CR's October 3, 2025 Times Standard Education Matters Article--Celebrating the 60th Year Anniversary of the FNR Program

Published on Oct 1 2025

I have the best job in the world. I have the opportunity to work with smart, professional, and dedicated colleagues. I can also attend classes and watch our faculty do what they do best, teach. It is profoundly meaningful for me to sit in classes with our students learning what they learn without having to take tests (I say that with a smile on my face).  

Here in Humboldt County, a county that is nearly synonymous with the redwood forest, it is especially meaningful to see how what we teach connects to home. Classes in environmental science, forestry, Native American studies, agriculture science, welding, and aquatic ecosystems inform my ideas to how the College can support our regional businesses to find and acquire a talented workforce in vital sectors like agriculture, aquaculture, forestry and wood products.  

Last year, we celebrated College of the Redwoods’ 60th anniversary, and I think about how far we have come since the College was formed on January 14, 1964. One year later, in 1965, we launched our forestry and natural resources program as one of the college's founding disciplines and I think about how far that program has come.  Since its founding 60 years ago this year, we have produced hundreds of stellar graduates. Students with science-based solutions to improve community well-being and develop solutions to some of our most complex regional natural resource challenges. 

Recently, through the hard work of current and emeritus faculty, we achieved a long-sought and highly esteemed accolade in that we were awarded accreditation by the National Society of American Foresters (SAF). This makes us one of only two community colleges in the state with that designation. SAF accreditation is directly tied to the state license required by law to practice as a Registered Professional Forester (RPF), and it opens doors for our students to work not just in California, but across the country with agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

Our students are also receiving recognition for their leadership in the field. Three forestry students were recently selected as Resilient Careers in Forestry ambassadors through the California Community College Foundation, all of whom are tribal students. Their unique perspective and cultural knowledge position them as future leaders in cultural fire management and sustainable forestry practices, which are essential to the long-term health of our forests. 

For many years, cultural fire has been a cornerstone of our Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) program. We teach the science and ecology of fire—how forests have evolved with it, how ecosystems suffer when fire is suppressed, and how cultural fire, managed by tribes, is a powerful tool for restoration.

I also think about the impact our two stellar full-time FNR instructors have on our program’s success. Professor Valerie Elder holds a Master’s in Forestry from West Virginia University and a Bachelor’s from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She has led major conservation projects as Executive Director of The Buckeye in Ferndale, taught forestry classes at Oregon State University and Tillamook Bay Community College and worked as an Education Specialist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, reaching thousands of students through youth and 4-H programs. Earlier in her career, she gained hands-on field experience with Humboldt Redwood Company, Weyerhaeuser, and WVU Extension.

Professor Madeleine Lopez earned her Master’s in Natural Resources with a focus on Fire Ecology from Humboldt State University in 2022, after completing her Bachelor’s in Biology. Her background includes teaching fire ecology, conducting prescribed burns, and leading rare plant and forest monitoring research with California State Parks. She has presented at national and international conferences, published in the American Journal of Botany, and earned competitive research grants and scholarships.

While we are celebrating 60 years of our FNR program, the Board of Trustees and I are confident that these accomplishments will extend well into the future. We recognize how important CR’s forestry and natural resources program is to our region, our state, our country, and our world. We have always believed that sustainably managed forests are critical to the future of our planet, and contribute to our region’s economic growth, cultural preservation, and our collective and individual wellbeing. 

We remain fully committed to supporting the long-term growth and health of our Forestry and Natural Resources program to make sure it continues to collaborate with industry and Tribal communities and prepare students for a career managing public and/or private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes. 

Our faculty, students, alumni, and I have every reason to be proud of the department’s impactful legacy of advancing forestry and natural resources that extend well beyond the borders of our county.

Yes, I have the best job in the world!