Jacob Whittaker ’26: Sustainable Resources Management

Keeping Private Forests Healthy

Fifty-six percent of forest land in the United States is privately owned. Sixty-two percent of those owners are families and individuals, according to a 2008 USDA Forest Service report. ESF senior Jacob Whittaker is preparing for a career in consulting forestry to help them manage their land in a sustainable way.

He’ll be working with farmers and families and animal lovers who want to achieve a goal with their forest, whether it’s promoting habitat for the wildlife on their property or planting a harvest that will make money in the short term. “We’ll be working together to ensure their goals also have healthy long-term consequences,” said Whittaker.

Whittaker found his ESF education “extremely robust,” from introductory biology and chemistry to senior level forestry. “The trajectory of these classes really prepared me for a career in this field.” he said. “Each built on the last in a way that made sense to me and makes me feel prepared to take it into the field.”

Now a senior, Whittaker serves as a research assistant for the Willow Biomass Project. They plant the fast-growing willows to provide northern hardwoods with shade and protection from deer herbivory. The project also aims at soil remediation, especially in suboptimal or reclaimed land.

As a junior, Whittaker attended the national Society of American Forestry convention, where he had the opportunity to talk to professionals in the field. He found that forestry isn’t 90 percent in the forest—much of it is spreadsheets, map making … and a lot of interpersonal communication. “Like a lot of people, I came into this because I wanted to be in the woods, but there’s a huge fulfillment you get in dealing with people and being able to provide them with a service while doing right by the forest at the same time.”

Whittaker has had to pay for his own housing, tuition, groceries, and utilities. Scholarships gave him breathing room to study and learn. Said Whittaker, “I want to make sure the donors know how incredibly grateful I am for their generosity. They have made my time here possible. Without the aid I’ve been receiving, my life could have taken a very different course.”