When nature becomes your workplace: Vocational training in the Eastern Townships
Updated on August 20, 2026
What if your future job allowed you to swap the four walls of an office for the great outdoors?
In Eastern Townships, nature is not just part of the landscape; it’s part of daily life. For those who wish to pursue a tangible career, stay active, and work close to nature, it can also become a true workplace. With over 75 vocational training programs across a variety of sectors, the Eastern Townships provides plenty of opportunities to train for careers in forestry, agriculture, land management, and other outdoor fields.
Surrounded by mountains, lakes, and forests, the Eastern Townships is known for its diverse natural landscapes. With its many hiking and biking trails, the region offers plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors.
But this proximity to nature goes well beyond leisure. The forests, agricultural lands, green spaces, and various natural environments of Eastern Townships are also places where people work every day. Behind these beautiful landscapes are essential careers that involve growing, planning, maintaining, protecting, managing natural resources responsibly, and working directly with plants and animals.
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What if nature became your workplace?
Loving the outdoors can also guide a career choice. Vocational training allows individuals to learn tangible professions where hands-on experience plays a significant role. Some lead to careers in forestry, while others involve working on farms, in green spaces, with machinery, or directly with animals.
Ready to explore the possibilities? Here are 9 vocational training programs offered in Eastern Townships that could transform your love for the outdoors into a career.
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Production animal
Program length: 1 215 hours
Learn to care for livestock, ensure their nutrition and well-being, and take part in the day-to-day activities of a farm. The training can cover several types of livestock production, including dairy cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, beef cattle, and goats.
Offered in French at :
- Centre de formation professionnelle de Coaticook (CRIFA)
- Maison familiale rurale du Granit (MFR)
Program details : Production animale – L’effet FP Estrie
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Production horticole
Program length: 1 200 hours
Develop practical skills in growing and caring for plants throughout the entire production cycle, both in greenhouses and outdoors. You could work in market gardening, berry production, orchards, vineyards, nurseries, greenhouse production, and more.
Offered in French at:
- Centre de formation professionnelle de Coaticook (CRIFA)
Program details : Production horticole – L’effet FP Estrie
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Travail sylvicole
Program length: 900 hours
Develop practical skills in forest renewal and maintenance, including reforestation, clearing, thinning, and pruning. Work in a variety of forest environments, on both private and public land.
Offered in French at:
- Centre de formation professionnelle de Coaticook (CRIFA)
Program details : Travail sylvicole – L’effet FP Estrie
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Réalisation d’aménagements paysagers
Program length: 1 035 hours
Develop practical landscaping skills, from designing and creating gardens to maintaining outdoor spaces. Learn to work with plants, wood, natural stone, and concrete to build features such as pathways, patios, walls, and pergolas.
Offered in French at:
- Centre de formation professionnelle de Coaticook (CRIFA)
Program details : Réalisation d’aménagements paysagers – L’effet FP Estrie
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Production acéricole
Program length: 1 005 hours
Learn the different stages of maple syrup production: setting up a sugar bush, installing and maintaining the collection network, tapping maple trees, and processing sap. A training deeply connected to the Quebec forest.
Offered in French at:
- Centre de formation professionnelle de Coaticook (CRIFA)
- Centre de formation professionnelle Le Granit in Lac-Mégantic
- Maison familiale rurale du Granit (MFR)
Program details : Production acéricole – L’effet FP Estrie
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Horticulture et jardinerie
Program length: 1 335 hours
Learn to identify and care for a wide variety of plants. You’ll also develop the skills to create planting plans and bring a range of projects to life, including vegetable gardens, flower beds, pollinator gardens, green walls, and much more.
Offered in French at:
- Centre de formation professionnelle de Coaticook (CRIFA)
Program details : Horticulture et jardinerie – L’effet FP Estrie
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Abattage manuel et débardage forestier
Program length: 900 hours
Learn to perform manual tree cutting and transport trees or logs while adhering to environmental standards and forestry regulations. A physical job that takes place directly in the forest.
Offered in French at:
- Centre de formation professionnelle Le Granit in Lac-Mégantic
- Maison familiale rurale du Granit (MFR)
Program details : Abattage manuel et débardage forestier – L’effet FP Estrie
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Fleuristerie
Program length: 1 035 hours
Learn to work with flowers and plants to create bouquets, arrangements, and decorations suitable for various occasions. The training combines creativity, knowledge of plants, and customer service.
Offered in French at:
- Centre de formation professionnelle de Coaticook (CRIFA)
Program details : Fleuristerie – L’effet FP Estrie %
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Aménagement de la forêt
Program length: 1 215 hours
Develop practical skills in forest management and planning, including forest inventory, tree measurement and marking, monitoring forestry operations, and protecting forests and wildlife.
Offered in french at:
- Centre de formation professionnelle de Coaticook (CRIFA)
- Centre de formation professionnelle Le Granit in Lac-Mégantic
Program details : Aménagement de la forêt – L’effet FP Estrie
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In the Eastern Townships, nature can be so much more than a place to spend your free time, it can become your workplace. Whether you’re interested in working with animals, growing plants, creating outdoor spaces, or working in the forest, vocational training can help you build practical skills for a career connected to nature.