XENIA — For students to get started in Greene County Career Center’s (GCCC) natural resource technology program, the process is simple and straight-forward.
“Although it is not mandatory, having biology, chemistry, and/or physical science experience is an asset,” instructor David Sproull said. “There are no prerequisites. Basic communication skills are good too.”
Sproull said that coming into the program, most high school students already have science experience. That experience is beneficial.
The program has many topics including forestry, wildlife management, landscape horticulture, parks and recreation maintenance and basic landscape.
Forestry consists of the study of plants, environments, and forests, while wildlife management is the study of reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish, mammals, anatomy, feeding habits, greeting habits, and wildlife environment.
Landscape horticulture involves designing landscape, outdoor lighting, and irrigation, while parks and recreation maintenance includes basic landscaping and art scaping.
Despite the difference in what each covers, they all have several aspects in common.
“Basically, it all has to do with the environment, nature, weather, soil, water, and habitats,” Sproull said.
Sproull said that GCCC tries to get most of his students set up for post-secondary education. That would lead to either a two-year or four-year degree. For Sproull’s students who will not be moving on to higher education, GCCC tries to get them placed within either horticulture landscaping or forestry.
While students are still enrolled in the program, they are eligible for employment related to the program. Prior graduation from GCCC is not required.
“During senior year, students are eligible for job placement in the field,” Sproull said.
Before he was even enrolled at GCCC, Greeneview senior Brady Morris knew that he wanted to become a part of the natural resource technology program.
“The warm welcome I received when I came to Greene Day made me want to be a part of the program,” Morris said.
Greene Day is an open house-type event that GCCC puts on for high school sophomores, who get to spend a day with GCCC’s faculty, staff, and students. The sophomores get to experience how a day at GCCC goes.
In order to decide to become a part of the program, Beavercreek senior Sydney Filer took a unique approach.
“I’ve always loved working with plants and the outdoors,” Filer said. “It is a getaway activity for me. It helps me to decide what career path to take in the future.”
After graduating from GCCC, Filer aspires to get involved in landscaping design.
Filer said her involvement with the natural resource technology program has added direction to her life and future.
“It has showed me to do things that I didn’t previously know how to do,” Filer said. “I learned how to build things and work with bricks. The CAD system helped me learn how to make landscaping designs.”
Just like Filer, Morris knows what he wants the direction of his future to be.
“The program has inspired me to further my education in college. I will be attending Hocking College. It was recommended by my teacher and the school,” Morris said. “It is a very agricultural school. It is a very natural resources school. Natural resources and wildlife management is the area that I am going into.”
