In the summer of 2025 Smokey House Center launched the Future Foresters Apprenticeship to address the critical workforce needs in Vermont’s forestry sector. This ten-week, immersive apprenticeship offered a paid, comprehensive, place-based training experience for college-aged youth that equipped them with the technical skills and field experience needed to become the next generation of professionals protecting and stewarding our forests.

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Apprentices lived and worked at Smokey House engaging in hands-on training, coursework, and mentorship from regional forestry experts. Graduates of the Future Foresters Apprenticeship left with a solid foundational forestry skill set that included: inventorying, silvicultural prescriptions, best management practices (BMPs), boundary surveying, and more. Participants also gained practical experience in more innovative and specialized fields like agroforestry, climate-adaptive management, maple syrup production, and local wood use in green building. Through guest lectures, expert-led field sessions, and regional field trips, participants built connections and future career pathways within the industry. Smokey House’s deep-rooted relationships with Vermont’s forestry community and academic institutions make it the ideal place to implement this program.