Screefs

Keep Cool

2010-04-18T23:40:00.006-04:00

Again, I haven't posted in a while. I won't promise anything anymore, let's just say that when it comes to my use of the "Information Highway", blogging is now on the unfrequented bushroads...

We'll see though.

As the season looms, and with weather patterns quite different from last year's, here's a reminder of the extreme conditions one might face while on planting blocks:

Can't wait for the season. But I apparently can wait to blog, so see you in a year or two!

Quick Post Before a More Detailed Update...

2009-10-12T19:05:00.004-04:00

Seems like I've abandonned this blog within the last few months. If I was extremely busy and working in isolated camps (two three weeks stints in fly-in camps without getting out of the bush) during the season, I had plenty of time since I've returned home in early September. The problem is, I really didn't want to talk about anything planting.

Now, it seems I can get some perspective again and I should post lots of pictures and stories about my 2009 experience, and I should get on this as soon as I can. Until then, here's a great music video of the Tree Planter's Waltz by Smoky Tiger, featuring Baba Brinkman and Emily Ray, inspired by the Log Driver's Waltz by John Weldon and sung by Eunice Macauley. The footage at the beginning is from a 1977 documentary called "Do it with joy" following Dirk Brinkman's crew, planting trees with hoedads.

Will reconnect soon...

Another Busy Season...

2009-07-01T20:33:00.000-04:00

Been busy, working in an isolated fly-in camp...Not much, and too much to report, but the season is going very well and I still have quite a lot to go.

Will post pictures and longer posts when I'll have time, probably meaning after the season...

Update

2009-05-01T02:52:00.004-04:00

Haven't updated the blog in while. Well, not too much time to post about planting when you are preparing for the upcoming season, but are not planting yet.

According to my stats, there's still a bunch of people looking for a planting job. Reality check: It's too late.

I'm off to Edmonton for pre-season work in a few days. More on that later.

And just before I go, here's another planting video from a fast planter's perspective. The planter is Milo McMahon, a Manitoba planter that was featured in the Ed's Up episode about tree-planting.

The soundtrack has been deactivated...possessive music giants do that.

Planting in Nova Scotia

2009-03-22T10:57:00.003-04:00

According to the website's stats, I've noticed there's a few blog visitors looking for info on planting trees in the Maritimes.

There isn't much info easily available on the subject, and even tree planting website have very few things to offer.

I don't have much either, but since I stumbled on a few forestry companies' websites that hires tree planters in Nova Scotia, I thought I'd share the links:

Scott and Stewart Forestry Consultants hires for the Antigonish region.

There's also Coastal Trilling Reforestation, featured in the sidebar links, operating out of Halifax.

That's all I found for now, I'll try to dig further within the next days.

A Driver Nightmare...

2009-03-13T10:00:00.003-04:00

This is what every tree deliverer or foreman dreads: Getting stuck in front of a bunch of planters

Getting stuck happens in the bush. And it doesn't need much! Dirt roads can get muddy quickly. Imagine after a week of uninterrupted rain! When you are rushed by time, needing to get trees somewhere before the planters run out or even get there, it adds an undesired stress factor.

But getting stuck in front of a crew of unhelping planters, who are judging, describing and "documenting" every move, might make the situation worst, mostly if the driver's pride is affected and he starts using doubtful methods to get the truck out(and further).

It was probably not the best way to get a truck unstuck. The truck's canopy is obviously full of boxes, elevating the vehicle's center of gravity, which, as you can see, makes the truck tilt.

Also, going forward might not have been the best idea, as the road is quite steep just after the mud hole. In this case, the driver was probably not only thinking of getting out, but also of getting further along the road to deliver the trees.

Putting sticks in front of the wheels is efficient, but they need to be well placed and you usually need to put sticks in front of more than one tire, planning where the wheels will go. You also need to make sure you let the tire grip on the sticks.

And it won't always work.

It's also possible that sticks couldn't be placed efficiently behind the stuck tire, but putting them in front, advancing the truck slightly and then putting sticks behind the tire in order to go backwards could have helped. Furthermore, getting out backwards instead of forward could have been helped by the huge planter workforce pushing the truck out. A process that might have been dangerous if they were to push the truck forward.

Instead, the driver, with the initial help of the sticks, just pushed the truck half way through the deep hole, messing up with his tail gate in the process and worsening the situation, as the truck is now hopelessly stuck.

Of course, my analysis could be wrong, as a video doesn't tell everything, but it seeems that if the mud hole couldn't necessarily be avoided, the truck could have got out of this hole relatively quickly. Of course, the need to get further, people observing or the simple thought that he could get out (I could have done the same thing) probably made the time constraint worse...

Precision Dropping and Tree Handling...

2009-03-12T08:23:00.006-04:00

Here's a nice heli pilot dropping a load of boxes besides a heli platform.

The problem? It's on British-Columbia's coast, and it's quite steep! After the drop, the treeplanter have to do some extra work to get the boxes back up, displaying a handling method that would make most client foresters or checkers shriek in agony. But it's not like there's any alternatives and this might have been done by many tree planters, tree runners and foremen throughout history (including yours truly...maybe). And to the pilot's defense, it's not like there was plenty of space to drop the load...

And you know what's great? He just go get the boxes, no bitching (that we know of)...there's nothing he can do and those trees need to be planted.

In the next video, you can see the same dude planting in the snow. Notice how different the pace is on the coast, with higher quality standards than most places (yet, they don't always need to kick the hole shut) and high tree prices, mostly when compared to the sheer speed necessary to make any money out east.

On an ending note, some coastal planters have already started planting. Expected conditions: Some snow and lots of rain on steep terrain...

Zippers and Pliers

2009-03-07T11:26:00.002-05:00

While planting, there's a few things you see plenty of: Peanut butter, duct tape, zippers.

If your contract isn't based out of a motel, logging or outfitter camp (often called motel show), there's big chances that many everyday life necessities will come with a zipper: Tent, sleeping bag, rain jacket...Therefore, there's a big chance than some of those zippers, confronted to the extremes of climate, wilderness and personal abuse will break.

And trust me, there's nothing worse than a zipper breaking off on a buggy night.

To avoid getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, many planters will jump in their tent, opening and closing the entrance as fast as possible to let as few little buggers as possible in. Repeated a minimum of four times a day, usually more (a tent is the perfect place to feel an urge to pee at 3AM, but there's a solution to this as well; a piss bottle!) for at least 2 months, often more, and combined with dust and rain, it's no wonder than many zippers won't zip.

Therefore, the first tip is to simply take your time. It won't be the end of the world if a few bugs get in! If you'd rather have them all dead before going to bed, use a lamp and hunt them down, it shouldn't be too hard! The same applies for anything else, from your hoodie to your sleeping bag. The label might say it will resist to -10 celsius, but if it isn't sealed, you'll shiver yourself to sleep!

But even the best zippers might finally give up after years of loyal services. It's 11PM, you're tired, the bugs won't let you rest and the chick/dude you had your eyes on just hooked up with someone else! Don't panic, you won't have to sleep in the bus/crummy/minivan yet!

Here's the trick: Simply use pliers to press the sides of the zipper. Don't press too hard, as you'll block the mechanism, but just force the sides closer, it should do the trick.

It's not a trick you can do over and over again, as you'll end up breaking the zipper permanently, but it will save your ass in case of emergency and will usually allow you to finish the season, or at least the shift before considering replacing the defective piece of equipment.

Also, here's what former planter Chomko had to add to the subject:

"Zippers often break cuz they're full of dirt. If you take Mink oil or Silicone (the kind of stuff normally used to waterproof boots) and rub it on the zipper, a cloth will take off both the dust/dirt and the oil and you'll be good to go.

Also, there are tent stores that will replace your zippers if you have a warranty on them."

Enjoy your "retirement", miss. Think of us while enjoying the "real world"...

Baggin' Out: An Aussie Explores Plantin'

2009-03-05T02:14:00.006-05:00

Here's a Steve Irwin-ish Autralian sharing his discoveries on Canadian Tree Planters with his peers:

Love the tumble of the "Highballer", but I must admit it gets old by the end, and maybe they should just plant! Filmed in an Outland camp in North-Western Ontario, near Thunder Bay.

Clueless Eagerness...

2009-02-17T23:52:00.002-05:00

Not much today, except for a song poking fun at first-year planters:

Ah, rookies...

Treeplanting 2007 "Motivational" Video

2009-02-05T19:09:00.006-05:00

Finally, here's a video slideshow of my 2007 "inspirational" poster parodies.

Song, El Plantador by Baba Brinkman. You can find this song and a treeplanting-themed album here.

Baba Brinkman's work and words are available at his website, Babasword.com.

You can also find these pics, along with seasons 2006 and 2008 posters on the menu on the left.

The 2008 video should be ready by next week.

Coastal Planting

2009-01-24T08:41:00.001-05:00

Given the number of people than lands here searching for Coastal work or info, and the fact that I don't know shit about it, except that it's a fairly exclusive club, I'd like to redirect you to this replant.ca thread on the subject.

Good luck!

The Difference Between Fast and Slow in Ontario.

2009-01-18T10:46:00.008-05:00

Ontario planting is usually, but not exclusively, done on flat, fast land. Often, the land will be prepared by machines, so you'll basically plant directly in the organic soil thanks to various forms of land scarification (furrows, trenches, mounds, burns). The tree prices being lower, you have to keep a fast, steady pace and plant a lot of trees to make good money.

This video was titled "Pounding in Trees" on YouTube and it gets a beating in the comments section. Watch and judge:

Thought it was indeed pounding trees? That he planted fast?

Nope.

Here's my friend Jay Van Dyke, planter, crewboss, deliverer and comedian extraordinaire, planting at a much faster pace:

So, potential rookies, can you tell where's the difference, apart from sheer speed?

It's all in the execution. The first planter screefs with his boots when it's not necessary and uses the kicker on his shovel to get the blade deeper in the ground, while Jay uses his motion, and arm strenght to get the shovel deep in the ground and only screefs when necessary.

Furthermore, notice how Jay always have his next tree in his hands by the time he's about to put the shovel in the ground. "Mr.Pounder" does that as well, but it takes him so much time to dig the hole that it kills the momentum.

A little trick: Remove kickers from your shovel. Workwizer shovels don't have any, which is a good thing as it doesn't get stuck on vine, branches and logs as much, but mostly as it doesn't create the bad habit of kicking the shovel in every time you dig a hole. If you buy a BushPro shovel, cut the kicker off. If you can't do it yourself, auto repair or welding shops, or even Canadian Tire, could do it for you.

It's also important to note that the scarification here, furrows, allows you to plant in a basically straight line (sometimes the furrows aren't that straight, nor are they necessarily that "creamy", with soil exposed), while this type of planting wouldn't necessarily be the best in unscarified land, where "area" planting would probably be a better choice.

Finally, it's hard to judge quality while watching a video, but it seems "Mr.Pounder" plants a few leaners, while, apparently, Jay plants a duff shot. Depending on the contract's quality, and if it's not the exceptionnal tree, it could mean you could be replanting those trees a little later...

And if there's anything worse than planting trees, it's planting trees for free!

Alternative Grind

2009-01-17T09:34:00.006-05:00

Here's a very interesting short tree-planting documentary by Jason Nardella. Prospective planters, if you have to watch only one video here, well that one might be it.

The images are fantastic, the testimonials are insightful, funny and touching. Ultimately, it shows a lot of what planting is about, as much as you can grasp from sitting in front of a computer. It was filmed around High Level in Northern Alberta and I would bet good money that it was a WildWoods camp.

Since this video can't be embed, here's part one.

And here's part two.

It's apparently part of a longer documentary not available on the web, that I know of.

Enjoy!

Manitoba Planting Video

2009-01-17T09:24:00.002-05:00

Basically the same deal, here's another vid showcasing planting and transpotation in an Outland Manitoba contract. You won't learn much from the video, but it can give you an idea of the atmosphere when you're up there.

Northern Alberta Treeplanting Video

2009-01-13T23:29:00.005-05:00

Here's another video giving some idea of the ambiance when you plant trees in Northern Alberta. This video was filmed in a Wildwoods camp in High Level, AB, in 2004.

A Few Vids to Fill the Time...

2008-12-12T18:04:00.008-05:00

These videos are interesting. Not only are they somewhat funny, but they'll show a thing or two to potential rookie planters.

Dialing the shit: Building an A-frame tree cache:

My friend and fellow Québécois tree deliverer Jean-Bernard, in a completely unstaged presentation, building an A-Frame somewhere around Grande Prairie, Alberta. The A-frame is necessary to protect tree seedlings during the summer part of the season, by letting the trees breathe while being protected from the sun. During the spring we usually just put a tarp over unopened boxes.

And what a clean truck, dude (Looks like the bed's body is a little concave tough)! The ending is some classic J-B.

Now, a "treeplanting record":

Apart from the first part not really being a record (I've seen better in more difficult land, not to mention a relatively unfair comparison given the land difference, but it's supposed to be a joke), the video shows classic rookie cluelessness. As a rookie, expect to waste a lot of time, at first, to figure out where you should plant, with lots of time in between to wonder what you're doing there...

Looks like they filmed me during my first year!

Treeplanting Motivational 2008

2008-11-20T13:48:00.002-05:00

This is the time of the year when my seasonal job comes back to haunt me. As a friend once said; "the day I won't miss planting when the winter approaches, I know I'll be done with it." Funny enough, I absolutely hated the experience during my first year. Now, every year, I miss it more and sooner...Guess I'm not done just yet!

Here's my treeplanting motivational posters for the 2008 season:

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Scooter's Summer 2008 Planting Memories Video

2008-11-18T20:42:00.006-05:00

Here's Scooter's latest season resumed in a video:

At one point during the summer, our camps were operating for the same client, not too far away from each other (just about 100 klicks away, which is not far in planting distances). But his spring season was mostly in British-Columbia, while ours was mostly in Sasktachewan and around Rocky Mountain House, Alberta.

Music: "At Least One Song" by Mike Allison

A full-quality version of the video and photo galleries is available as a free download on replant.ca. Also check out www.MikeAllison.ca to learn more about the music used in this video.

Shitty Trucks, Big Trucks, Good Luck!

2008-10-09T18:36:00.004-04:00

The first two photos are not mine, but I couldn't resist stealing them, mostly since we see the great times I had dealing with an over-heating truck on Canada Day Eve.

It started the week off on the right step, taking 6 hours to get to a city 3 hours away...

And this is the giant trucks we had to deal when we were replanting land in the middle of a gigantic open-pit coal mine.

But the best truck I had to drive this season was the rollogon. The slowest machine to ever roll over earth, and sometimes, mud. Contrary to my supervisor's original beliefs, it won't go over a crevasse though. I'm doing the classic John-John pose there.

Alright, guess I just wanted to post pictures of shitty and/or big trucks. I'll leave you with this one:

Will Update Soon

2008-10-06T09:13:00.004-04:00

Haven't had time to write stuff on the planting blog. It's the post-planting season and it is the time of the year when I don't miss nor want to talk about treeplanting much.

I will post stories and pictures about my 2008 season, but I guess I should send some info to my treeplanting company so they could pay me my non-production day hours before I actually undergo less productive endeavours.

Not working, at all, feels great though.

Potential planters, start getting as much info on the job as possible, you'll need to start applying in December. Jobs will only get rarer if the industry remains the way it is, which is a rather optimistic assessment.

To the fellow planters, enjoy the post-season, travels and school. Will post soon and start missing planting around mid-December if the previous years are any indication.

Cheers.

Busy But Alive

2008-06-08T22:15:00.005-04:00

Working hard, slept in only two beds in a month and today was the first actual day off I've had (And I've been forgotten in Rocky Mountain House as the cook took my truck to go get the food order and left for camp, so no one picked me up and I'm still sitting in the hotel lobby...Awesome!)

The Saskatchewan contract lasted three weeks and was quite difficult on everybody, but we now moved onto the beautiful Rocky Mountain House area for our spring contract there. We planted about half of the prescribed trees in the shift that ended yesterday. Been working a lot, with not much rest, but it is less demanding physically and emotionally than last year and I have had a few very easy days (including heli slinging duty which mean 10% work and 90% wait). Also, we started with three crews and are now down to two since a crew left to plant oilfields in northern Alberta. We still have two tree deliverers, and delivering one crew is not a difficult job most of the time. Mostly when you're used to deliver three crews alone. We might lose another crew in a week or so, so I'll be delivering one crew plus additional planters from Ontario as their spring season ends. Tehn, towards the end of our summer contracts, all the original crews should be back together for the final stretch.

I've been writing daily entries about the season so far, but I won't post them until the season ends as I have nop time and internet fares are prohibitive.

Until then, keep pounding!

time to go wait...

Links and References

2008-04-29T22:40:00.010-04:00

Your first season in the bush as a tree-planter is approaching? Need more information about the job, the slang, a few tips on getting in shape and ready to pound trees?

I gathered a bunch of information on various treeplanting-related topics and posted in this all-inclusive informative post for your enjoyment. Of course, none of the following information is mine and credit and thanks are given to everyone involved. Feel free to get as much information as you can, it will give you a definite advantage when the season starts. It doesn't prepare your for everything, but there's a lot of what tree-planting is that can't be fully grasped until you experience it. Might sound somewhat pretentious, but it's actually the case.

SLANG
First, planting being heavy in job-specific slang, I'd suggest to glance at a summary of T.Colin Strong's study on tree-planting lexicon, as featured (and self-admittingly, plagiarized) on Viking's blog. The whole study is available here. You can also browse this planting terms dictionary, as featured on Scooter's Replant.ca. Finally, this is Chris Stoltz's treeplanting lingo 101, a funny, yet informative take on the slang, as shown on Peppermill Records' Hi and Ho, We Plant Trees page. I especially like this one, don't ask me why:

Tree hauler, tree runner (n)-- somebody who gets paid $150-200 to drive a quad or F-350, smoke cigarettes, gossip and try to wheel the female planters. The hardest working person on an Alberta contract..

And this one:

World (n)-- anywhere that does not involve planting. Where people, manufactured goods, artistic products and drugs come from. From Full Metal Jacket-- "When I rotate back to the world..."

TRAINING
I would suggest watching the Fit to Plant training videos. Replant.ca has a really interesting planting training video, but it might currently be unavailable due to bandwith limitations.

MISCELLANEOUS
Finally, to get in the mood and settings, Fuck This Place, a nine-minutes video on treeplanting for Wildwoods (by all accounts, an excellent company) in High Level, Alberta. When I started planting 5 years ago, I thought High Level referred to the intensity of the contract, but it's actually the name of a Northern Alberta town. Yet, it is also the intensity of most of the various contracts surrounding town.

Poundermix: A treeplanting reggae song.

I'll try to edit this post a few times within the next days to add more content as I find it. Hope it will be useful.

Tree-planting Gear Lists

2008-04-18T21:55:00.018-04:00

When it comes to what to bring to camp, every planter is different. Obviously, there's the basics; a tent, a sleeping bag, some planting bags, a shovel, etc, but one person's essentials might be futile space waste to others.

Of course, you will have to consider your employer's requirements and make sure to bring every item on their mandatory list (specific equipment, protective gear, etc.), no matter how trivial you might think it is, and even if you heard comments from fellow planters about how you won't actually use the said items during the season. If you fail to bring the mandatory stuff, you might not be allowed to plant. Also, the area and type of land where you plant could have an influence on a few items that might come handy. Don't hesitate to ask your foreman/crewboss if you have any questions.

Then, you'll have to think about what might be essential to your comfort for the upcoming months in the bush (as a rookie, there will be hits and misses, your first day off will allow you to get most of the additional stuff you need) and, of course, about the packing space available. A simple rule of thumb, if you can't bring all your belongings by yourself in one trip over a short distance, you might have too much.

Treeplanting might be considered as environmentally friendly by many (whether it's the case or not is a different subject), but individual planters and treeplanting camps produce huge amounts of waste, including plenty of stuff that is left behind or ends up in a landfill when the contract ends. If some planters will start the season with an overabundance of personal items, others will simply accumulate things over time, buying (or finding...or stealing) articles varying from forgotten must-haves to trivial novelty items (among others, I've seen old bikes, sofas and a trift store three-piece suit...). A sign of our overconsumption or just a funny habit to collect silly stuff? Probably both.

So, as everybody's needs are different, and to offer a variety of choices, options and a slight idea of what you should be expected to bring, I browsed the web for many examples of gear lists. Up to you to find the one that suits you, mix them up or dress your own list.

-Tree-planter.com's list, available as a PDF document.

-Scooter's gear list at replant.ca.

-Nataram's equipment list.

-Bruin Reforestation's version of the list.

-Fellow planter and replant forum member Skibum's gear list, available as a google document.

-Greg Geir's 41 Things to Bring Planting, as featured in Tree Planting Online's gear section.

I'll post my own list shortly. It's basically the same, but I'm relatively minimalist and I'll justify my choices and provide notes on the utility (and actual necessity) of the items.

Pictures Server Down...

2008-04-02T02:00:00.003-04:00

Kinda sucks...Been faithful to maj.com for years, even though it's far from being the best picture uploader nowadays, but it might be the time to change...As soon as I get my pictures back (a lot of them are not on my computer anymore!)

Strangely, maj's sister website, brickshelf.com, is still working well...

EDIT: Maj.com works properly again. Backups done.

Guitars Around the Camp Fire

2008-03-08T16:08:00.020-05:00

A treeplanting-related musical project?

That's the idea behind Peppermill Records' album, Hi and Ho, We Plant Trees, a "collection of old and new songs done by treeplanters, about treeplanting, and for the most part, for other treeplanters."

Check out their website, you can get the music and artwork for free. There's also plenty of other treeplanting goodies, from a lingo dictionary to a video gallery, passing by the rare, remarkable animated short by Frédéric Back: The Man Who Planted Trees.

Definitely worth it. As for me, it will be part of my playlist for the long drives between Eastern Saskatchewan and Western Alberta this spring/summer.

For those who missed the link posted above, here's Hi and Ho, We Plant Trees website (I also posted a permanent link in the multimedia section):

http://www.peppermillrecords.com/pm007
Next, treeplanting-related origami! Until then, browse and enjoy!

Tup

Ten (and a few more) Reasons To Hate Treeplanting

2008-03-08T02:14:00.006-05:00

1) Your buddy, who went planting last summer, won't shut up about it!

2) You wonder what you're doing here while meeting fellow planters, first getting to camp, setting your tent and learning how to plant. Then, you regularly wonder what you are doing there for another month or two.

3) You start thinking about that girlfriend of yours, fucking other guys in Australia, while standing alone in an empty field, kilometers and days away from the closest mean of communication. Paranoia ensues.

4) You slept on the floor in your motel room because some dude felt asleep in yours, trying to hit on your roommate and another one lost her keys. You miss your tent.

5) You started shopping at Wal-Mart.

6) You brag about what you bought there.

7) There's not a lot of Belgians doing it.

8) You look, feel and smell like shit.

9) You had to wipe your ass with a leaf...to dire results.

9a) You fell in the same pond twice in one day.

9b) You don't remember what it feels like to be dry.

9c) You started considering that labour laws might only be a suggestion.

9d) You know every kind of pain, on every layer and any part of your body.

9e) Weather is your enemy, no matter what are the conditions. Wind, on the other hand, is okay.

10) You started to somewhat love treeplanting...and you won't shut up about it!

Rooted Lives

2008-02-29T01:36:00.005-05:00

Here's the trailer for Rooted Lives, a documentary directed by Erika Drushka, depicting the lives of three British-Columbia career treeplanters, known in the business as "lifers".

B-C's treeplanting season can start as early as February on the Pacific Coast (highly rainy at that time of the year) and last over 6 months, thus earning the workers wage highly sufficient to not work for the rest of the year if they want to, allowing them to pursue any personal interests and venue, ranging from arts to travelling, passing by full-time parenting. (Some treeplanting outfits gathering to veterans and lifers will even offer children daycare services)

Here's the website, a better-quality Quicktime version of the video is available here.

Totally Different Tree-Planting

2008-02-25T18:39:00.004-05:00

Here's a completely different way to plant a tree of a different size, for a different cause, in a different setting.

Very interesting though.

Ah, Belgians!

Slowly Awakening...

2008-02-25T18:17:00.006-05:00

While some places on the Pacific Coast, in British-Columbia, are starting their season, for most tree-planters, this period means the first crew emails about contracts and camp information, what to expect for the rookies and a few online forms to fill.

For others, like me, it means updating all my management training, sending driving records and various licences and certification. Getting in touch with regional managers and camp supervisors, getting details on how contract negotiations are going, what to expect as far as camp management will be concerned.

All are slowly waking up to face the upcoming shitstorm. Getting a few hints of what's to come, and getting ready to make it worth the personal investment. Time to get slowly back in shape, time to get more information on what we signed up for. Slowly at first, then more and more time will be spent on the matter.

For others, finally, they are starting to look for a job. There's still openings, but most are hiring veterans only. If you'd still like to try your luck, the best place is probably Scooter's job market at replant.ca's forums.

As for me, been busy, but I do start to smell the dust, bug repellent, diesel, mud, forest, cook shack and sweat that will be part of my next season in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

[This is Not] Why I Plant Trees

2008-01-27T23:44:00.000-05:00

Here's why there will always be a need to plant trees:

Because every planter has a little brother who loves to be a douchebag.

Another Planting Trailer Vid...

2008-01-25T17:49:00.000-05:00

Here's another great video from YouTuber Planter Justin Cheshire, working for Nata Reforestation in interior British-Columbia. Seems like the guy knows how to film fun. In reality though, the work/fun ratio is way up there in favour of work...

I'm also kinda glad some companies are not too anal retentive about some stuff yet...

Back in Planting Mode!

2008-01-22T00:03:00.000-05:00

Allright, it's been a while, and I'm slowly getting back in planting mode. And is there a better way to kick-start the season than posting a useless video of your camp supervisor digging a slurry pit?

Giv'r Linn!

I don't know yet where I'll be working this summer, but I'm definitely applying again for a tree-delivery position. More on that later...

Summer Plant

2007-07-12T16:08:00.000-04:00

Usually, summer planting is a little more casual, chill. I signed up for a summer plant contract in Alberta in order to be a regular tree planter, not have any responsibilities and be done my day by 7PM max.

I showed up in Edson a week ago, not knowing anyone in my new camp. After planting roughly 100 trees and making an awesome 10 bucks, Byron, the camp supervisor came to me to ask me to help with tree delivery, as his tree runner needed some time off.

So I took on the delivery duties for the week, accepting many repsonsibilities, stress and very long days. Their work area is gigantic, and it's been normal for me to drive for 45 minutes to get to a few planters, then drive another half hour to get to the tree cache, then another 30 minutes to get to another crew. I logged at least 400 kilometers a day this week!

The other interesting part about the forest between Hinton and Edson is that it's heavily industrialized, with pipelines and oil rigs everywhere (Alberta having the second largest reserves of oil in the world after Saudi Arabia, mostly in the oilsands of the north of the province) and I've never seen so much heavy traffic on bush roads! So we basically have to radio our position every 5 kilometers or so, to make sure not to be hit by a wideload in a turn!

I got some pictures, but I didn't take the time to load them unto my computer. As I should have more time this week, going back to regular planting duties, I'll try to upload them so I can post some next week. Interestingly enough, Steve, a crewboss who just arrived from another Alberta camp in Fort McMurray and visited this blog before noted how blogging while planting finally ends up being apologetic for not blogging and not having time to post pics.

Well sorry guys, that's about all the time I've got, more next week!!!

Time to go lie to someone else...

A Few Pics, Quick

2007-06-13T14:25:00.002-04:00

Crazy day off, as it was my birthday. Crazy couple of weeks, shitload of equipment breakdowns. We lost 4 quads in three days (Yes, it is possible to break four quads when you only have three), one truck, one water pump and more! The weather was not really on our side as well. We got snow (15 centimeters!!! Half an foot!), the most I've seen in planting, we got two weeks of rain, roads washed out!

Here's some pics, four or five of them were stolen from HP, as she uses my computer to stock them:

Winter plant!

Jesse and Emily hiding under the tarp

Freitas, Gibby and I, proud members of the mustache club!

Cal's bus in one of many ditches created by a week of rain

My tow strap, didn't survive the attempt to get the bus out of there. We had to use a huge Volvo truck that looks like a Tonka.

As seen form the driver's seat.

Biff and Travis pulling it out.

Jordy passed out

Guess who had to ignore the warning to go get a quad on the other side, as we would desperately need it?

Here's what I had to boat through

A stressful one, it could have fucked the truck, stuck in a lake...

The waterline on the truck...That was fucking high!

Cal and I kicking ass at rod hockey. Much better than fooseball!

Really nice stream.

Intense Jer

Classy Gibby

And to finish, pics from the forest fire I saw a few weeks back when clearing a planting block, after the planters left for day off.

Looks like a nuclear mushroom. Quite impressive

A water bomber diving for a refill at a nearby lake.

For more pics of the season, you can also hit Adam Krohn's blog here

Time to go drink something with no alcohol in it...

Still Alive...

2007-06-06T15:36:00.000-04:00

but absolutely no time...besides, my computer is fucked and I just took a minute at the busy library of Hearst.

Had another though week, we are under-staffed, our equipment broke a lot this week so it meant I had a lot of long days, including a ferw ranging from 6:30AM to 11:40PM...

So, basically, I'm exhausted...

Will post pics and longer post when I'll have time, meaning probably in July...

Allright, I'm out, time to have no time!

Quick One

2007-05-08T14:58:00.001-04:00

The first shift went by fast, as the planters had a quick start and kept me busy, so we were able to wrap the first part of the Northshore contract in 3 days and a half instead of 5 as planned.

So we're in Elliot Lake, also known as the Florida of the North because of it's huge retirement community. Needless to say we got a bunch of nasty looks, but people have been very nice. The cops gave a few tickets last night to planters pissing outside, but in retrospect, it was a pretty good day off.

Tree delivery is great, altough it's stenuous, as I've been working an average of 14 hours a day and it doersn't really stop on day off as there's a bunch to do in town like getting some supplies or the vehicles serviced.

So I'll just post a few pictures from the week and will try to catch on the next day off...

The management team busy at night. In this picture, from left to right, Callan and Maggie, crewbosses, and Linn, our camp supervisor.

Me and one of my work tools...Pretty sweet, eh?

Our first camp, the Wilderness Lodge. Really nice setup, management had the priviledge to sleep in cabins while planters were sleeping in their tents. We also had the rare luxury of eating inside, but the weather has been so nice this week that it wasn't that useful...We're already gone to another camp for a week, which should be as good as this one...

Maggie directing some rookies

From the truck

A moose skull Codie found in her piece. The thing is massive and really heavy.

Allright, I'm out, time to go get some stuff at Canadian Tire...

And There We Go Again!

2007-04-28T22:46:00.001-04:00

And I'm up north, in Matheson, Ontario more precisely, in Shillington, at one of Outland's regional yards for some pre-season work and training, before getting up to our respective camps to get things ready for the planters. So we basically pack trucks up once in a while, watch videos about chainsaw safety and get back to the motel at 5PM for some beer and joints...

Good life, but it'll get busy soon! Here's a few pics I snapped today and yesterday:

Toronto-North Bay: Another ride up north in an old beat up school bus...Hopefully for the last time of the season!

A flat-deck and some Northern Ontario skies

The Shillington yard.

Tila's fetching it...

Packing up a truck for camp set-up.

Deliverers being good at doin' nothin'...I'm also really good

Our classy motel in Matheson: Vi-Mar!

Another Great Planting Video...

2007-04-21T21:07:00.000-04:00

Here's a wonderful video shared by an user on Replant.ca's forums.

I don't know if it's a real trailer, but it's a funny and spectacular video showing the craziness of treeplanting...and treeplanters!

Some non-initiates might wonder why there is some public pool footage. It's simply a popular activity on day-off. The music featured is Clint Mansell's Requiem for a Dream.

The original video can be found on YouTube.

My shopping list for the upcoming season...

2007-04-16T16:11:00.000-04:00

Here's the items I'll need for the season. Some are general treeplanting lifestyle articles, others are more specific to my duties as tree-runner.

-~~Boots~~ (My suggestion: Try an army surplus)
-A new tent (Do not hesitate to spend some extra bucks on quality)
-A decent mattress (Had none last year and I didn't suffer, but then, I slept half the season in someone else's tent, with quite a comfy mattress...
-~~Sunglasses~~ (Go for relatively cheap ones. Like everything else, you'll go through them...)
-~~Quad Goggles~~ (Not quite a must-have, but it might be useful if your job involves a lot of quadding in dirt/rain/bugs, and it looks cool, or I'd like to think so)
-~~A new leatherman multi-purposes tool~~
-A new animal hat (A tradition)
-An iTrip for plugging the iPod in the truck (Highly helpful when driving long hours alone)
-Probably an extra pair of pants
-Work gloves
-Rain/Wind jacket
-Traction-aids (A big maybe, most won't fit or work for huge pick-up trucks, but if I find something good, it might potentially be a big time saver...)

I think that's about it. Will add stuff if it comes to mind...

Swedes Planting Trees for Future Ikea Furniture...

2007-04-14T09:34:00.000-04:00

Okay, that's a damn bad and overused cliché...

Here's a video depicting treeplanting in Sweden. It's quite different from what any Canadian treeplanter is used too, yet the similarities should make it familiar enough.

The boreal forest is basically one huge forest anyway!

I love those "tree guns" and that they don't need to bend over every 2 meters, but the one-side buckets must be rough on the hips! Nice outfits though, and I'm definitely not a fan of sausage crews!

Besides, girls are as good as guys at the job!

Sorry about the lack of posts recently, I've been incredibly busy, and as the treeplanting season is almost there, I've been paying more attention to the "real deal" than the virtual treeplanting...

East Coast Style!

2007-03-19T09:40:00.000-04:00

Treeplanting is done all over Canada. British-Columbia is definitey the province with the most reforestation (as it's also the most logged) and the most various methods and land types, but Ontario, Québec, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan all have a good amount of treeplanters working on their land, mostly in the northernmost part of their territory.

It doesn't mean the maritimes provinces have no tree planting! If things are done a little differently over there (planters usually sleeping at their homes and enjoying lobster parties), others never change (bugs, crew spirit). This video shows interesting scenery one could see planting near Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Here's another video showing some details of the East Coast planting life:

Okay, it's a little long. If you're interested to watch the second part of the last vid, as well as many other similar videos by the same Youtube user, click here.

Another take on planters

2007-03-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

Mark and Calum are eternal opponents on OLN Canada's Road Hockey Rumble. In the second episode, in Prince George BC, Mark recruited some loggers for his team, while Calum, who spent many years in town, went the treeplanter way. Here's what Mark thinks of planters:

And here's Calum reply:

For your information, Team Planter destroyed Team Chopper 13-2! But I'll concede that Calum had the recruiting advantage as he knew people in town...Whatever, planters are better!

Treeplanting, as seen by your shovel...

2007-03-09T07:52:00.000-05:00

This is a nice little video made by a treeplanter in Alberta, simply using a camera attached to a shovel. Makes for great images of the planting technique and rythm. Not much screefing involved though! Of course, this should be taken with a grain of salt as quality standards vary from a contract to the other.

Also, if you're a rookie, please remember that there's much to learn, quality and technically-speaking before getting such a steady rythm. You can't and must not focus on speed at first!

Leaner!

Ed's back at camp...

2007-03-07T03:08:00.000-05:00

Here's some unseen footage from Ed Robertson's treeplanting experience for his OLN TV show, Ed's Up.

After a hard day pounding trees to reach his PB (personal best), Ed enjoys the rewards of a bush camp, a nice swim, some music and chilling around a campfire...and his cameraman enjoys a few shots at some almost barenaked ladies! (Okay, bad one)

Nope, they didn't kick him out right after...

Enjoy!

Treeplanting 2006 "Motivational" Video

2007-02-19T20:30:00.001-05:00

Here's a little slideshow I've done using a shitty program available for free on the web, thus the little glitch at the beginning and the program's advertisement at the end...

I took some of my 2006 pictures and made them into a parody of motivational posters usually seen in waiting rooms.

The song (yep, a treeplanting song) featured is This Vibe, by Jen Plummer, a former camp cook (a great one!) and a talented artist who would sometimes play around the campfire despite the long hours cooks have to endure. She didn't work in the bush last year, but still paid a visit to a few Outland camps for a "tight bush tour", as she puts it. You can visit her website at jenplummermusic.com.

YouTube link here.

Looking for a Tree-Planting Job?

2007-02-15T01:58:00.015-05:00

*** UPDATED FOR THE 2009 SEASON ***

You are looking for a treeplanting job this season? Are you experienced?

Sadly, if you're not, it's not the best time to get in, as the future of the industry is looking grim.

If you're looking for a Coastal job, be sure to check this post.

It's still possible to get a job, but due to the forestry industry's problems, many reforestation companies are diminishing their operations due to less contracts, bidding lower on the contracts they won or they'll simply plainly fold for the upcoming season. Therefore, there's more experienced planters to be hired for less interesting jobs and potential first time planters have to look more and accept less interesting offers in order to secure a job.

If they'll hire rookies at all, most companies will accept references from their current planters, so contacts are the key. This is especially valid on the Coast in British-Columbia, but it spreads elsewhere. Ontario might be your best chance.

It's doesn't mean you have to abandon if you're really motivated to get in, just that you'll have to knock at a lot of doors, and very often at the same ones!

If you apply on a website or by email, your application form might be queued while they are sorting and filling their last positions, so it will be important to remind them often that you're interested..

I'd suggest hitting replant.ca's job-market message board, as there is many foremen/crewbosses looking to fill some spots in their crews, as well as some companies hiring (by posting their job offerings there, they have better chances to hire veterans). Most are looking for experienced planters, but I've seen many messages open to rookies or not specifying. You could also try the featured companies section on tree-planter.com, but the chances of securing a job are less likely as most company info refers to their websites and/or their normal hiring process.

There is chances that any currently available positions will go to returning vets who didn't yet decide whether to go back to the bush or not. Your only chance would be as a replacement for any last-minute withdrawal, and in order to secure such a job, you will need to get on the waiting lists and show your determination by constantly reminding any potential employers and hirers that:

1) You exist.
2) You would be the best choice for the job.
3) You need money and it is your sole motivation, but you can deal with the lifestyle and the hard work.

Also, accept that nothing you have ever done will prepare for a treeplanting job, even what seems to be a similar experience (sports, landscaping, outdoors activities and jobs, the military), but don't let it stop you from stating such experiences.

As for the companies' reputation, I'd suggest doing a little investigation. Canadiantreeplanting.com used to be the best site for this kind of info, but it's been down for quite a while and it seems doubtful it will ever be back in full force. You might try the company forum on replant.ca and ask around (cross your fingers).

For additional info about getting hired, you might need to look at this tip page and/or this McGill University handout. Websites such as Hardcore Treeplanters and Treeplanting Online are also very good resources for general information about the job.

As said before, take your chance if you're a rookie, but expect to be on a waiting list and don't stop there, knock on every door!

Hurry up, get your shit together and good luck!

The worst reasons for wanting to be a tree planter

2007-02-13T02:21:00.000-05:00

Here's a few classical interview answers given by people who were NOT HIRED to plant trees, as seen on tree-planter.com. Enjoy and/or take notes!

Crazy Interview Question Answers

These are actual interview responses to that all important question, "Why do you want to go treeplanting?" Some of these are truly unbelievable! Needless to say, they likely did not get hired.

"I want to have the tree planting experience."
"I think it would be fun."
"I want to meet new people."
"I want to try it out and see if I like it."
"I like camping."
"I'm majoring in Forestry."
"I'm not going to make money, I'm going to fulfill some personal goals."
"I've never been to Northern Alberta/B.C."
"My girlfriend/boyfriend is going."
"I want to get out of Leduc."
"I want to save the environment."
"I want to break even and lose 10 pounds."

Sure, there are lots of great aspects to tree planting and the lifestyle that goes along with it, but if you are not prepared to thrive through the intense challenges of the job, you are going to hate treeplanting. Make sure you are going for the right reasons!

What are the Right Reasons?

"I need to make money for ____________". Now that one just might drive you to put an extra box or two in the ground each day. Or it could help you pick your butt up off the log at the cache when the weather gets crappy. Planters with a strong need or visualized dream are more likely to be consistent and hard working planters.

"I am very competitive and I have a strong desire to be one of the best in a tough industry where physical input and mental stamina will prevail." A good reason. I'd still like to see the need for cash.

There's a lot more of those gems at both the tree-planter.com website and the replant.ca message board (Links available in the sidebar)

A different pace...

2007-02-12T00:58:00.000-05:00

Here's a video showing how treeplanting is done on British-Columbia's Haida Gwaii islands (Usually known as Queen Charlotte islands, the native Haida name is slowly getting recognition), home to one of the most beautiful national parks in North America, according to the National Gepgraphic; the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, protected under joint federal and Haida legislation.

As you can see, this is a much slower pace than "conventional planting" as the tree planting process takes longer, due to additional measures to protect and make sure the tree will grow healthily. Access to this region is hard, either done by boat and/or helicopter, and coastal treeplanters are usually more experienced than other planters elsewhere in Canada, as most moved to the coast after a few years of faster ground planting.

The main advantage there is that trees are worth more (can sometimes be more than a dollar per tree), and you therefore need to plant less trees to make good money. But the quality standards are quite high and you might sometimes need to plant numerous species of seedlings in a small area, or plant really rocky or slashy terrain. Finally, despite the West Coast being milder, temperature-wise, it's also rain paradise (or hell, depending on where you stand). So, you need to know your shit, and those guys desserve their money!

Also, while on the Haida Gwaii tree subject, please check out the following New Yorker article, about an environment activist who cut a rare and very old tree to make a point. An interesting reading.

Scooter's Camp Video

2006-12-18T22:50:00.000-05:00

Jonathan Clark, best known as Scooter, is a camp supervisor for Folklore in Alberta and British-Columbia. He is the webmaster of Replant.ca , a highly informative treeplanting website, mostly regarding the way it's done in Western Canada. His website is recommended not only to any prospective planter, but to any planters, thanks to the great pictures, insights and tips.

Aside from the pics, two sections are really interesting: Scooter's diary is a great way to get the point-of-view, routine and problems expected and faced on a day-to-day basis by a camp supervisor. His reference material is also incredibly detailed for all information, from the actual act of planting trees to the crewboss, or foreman, information.

A must read.

Here's a video from his 2006 season:

Some Camp Fun...

2006-12-13T01:43:00.000-05:00

Here's two funny jousting videos done by a treeplanter in Alberta. The second one is a gem, I'd say.

Tree-planting Slideshow, Summer 2006

2006-12-11T22:23:00.000-05:00

Here's a slideshow from a fellow Outland planter in a undetermined camp somewhere in Northern Ontario. I'm pretty sure it's the Kapuskasing camp.

It goes fast, but it does show the essentials of a treeplanting experience, including bugs, days off, camp life.

Ed's Up: Tree-planting

2006-12-11T22:12:00.002-05:00

Here's Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson planting trees for a day for his OLN TV show "Ed's Up". He went to a Outland camp in Northern Manitoba, Tolco, under Jamie Nicholls supervision. My good friend Laura Preston (or LKP) will be the tree quality assessor (or checker) there next year.

It sums up "Eastern and Central Canada" (i.e. Non-British-Columbia) planting pretty well. But it remains a TV show, and a few things were scripted (confirmed by LKP). Mostly the way rookies feel during their first days on the block, having no idea what they are doing and why they are here. Listen to what planter Cian McMahon has to say. Pretty much sums up your mental state up there.

To Do List

2006-04-24T17:52:00.000-04:00

Here's the stuff I still need before getting up north:

-New steel-toed boots. (I have my Doc's, but I don't want to plant with them)
~~-New hard hat. (I have an army hat, but really...)~~
~~-A bunch of rolls of duct tape.~~
-Bug repellent.
-New tarps. (2)
-A new high-visibility vest. (My hi-vis is in quite a bad shape).
-An ounce of...hum...bovril.
-An new digital camera.
~~-Bowl and utensils~~

I think that's about, will probably have to add a few things.

Apologies

2006-04-06T14:26:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I know, I haven't been posting a lot here, but when the tree-planting season will begin, this blog will get first-class treatment!

Besides, I need more Treeplanters willing to post their musings and more readers to read those thoughts!

As for me, I promiss to keep you updated on my tree-runner and driver trainings in Toronto in late April!

I'll try to get my friend Kerri to post about her Safety Officer training as well!

Treeplanters wake up!

2006-01-19T13:22:00.000-05:00

Got my first crew email yesterday. We're already slowly getting back on track.

Can you tell this is a test post?