This introductory one and half-day in-person field course is suitable for new or beginning chainsaw operators, and is designed to serve women and non-binary participants.
Our overwhelming focus is on safety and creating a space where participants feel comfortable asking questions and learning at their own pace. Chainsaws are serious business.
Topics to be covered include personal protective equipment (PPE), saw operation and maintenance, filing, reactive forces, open-faced notch and bore cutting. The morning of Day one will be spent inside learning chainsaw basics, and proper PPE. In the early afternoon, we will move outside to practice bucking and open-faced notch and bore cutting. Day two will be spent outdoors.
Please Note:
MOFGA’s Low-Impact forestry workshops are not designed to meet certification requirements for other agencies’ programs. We recommend you contact the agency in question to confirm whether a particular training fulfills specific pre-requisites.
Lodging and Meals:
MOFGA is not able to provide overnight accommodations for this course, and asks that participants commute to the class each day. We also ask that participants bring their own lunch and snacks each day.
Safety & Materials: All participants must wear steel-toed boots. Please reach out to Noah at [email protected] if you have any questions about recommended steel toe boot brands. We can provide chainsaws and personal protective equipment (chaps, hard hats, etc.) for participants to share. We encourage you to bring your own saw and any equipment that you use in the woods. Please note, we do not allow the use of battery-powered or electric chainsaws during the course. Students will use the instructor’s saw if their saw does not pass a safety inspection.
Contact [email protected] with questions.