Nelson native finds a place in the woods

By Erin McGrath

Published: April 23, 2008

In December, Houston Roberts, 21, of Tyro, replaced Eddie Embrey as the Nelson County Forestry Technician.
The Nelson County Times sat down with Roberts last week to talk about his experiences in the forestry department and his new job.

Q: How did you get interested in forestry?
A: I’ve always liked being out in the woods and I figured (with) forestry, I’d get paid to go out into the woods all day. I’d get paid to do what I love.

Q: Why take this job? How did you get it?
A: When I got out of high school, I didn’t quite know what I wanted to do. So I went over (to Dabney S. Lancaster Community College) and started the forestry program and I really liked it. I’d done a bunch of forestry programs during high school. I got over there and really liked what I was doing.
I graduated back in May, so throughout the summer I was working, cutting a few logs, and working in a wood yard and everything. I went back to school in the fall because I didn’t know quite exactly what I wanted to do. As soon as I started school, this job opened up, so I applied. So they called me and offered me an interview. About 2 months later they called and offered me the job.

Q: What is a typical day on the job like for you?
A: I usually get here about 8 o’clock or so. I’ll sit here and check my e-mails and do some paperwork, see if I have any new notifications. Since I’ve been here, I’ve probably only spent a week or two where I had to sit in the office all day. The rest of the time I’ve been out talking to landowners, checking on loggers, just riding around, getting to know the county.

Q: Have you done any training since being hired?
A: Yeah, you could say I’ve been to some training. I spent two weeks down in New Kent Forestry Center and one week was basic law enforcement training. And the other week was basic fire training. And I spent a couple days in Charlottesville at a prescribed burn management class. I’ve had a few day classes with first aid, CPR, just little stuff like that. I had a water quality training class one day. And been with my boss a couple days, going over this and that.

Q: Have you ever fought a forest fire?
A: I’d had some experience, but not much until I came here. I’d been to one or two small brush fires but my first real fire was the Peavine, Lorel road fire on Feb. 10. That was intense. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I showed up and ended spending over 20 hours there that day.
As soon as I showed up, Eddie Embrey was there. My predecessor. He looked at me and said ‘Houston, I need your truck.’ I asked him, ‘Well Eddie, can I ride with you?’ So, I rode around with him the whole rest of the day, just kind of listening to him, asking questions and learning from him. Trying to pick his brain.

Q: Do you see Eddie Embrey as a mentor?
A: Yeah. He stops by at least once or twice a week and checks on me. He can’t get away from here.

Q: Have you been anywhere else to fight a forest fire?
A: Not out of state, but I was on the Augusta fire for about a week. I thought I knew what walking in the mountains was about. Not over there. I grew up around Crabtree Falls and that’s all that’s up there, but man!

Q: What is one of your favorite things to do in the forestry department?
A: I really do like working with wood. Sawmilling and cutting a few trees. I just kinda do that on the side.

Q: What is one thing that you never expected that you got with this job?
A: As a forestry job, I had no idea there was so much paperwork. I got drawers and drawers of papers. Every time I go out on a logging site, I got to fill out one more sheet of paper. I didn’t know there was so much computer work and paper work. Honestly, I was surprised. I took a forestry job to get away from that stuff!

Q: Do you think you’re at a disadvantage with this job because you’re so young?
A: I see it as an advantage ‘cause they got me when I was young, they can train me, then they have me for a while.