Baggin' Out: An Aussie Explores Plantin'

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.

The Difference Between Fast and Slow in Ontario.

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!

Back in Planting Mode!

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...

And There We Go Again!

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!

Looking for a Tree-Planting Job?

*** 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!

Tree-planting Slideshow, Summer 2006

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.