Tree Planting

[eeseen racing]

so.. i heard it is hard but i also heard you can make a decent chunk of change for the summer. anyone who HAS DONE IT let me know what u thought please!!

thanks a lot

[Ogpogo]

http://www.canadiantreeplanting.com/

There are message boards, guides, even a section called "Never Planted?
This section will give you the background information to decide if treeplanting is a job for you.
I think one of the servers is down for that page, so dont bitch at me when i say -
"Its called Google."


How about http://www.tree-planter.com/?

even this would work for you! (http://justfuckinggoogleit.com/)


Its a little bit more useful than asking a car forum to change the topic to tree planting.

[eeseen racing]

ya i have looked and done research i just want some first habd info on wages they ahve made and amount worked google has been fully tapped by me on this one! and im not bitter i get annoyed when people dont google or search beforehand

[Ogpogo]

Originally posted by eeseen racing
ya i have looked and done research i just want some first habd info on wages they ahve made and amount worked google has been fully tapped by me on this one!

Oh well if it's that information that you wanted to find out, I wouldnt have even suggested the internet in the first place. Ever think to actually call the employer? They might know how much they pay. (versus 16 year old kids with neons)

In all honestly man, the best way to find out the actual details of any job is to talk to the people giving the job.

[eeseen racing]

i understand what they pay since it is peice work i want to know what a fisrt year planter that has done this has actually brought home from working there! the internet ranges form 100$/day to 600$/ day now i know it is somehwere in the middle but want someone who has done this to let me know

[chathamf]

Jeeze, this guy really fuckin' hates tree planting. Way to rip at the guy there buddy..

[ashee]

I did tree planting as a volunteer once and I thought it was fun, it wasn't really hard you just dug holes in marked off areas and put trees in them and recovered with dirt...

[Ogpogo]

Originally posted by chathamf
Jeeze, this guy really fuckin' hates tree planting. Way to rip at the guy there buddy..

Lol, im not a tree-hater, dont get me wrong. But its diggin a big hole in the ground and throwing a tree in it. There are tons of online resources, forums, and discussions about tree planting that take all of 3 seconds to search on google (dependant on internet connection speed ;) ).

[Sharpie]

Originally posted by ashee
I did tree planting as a volunteer once and I thought it was fun, it wasn't really hard you just dug holes in marked off areas and put trees in them and recovered with dirt...
And she is back... Thanks for the explination on how to plant trees. Do you mind maybe writing a how to in the tech section?

[ashee]

Originally posted by Sharpie

And she is back... Thanks for the explination on how to plant trees. Do you mind maybe writing a how to in the tech section?

Well wtf? It's not a difficult concept, sorry my description was not up to par for you.

[Ogpogo]

Originally posted by ashee


Well wtf? It's not a difficult concept, sorry my description was not up to par for you.

He was serious. Most of us are bewildered by your tree planting technique. So, do you put the tree on the ground first, or dig the hole? Oh hell, if you could post pics too, im a little confused. You just seem to point out all the things that us others have trouble comprehending - grass is green, sky is blue, etc. You blow me away ashee.

Or if you could follow this post with a simple one word, or one emoticon response to fully establish your useless-ness.

[ashee]

:rolleyes:

[eeseen racing]

Ogpogo why are you even on this site? do you just copy and paste the words "google it" on every thread you see and cant give an answer to? if you dont have a clue just dont reply to the thread i will state again i have done research plenty of it but wanted knowledge form somone who has actually done it. this being the reason im asking on this forum "the career forum"

ANYWAYS!!!! can someone actually answer my question on amount they made in the summer and their experince doing it

Ashee thanks for the post more Intelligent than his.

[ashee]

Another thing is that the people you find doing the tree planting work are mostly tree hugging smelly hippies, haha.

[Ogpogo]

Originally posted by eeseen racing
Ogpogo why are you even on this site? do you just copy and paste the words "google it" on every thread you see and cant give an answer to? if you dont have a clue just dont reply to the thread i will state again i have done research plenty of it but wanted knowledge form somone who has actually done it. this being the reason im asking on this forum "the career forum"



You obviously didn't understand what I was saying. There ARE forums dedicated to this subject, with people just like you to fully experienced tree planters who communicate on gigantic public boards - a board that deals with the topic of tree planting, much like this forum dedicated to Cars and Car Enthusiasts. Using Google will direct you to these forums. But thanks for the useless bitching - despite me giving you the only useful tip thus far (unless Ashees "like you dig a hole and plant a tree like" statement rivals).

[eeseen racing]

i understand that but people go on those sites who are recruiting and pump everyhitng up to be better than it truly is usualy hence the reason im asking on a baord that is not related to tree planting but can still get me a answer.

thanks for your post but they are not helping me to find an asnwer

[Ogpogo]

This is an interesting read you might like:


Tree Planting - What you need to know
by Bruce Montcombroux, The Manitoban


WINNIPEG (CUP)—Whatcha baggin’? You make your deuce? Con-sidering tree planting as a road to summer riches? It can be done, but it takes a lot of hard work.

Before moving on to other, greener pastures of summer employment, I used to plant trees. In fact, over my numerous seasons, I have planted some three-quarters of a million trees from Ontario across to Manitoba, Northern Alberta, British Columbia and the upper regions of Vancouver Island. All those summers add up to about two cumulative years of living in a tent.

Apart from the actual monotonous planting of the trees and harsh working conditions, it was a pretty good summer job—definitely a worthwhile experience. On the downside, tree planting is not all about carefully renewing old growth forests or reclaiming forest fire-ravaged wilderness. It is mostly “tree farming”—planting clearcuts on lumber company-managed land for later harvest.

Tree planters form part of a unique culture of workers engaged in seasonal, migrant labour across North America. Because of the small and usually tight-knit communities that evolve over the summer months, tree planting is often described as the best and worst experience one can have. If you can stick it through a full season, you may find your character changed and your horizons slightly broadened.

Like any job, tree planting has its own jargon, rules and code of ethics—how one chooses to follow them is entirely up to the individual. Unlike road construction workers, hydro-electrical maintenance crews, surveyors or loggers, tree planters can spend weeks isolated in the deep bush, northern forest regions or atop Canada’s western mountains while living in fairly primitive conditions. In addition, tree planters usually pay a “camp cost” of about 30 dollars a day just to get fed and driven to work.

Because of the nature of the job, workplace safety and health regulations are often bent to get things done—not to mention the notoriously spendthrift silviculture companies’ quest to save money. But this is a reality that is hard to avoid when working in the bush. Machinery is often taxed to its limits and repaired in any manner possible. Workdays are often longer than anything you have encountered—one can expect the workweek to drag on for weeks at a time. Breaks are self-administered and often non-existent if you want to be a “high-baller”—meaning that you make a “deuce,” or $200 or more a day above camp costs. And, as a rule, the hot water heater always breaks right before it is your turn to shower. As any old-timer will tell you, the bush has its own set of rules—ones that do not fit neatly into policy-makers’ formulas.

The small solace is that good company owners and camp bosses are, for the most part, no-nonsense—although not always honest—individuals that deal with problematic situations swiftly. After all, the dollar is the bottom line and they rely on good workers and a sound season for their profits.

The owner of the company I worked for was nicknamed “Full Metal Jim,” presumably after R. Lee Ermey’s unshakable character, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick’s movie Full Metal Jacket. Company owners also have the uncanny ability to look you straight in the eye and lie to you without batting an eyelid or losing their convincing smile. But often you do not want to know. All you really need to know is how many trees you put in the ground that day.

Among the many factors that affect the hybrid environment of reforestation are company finances and changing contract deals, which, behind the daily grind of sticking trees in the ground, can alter everything at a moment’s notice. Tree planting is “tree farming,” and much like agricultural production, weather and prices affect the level of production. Reforestation companies are often under contract to complete jobs within specific periods and are tempted by big dollar corporate and governmental bonuses if they finish early. Sometimes these incentives are passed on to the planters, and sometimes they are not; it all depends on the company.

Morale is everything in the bush. Camp conditions can go from good to bad in a matter of moments. Rain, bad food, cold showers, theft and arguments can put a whole camp on a downward spiral. It takes a certain presence of mind to hold it together in times like this, because after all, making the most money possible is the main objective for putting up with all the discomforts. It is an odd symbiotic relationship between oneself, the environment and the company. The monotony, physical strain and sometimes harsh conditions are realities of the job.

For some, the drudgery is quelled by engaging in one of tree planting’s more notorious reputations. Planting is one of the few jobs out there where you can consume as much marijuana as humanly possible and not lose your job—so long as you actually keep doing your work, of course. Although, given the current illegality of cannabis, no reforestation company would ever openly admit to tolerating such activity—and some actually do not.

Despite the organic nature of the job, planting is a capitalist venture through and through. Rookie or “green” planters will most likely find themselves planting new harvests on land clear cut by lumber giants such as Weyerhaeuser, Abitibi-Consolidated, and Slocan Canfor. The daily witness of deforestation on such a massive scale combined with the knowledge that what you plant is eventually slated for toilet paper, serviettes and junk mail is discouraging to say the least.

When one experiences first-hand the after-effects of logging and its environmental damage, it can fundamentally alter your denial about the negative impact of excessive consumerism. Arguably, we do need lumber and paper products, but issues of consumption and sustainability come to the forefront. Lumber companies do engage in some sustainable practices, but given growing ecological concerns, one has to question if it is enough.

But there is a silver lining. After my first season, I began working on isolation crews that were often flown by helicopter to remote locations to replant areas for conservation. These areas were usually naturally deforested by fire or had been cut decades ago and abandoned. The beauty of these contracts was that whatever was planted was left to nature’s management system and not boardroom decisions.

Living in the pristine wilderness, without road access, where the water is potable and the immensity of the landscape dwarfs your own sense of existence prompts a sense of stewardship and responsibility. I am not one to openly espouse hard ecological views—or any other ones for that matter—but living and working among old-growth forests and its many natural denizens, brought me as close as I will ever come to being a “tree-hugger.”

I highly recommend tree planting as a summer job. Sure, it is brutally hard work, but you will make good money if you work—and I mean really work. It does, however, take a while to learn to ensure that you avoid the dreaded re-planting of ill-planted trees—you do not get paid the second time around. Obviously the full brunt of nature, insects, wild animals, torrential rain, knee-deep mud, freezing cold, snow in the early season, broiling temperatures and excessive UV levels must all be contended with—but you will adapt.

The friends you make from the scope of characters you meet may last a lifetime; mutual manual labour has the tendency to bond people together. Some of the more influential people I have known, I met tree planting; their character, calmness and response to adversity and emergencies left me with a deep sense of respect for their self-control and awareness.

The stories one accumulates, both personal and shared, range from the hilarious to the tragic, but lead towards a fuller understanding of humanity.

If you last the season, the goodbyes are the hardest part and make you want to do it all over again—apart from actually putting the trees in the ground.

Nature is in constant change. What is good one day is not the next; the same applies for reforestation companies. I hope you find a good one. Still, if you take my advice, you will probably curse me at some point this summer.

[eeseen racing]

i read that already but thanks for the post that is helpful, i just cant beleive anyone hasnt planted before

and about snapping before im sorry i just hate how this forum is getitn bad for flaming vs helping like it used to be

thanks again

[tirebob]

I have never tree planted myself, but I worked in a camp for a tree planting company with a ton of tree planters...

It is one of those jobs you either love or you hate. There are some very cool people but there are just as many weirdos. I remember once there were 4 of us just standing around talking and this one girls came up and started talking with us. After a couple minute she just squated down and started pissing on the ground at our feet in the middle of talking with us! Didn't skip a beat either. just stood up and lowered her skirt when she was done and carried on like nothing happens, piss all around the ground. We were a bit dumbfounded to say the least! lol!

But a lot of workers become quite a close knit family and can be a lot of fun...

As for the work, if you are in a good area it can be easy money, but if you are in rough, steep terrain it can really suck... Just depends. If you are a nature lover and like being in the bush go for it!