Anthony Tambini
Forestry, Fisheries, & Wildlife '20
Founder and Owner, Tambini Outdoors, LLC
As an undergraduate student, Anthony studied Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife and completed his degree in SENR in 2020. During school, he worked at OSU’s Island Campus, Stone Laboratory as a Biological Field Station Assistant. Currently, he serves as the Founder and Owner of Tambini Outdoors, LLC.
A Glance at Anthony’s Current Work
I am the founder and Owner of a Land and Habitat Management company called Tambini Outdoors LLC. We are based in Columbus Ohio but do work all over Ohio.
Every day is different and that’s one of the parts of my job that I love. Some days I am on private tracks of land treating invasives or putting in trails, talking with clients about hopes and goals for their property, or even just checking up on progress of long-term projects. The next day I might be on a track of public land improving habitat for birders or improving trails. Then I’ll have days of looking at projects that are up for bid or meeting with new clients. My least favorite days are paperwork days. I think everyone who wants to work in the ENR field will agree sitting in the office isn’t what we want to do. Owning my own business means the paperwork and office side of my job is also a big part of my duties.
The most rewarding part of the job is working with landowners to take their property from what it is to what they want it to be. I love getting pictures of wildlife from my clients or getting texts talking about what they saw or how they got to enjoy the improvements we created on their land.
Professional Development
What were you involved in during college?
Honestly, I wasn’t really involved in student organizations while I was at OSU, I did volunteer in Dr. Gray’s lab working with fish that were used in research.
I was a student employee at Stone lab for two of my summers while in school. I was able to both work and take classes while at Stone. Working at Stone provided me the opportunity to learn a lot of different skills from learning about boats, helping with tours, dealing with researchers and media, educating the public, and even working in a professional kitchen. That time had a huge impact on my life both professionally and personally. Professionally it provided me with opportunities to learn about Lake Erie, its islands, and the coastal areas on the mainland as well as the skills that came from the job itself. Personally, I met my soon to be wife, grew as a young adult, and it really cemented the idea that I wanted to work in this industry for the rest of my life.
What advice would you give to someone who is still in college and hoping to do what you do?
Get as much hands-on time as you can in the field. Learning how to use chainsaws, sprayers, 4x4s, and many other tools will make you stand out in interviews, and it will make learning a new job much easier.
What experience do you feel was most valuable in your professional development?
I would absolutely say taking a research technician role with Dr. Karns and the ACER maple research project. This was the first job I took that was in the ENR industry and it led me directly to starting my own business.
What was a challenge you faced in your professional development and how did you overcome it?
I did not have as much hands-on experience coming out of school as I wish I could have. This meant I had to be quick to learn how to use tools, drive machines, and to learn what needed to be done.
Post-Graduation
What did you immediately do post-graduation?
Graduating in 2020 wasn’t much of a choice for me. I knew I still wanted to have a job working outside everyday. I took a job that was inside and after 6 months I decided to leave for a seasonal job, and I never looked back. During my seasonal job working on maple sap research, I got to spend most of my days outside in the woods and having a job being outside was everything I had hoped it would be.
What was most important to you in your job search?
Choosing a subject you actually want to do everyday. For me that was habitat work. I feel like it allows me to bring all 3 parts of my degree together at one time.
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How to connect with Anthony:
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