This past June, E&ES major Finn Guillemin ‘27 participated in an incredible hands-on learning experience through the YMCA of the Pines in Western New Jersey: getting his wildfire firefighter certification.
Finn’s decision to pursue certification was heavily influenced by a course he took in spring 2024: Fire Ecology and Management/ENVS329, taught by Professor Helen Poulos. The course focuses on fire as a fundamental ecological disturbance process that shapes plant communities globally. In the course, students explore how climate change and human land use have altered fire behavior, disrupting many species. The course also examines shifting fire regimes over time, from indigenous fire practices to contemporary fire management. The mix of in-class lectures, field exercises, and discussions fueled Finn’s curiosity and desire for hands-on experience.
Hosted by Stockton University’s forestry campus, the wildfire firefighter summer program is a blend of certifications and real-life experience in forestry management, specifically focusing on controlled burns in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The program began with online certifications to prepare students for the field: from learning how to build fire shelters and set up hoses to learning how to safely conduct controlled burns. Once on-site, Finn’s days were packed with a full schedule of learning, practicing, and discussing forestry techniques. Over the course of the week, students visited 14 different controlled burn sites, observed long-term experiments, heard from representatives from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and other state fire departments and ecologists who explained the environmental importance of each practice, and learned which practices work best for particular environments.
Two highlights of Finn’s experience were witnessing Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) techniques used for mapping and analyzing forests in detail, in action, and participating in a controlled burn in which he had the opportunity to use a drip torch to ignite the understory in a specific pattern. “The entire process—burning the area and then putting out the fire—took about an hour and a half,” says Finn. “The intensity and precision required made it one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.”
While each day in the program brought something new, the experience was about more than certifications for Finn. It was about connecting with and learning from people who are passionate about forestry. That week spent in the New Jersey Pine Barrens solidified Finn’s interest in forest fire management and gave him a chance to gain real-world skills he’ll carry with him into his future endeavors.