of the U.S. Forest Service.

Lesson 12: WILDLIFE EXTINCTION. Wildlife populations and the problem of extinction; dynamics of species populations; predators and parasites; factors regulating plant and animal population size; the dynamics of animal survival; habitat destruction and causes of a species decline; causes of species extinction; effects of hunting on animal populations; methods for preventing extinction; provisions of current legislation protecting endangered species.

Lesson 13: WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT. Principles of wildlife management; types of wildlife habitats; animal movement explained (dispersal of young, mass emigration, and migration); organic and non-organic poisoning; why deer and waterfowl die; national wildlife refuges; protecting and controlling wildlife; duties of a wildlife manager.

Lesson 14: PESTICIDES: CROPS, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. The pest problem and its origin; types of chemical pesticides; benefits and hazards of pesticide use; environmentally sound alternatives to pest control; laws regulating pesticides; environmental pest management; pest control in farms, rangelands, and forests.

Lesson 15: MANAGING WASTES IN THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT. Types of municipal waste; solid waste management; approaches to recycling; the pros and cons of dumps, landfills, composting, and incineration; types of toxic waste and their effect on the environment; laws regulating waste disposal; managing and disposing of hazardous waste.

Special Supplement: A CONSERVATIONIST'S CAREER GUIDE. A manual to assist you in achieving your goals.