Frequently Asked Questions: FAQs

What is FRC's Environmental Studies Program Like?

We are a natural resource-oriented program set in the middle of more than a million acres of public lands. We are the only Environmental Studies program at a community college in California in a small, rural town, not a big city. If you like the idea of spending time outside, getting hands-on experience, check us out! Feather River College is the perfect place to study the environment!

The Environmental Studies (ENVR) program examines the interactions of physical and biological processes in the biosphere with special emphasis on how those processes are affected by human use of the landscape. The Environmental Studies major at Feather River College is a broad-based, science-oriented curriculum designed to prepare students for a variety of careers related to solving environmental and resource issues.  Surrounded by thousands of acres of public forests in a watershed that provides much of California’s water supply, FRC is uniquely situated to offer the Environmental Studies curriculum. From California’s drought to the impact of climate change on the forests of the Sierra Nevada, we are located at the focal point of many of today’s hottest environmental issues.

What Kinds of Jobs & Careers Can I Get?

Potential careers are many and varied. Primary employers include government agencies such as the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, state wildlife or water resource agencies, county planning departments, irrigation districts, utility companies, timber companies, licensed surveyors, professional foresters, non-profit organizations, and many others. Careers in the environment typically involve working with the public to communicate opportunities and issues surrounding projects of various types. An understanding of policy and current issues, along with an introduction to the many facets of natural resources, including forestry, wildlife, soils, and recreation, is at the heart of the Environmental Studies program. Job opportunities information. You can also view this link with information about working in public service.

What Experience Will I Get?

The Environmental Studies program is designed to prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions. Our hallmark is a hands-on approach to education: students have opportunities to work with FRC’s Wild Trout Fish Hatchery, extensive mounted wildlife specimen collection, and Geographic Information System (GIS) lab. Classes participate in community service efforts such as streamside restoration, wetland protection and enhancement, fuels reduction projects, and interpretive trail design and construction. The practical experience that students gain prepares them for success as they further their education or pursue employment. Faculty in the program work diligently to expose students to the real people and venues that typify the career paths open to them. Getting students their first job or internship is a major emphasis and we vigorously maintain contacts with potential employers.

What Is Emphasized in the Program?

A societal change in attitude towards management of natural resources has manifested itself in major shifts in the ways we view our forests, rivers, and wildlife. Integrated approaches to management of whole ecosystems have replaced single resource management models. Managing for ecosystem health and biological integrity has replaced resource extraction as a primary emphasis. The Environmental Studies Program at FRC has evolved in response to this change, and prepares you to be a future leader.  The major competencies we expect our students to attain while in the program are:

• Communication: written and oral communication skills are vital in the Environmental Studies profession. The ability to work effectively in small groups is also essential.
• Multidisciplinary perspective: graduates should have the ability to speak the language of the various disciplines in environmental fields.
• Knowledge: an understanding of how the planet functions, how technological societies function, and how policy interacts with the two.
• Application: technical field skills are taught and practiced regularly at a small institution like FRC.
• Environmental ethic: graduates should develop an ecological identity, establish professional goals, and identify a career track and educational goals that match their ethics with their chosen profession.
• Sustainability: Graduates will possess a quantitative appreciation for responsibly managing critical resources: striving toward a balance between meeting today’s needs while ensuring ecosystem health and resource plentitude for future generations.

Highlights of the Environmental Studies program at Feather River College:

• Hands-on, skills-based education
• Extensive public lands available as “laboratory”
• Wild Trout Fish Hatchery
• Campus with trails systems and variety of ecosystems
• Massive mounted wildlife specimen collection
• Instructors who care about your education

More questions? Contact us!