Sept. 21, 2025

Idaho Youth Perspective: Forestry, Firefighting & Finding Your Path — with Ginger Stocker

Idaho Youth Perspective: Forestry, Firefighting & Finding Your Path — with Ginger Stocker
Season 2

Idaho through a youth’s eyes—straight from the classroom to the forest. Ginger Stocker (U of I forestry & fire ecology) talks COVID-era school, work ethic, Idaho Parks & Rec, scholarships, the Experimental Forest, and her first season on a DNRC engine crew in Montana. Practical takeaways for young Idahoans, parents, and anyone who loves our public lands.

Highlights & Timestamps

  • 00:00 – Why Idaho? Public lands, healthy ecosystems, and loving the outdoors

  • 02:45 – COVID classrooms: PE on a laptop, social fallout, and the “C for everyone” grading mess

  • 07:34 – Rugby & resilience: club sports in a pandemic and rebuilding team culture

  • 11:19 – Idaho Parks & Rec: yurts, trails, non-motorized vs. motorized crews, and real-world mentorship

  • 13:15 – Twenty cords before lunch?! Work ethic, gray-water fixes, and learning by doing

  • 17:44 – First jobs matter: Sourdough Lodge, customer service, and talking to the public

  • 20:48 – Seasonal opportunities: why IDPR (and motorized trail crews) are a golden gateway

  • 23:31 – The leap to college: options, ASVAB, Space Force dreams, and choosing U of I

  • 27:23 – Why forestry in Idaho: fire, hydrology, heavy equipment, and stacked double-majors

  • 29:09 – Idaho Launch, scholarships, and using aid responsibly for Idaho careers

  • 31:29 – U of I Experimental Forest: hands-on skills, gear, and paid learning

  • 33:04 – Grades as a strategy: scholarships, professor connections, and career doors

  • 37:31 – Falling for fire: SAFE Club, saw class (S-212), and getting “red-card” ready

  • 40:41 – DNRC engine crew 101: pumps, drafting, elevation/friction (and keeping saws running)

  • 41:53 – A calm Montana season, a hot Idaho map: Watch Duty, WUI realities, and perspective

  • 44:40 – Advice for Idaho youth: seasonal work, networking, and climbing ranks anywhere

  • 46:10 – Where to start: rafting outfits, ski hills, lodges—Idaho seasonal life done right

Sponsor
Old Arms of Idaho — your firearms, Western & military specialists. 24-hour gun show at oldarmsofidaho.com. Your ambassadors to America’s heritage.