Onboarding plan
Conservation Technician Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)
A practical, printable plan to take a new conservation technician from first day to full productivity.
Conservation Technician onboarding at a glance
Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.
Before day one
- Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
- Verify required credentials: NWCG wildland firefighter training, Chainsaw safety certification (as applicable)
- Prepare equipment and access: diameter tapes and clinometers; GPS units and tablets; increment borers; chainsaws and hand tools
- Assign a buddy or preceptor
- Enroll the new hire in Conservation Technician training so foundations are covered before or during week one
Week one: orient and protect
- Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
- Wear chainsaw PPE and follow sawyer certification rules
- Carry first aid, water and communication devices
- Watch for wildlife and hazards in remote areas
- Follow fire safety on prescribed burns
- Shadow an experienced conservation technician through a full shift
- Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)
Days 1–30: learn
Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.
- Supervised practice: measure DBH and tree height
- Supervised practice: run a fixed-radius plot
- Supervised practice: clear a trail safely with a chainsaw
- Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
- 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins
Days 31–60: contribute
Goal: handle a regular workload independently.
- Measure trees and collect forest inventory data: independently
- Map stands and boundaries with GPS and GIS: independently
- Mark timber for harvest or thinning: independently
- Monitor wildlife, water and invasive species: independently
- Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
- Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
- 60-day check-in
Days 61–90: own
Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.
- Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
- Begin cross-training on a secondary task
- Agree on a credential goal (for example, NWCG wildland firefighter training)
- Discuss the career path: Seasonal Technician → Conservation Technician → Lead Technician or Crew Lead
- 90-day review
Competency checklist
| Skill or task | Trained | Observed | Signed off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measure DBH and Tree Height | |||
| Run a Fixed-Radius Plot | |||
| Clear a Trail Safely with a Chainsaw | |||
| Timber cruising | |||
| Tree identification | |||
| GPS and GIS | |||
| Chainsaw operation |
How to measure onboarding success
- Time to independent field work
- Report or documentation corrections required
- Regulatory findings or near-misses
- Training and certification currency
How Conservation Technician training maps to this plan
- Introduction to the Conservation Technician Role
- A Day on the Job
- Essential Conservation Technician Vocabulary
- Core Duties and Responsibilities
- Common Tasks, Step by Step
- Tools, Equipment and Technology
- Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
- Skills Employers Look For
- Launching Your Conservation Technician Career
- Final Knowledge Check