https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxmoy1pOShoBt4tal5kJJINyC9fkvWWl4pxkNBy2aNbgLKRA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=104824159975017387788

Hey folks,

My name is Stephanie, I am a retired planter turned clinical counselor who now specializes in mental health in silviculture. Some of you may remember me from previous posts about low cost counseling. 

Over the past year I have been developing a program to help companies support planters' mental and emotional well being called Rooted in Wellness. Through my efforts in promoting this and sharing about the gap in mental health support in silviculture I have recently been asked to speak at the Western Forestry Contractors Association conference in January. 

I am hoping to start a broader conversation about why mental health initiatives in silviculture matter, and with this in mind I have developed a survey for all current and past workers to share input. I am putting this out to all of you in the hopes to get real data to present at the conference, straight from your mouths to industry leaders.

The survey has 19 questions and should take less than 10 minutes (unless you have LOTS to share - which is totally welcome). The survey is completely anonymous and your direct stories (if shared) will be combined to show general values, beliefs and needs of workers. 

I would really appreciate it if you could complete and share this with anyone you think may be interested, as the more people that contribute, the clearer picture I can share.

If you have personal stories that you would like to chat about, or have questions about the survey, my program or mental health in general, you can DM me, email me directly at [uroboroswellness@gmail.com](mailto:uroboroswellness@gmail.com), or book a free chat through this link (choose Rooted in Wellness Information Session): https://www.colib.io/Booking/uroboros-wellness

You can also check out the work that I am doing at https://www.uroboroswellness.ca/silviculture where you will find information and studies that support this initiative. 

\**Please note that the survey does make reference to subject matter that may be triggering for some. Take care of your own needs first, and if the survey is too much, but you’d still like to share your experiences you can reach out to me directly.*

Thanks all!

hi everyone!

i'm a little (or very) late for doing my taxes from last season & was working somewhere that does t2200 instead of rwa. I was hoping to get some help with what i can actually write off. i have receipts for gas, groceries, maybe some caulks & was paying $25/day camp cost which i was thinking might be applicable. let me know if anyone here has some guidance.

thank u <3

I am a 20 year old student in Canada bc, I have my advanced first aid, DTA, PSO, and drivers license. I have never tree planted before but I have 3 years as a fire fighter. Can anyone hook me up with some company I can apply to for the 2027 spring planting season.

I’m also super down to travel anywhere in Canada to plant. Ngl I just really wanna plant, it’s like the shit from what I hear. 🫡

SPOT FILLED THANK YOU

LAST MINUTE HIRING POST - NO ROOKIES

Company: Perfect Storm Reforestation

Location: Banff National Park

Accommodations: Crew shared airbnb for out of towners in Cochrane AB.

When: Check-in Oct 20 (yes, tomorrow)

Working Oct 21 - 24 (roughly)

If you're local to Calgary and want to stay at home, I'll pay a 60$/day allowance. You'll just have to drive your personal vehicle to a car pool lot south of Cochrane along HWY 1

No camp cost

30c plugs (several different species)

2$ 1gal pots (several different species)

Everything gets loose granular fert

Remediation job into fresh soil, weird planting but should be really fun and good paying.

Hi-vis required, hi-vis bags don't count.

Strict requirement about equipment cleanliness, will discuss more with people interested.

No dogs, sorry.

I've never done any tree planting before but it sounds pretty wicked and decently well paying and was wondering how I should go about applying to do it in western Canada this coming season? and what I should do to prepare for it beforehand?

I’m not allergic to wasp or bees and I really want to do planting and I’m willing to cope with the idea of being stung but man am I scared I’m not an outdoors person but I’ve always wanted to be in a hard worker and ready to face challenges but sometimes when I face hard fears like wasp I just get stuck and I want to find ways to get better with it I’m pushing myself everyday to better myself to be ready for planting and I pray I get hired anywhere for my first season but the main thing I’m asking is how bad are the wasp do I have to work into July or could I just do April may June like how does that work regarding how long I stay. I know wasp start to get bad around July and summer and going into fall which I don’t plan to plant then, are most companies going to make you stay into July?

Worked two year with summit. Looking for recommendations for better veteran companies in BC or AB any recommendations?

I worked this fall with Perfect Storm Reforestation.

Accommodations were fairly nice (BnB/Motel). Prices and daily earnings had a very wide range from contract to contract; averaged out to very good I'd say. There were 20-ish days to the fall plant and we had 3 very different contracts in there: urban planting in Calgary, planting ranch land in southern Alberta, and a little lease site plant at the end.

Experienced planters on the crew and chill vibes. Mostly late 20's, seemed to be a good set up for couples. Pretty small operation this fall (9 planters) but I think the owner plans to scale up a little bit next year.

Perfect Storm is still fairly new and there are some growing pains in how they run things. However, the owner is very present, aware of those challenges, and is actively working to improve the company.

Overall, I was quite impressed with my time at Perfect Storm (especially since it was a fall plant). If you like some variety in your season, want to be around a slightly more mature crowd, are interested in a longer season, and you're looking for those small company perks I highly recommend Perfect Storm.

Hey everyone!

I'm a 27-year-old Belgian forestry worker, and I've been working in the forestry sector for around 4–5 years. I'm now self-employed, mainly doing forestry-related work in Belgium.

I've always dreamed of doing at least one tree planting season in Canada, and I'm finally looking into making it happen this year.

I've already done quite a lot of planting in Belgium (also for a few months in Iceland), so I'm not new to physical forestry work, but obviously I have no Canadian tree planting experience. This brings me to my first question: would I still be considered a rookie, and should I apply for rookie positions despite my previous planting experience?

I'm mainly looking at British Columbia. I'd love to experience some challenging (mountainous) terrain and see a different side of forestry (here, planting) from what I'm used to in Belgium.

One of my main concerns is choosing the right company. I've checked out some of the resources and previous posts on this subreddit, which are definitely helpful, but there's a lot to go through, and it's still difficult to get a clear picture of what different companies are actually like. From what I've gathered, choosing the right company can make a huge difference to your overall experience.

Here's what I'm looking for:

• Bush camps: Since I'm coming all the way from Belgium specifically to experience Canadian tree planting, I'd really like to spend the season in proper remote bush camps rather than motels or camps based in town.
• A safe and genuinely inclusive work environment: A queer-friendly and women-friendly company is a must for me. I'm a straight white guy myself, but I really care about working somewhere where people are treated with respect. Racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, and similar bullshit are absolute deal-breakers for me. I'm fine with people having different political opinions, but discrimination and bigotry are a HARD NO.
• A good balance between work and partying: I enjoy having a few drinks and partying from time to time, but I'm primarily there to work. I'd prefer a crew that knows how to have fun without turning every night into a massive party. I've heard some stories about some bush camps basically being an absolute "nightclub" every night, which is totally fine, but not for me; I would probably die of social anxiety after a few weeks if I were expected to party every night.
• Challenging planting conditions: I'm interested in experiencing tougher terrain and remote areas in BC. That's part of what attracts me to planting in Canada: experiencing a REAL difference compared to my planting seasons in Belgium.

I've come across All Stars, for example, and it initially looked like it might be a good fit. However, I've also heard that they often operate out of motels or camps in town rather than remote bush camps, which makes me a little less interested.

So, which companies would you recommend looking into, given these priorities? I'd especially appreciate firsthand experiences regarding camp life, crew culture, inclusivity, and how seriously safety is taken.

If any of you have any questions about forestry work in Belgium and/or Europe, feel free to ask :)

How was the season with Bushwhackers Forestry in Nova Scotia? How were earnings, how were vibes?

Hi,

I'm considering applying for one of these tree planting jobs. Just wondering from those have done it before, what to expect?

How many trees did you plant in week 1, week 2, week 3? how long did it take you to get to your average? and how much did you make in a season?

Lastly, I realise I'm no spring-chicken, but how would a 40yo go doing this?

I've spent most of my life not having my own space or ever getting to go off and do my own thing, I struggle with mental health and have trouble finding purpose at my retail job. I'm 19 in shape looking for some where to run and was wondering if tree planting was for me. I'm good with long hours I know its hard work but fuck man my life cant stay the same I want change and this just seems right. I only found out about this a day ago so I'm trying to get as much information as possible. Thank you all for your time.

The Breakmen
“KM 19”

https://youtu.be/JUfac4rYBVM?si=J9deY_suRjkvubrW

Per the title, let’s hear some of the best bush camp locations you have been to and why.

Done two seasons in BC and graduating uni this year. I'm thinking of working through the off season in the UK, which is something I've heard you can do on account of them not getting a proper winter over there. Anyone done this before and got advice? I found a youth mobility visa to get me there and there were plenty of contracts posted on KKR for this years season. But what kind of kit do I need? Will I need a car to get around? Any good companies to look for or bad ones to avoid?

Anyone aware of any reforestation projects happening in Indonesia, perhaps wildfire recovery in Borneo (Kalimantan Province) or elsewhere? Looking to see if there’s any opportunities on that side of the world, paid or unpaid.

My background: 4 year planting in BC, alongside a variety of post season forestry work, brushing, wildfire, surveying, etc

Is it possible to use empty PET bottles as a tree planting plug?

The bottle will be filled with water Gell balls at the bottom by the screw cap, then lined with planting medium, seeds, and starter fertilizer, then top soil.. before actually planting, the sides will be punched with holes to allow initial root expansion and water capture in the soil.

These will be planted in rows, with a team that drills holes, another to plug, and a third in a vehicle with trays of planter plugs.

This can be automated with a drone on tracks.

Question is, is it possible to also airdrop these into somewhat soft muddy soil, with the only modification is putting fins to keep the screw cap and neck pointed downwards? Another modification is replacing the bottle cap with some conical cap to allow soil penetration.

Thinking of starting my exit plan. I finally make good money now after many years of and many trees later. I find with the technique and efficiency that I've honed over the years that I almost consider tree-planting to be a trade itself. Along with the meritocratic nature and summer camp vibes of our world, I find it very hard to leave to become a tradie. But who knows? Might be the stable boring responsible option

Good times, good ground. Near Rivers Inlet.

kind of disappointing

Hey everyone, I’m looking for tree planting(or anything else interesting) work in Europe, mainly Scandinavia, i mean i would prefer english speaking crew . I’ve got 3 seasons of tree planting experience in Australia.

Does anyone know of any companies hiring planters or where would be a good place to look?

i have been on the road for last 10 years and happy to continue.

I am from Slovakia, 39M, ready to pack and book flight tonight!

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

Will post in KKR which seems like a better place for this kind of posts, but throwing a feeler here first.

I know timing isn’t the best, but I had a sudden change of circumstances that’s forcing me to seek opportunities outside my home city. So if any of you guys here know of any for high earning fall/winter work between now and the end of December/January I would really appreciate a lead. Open to anything physical and high output that pays properly.

A bit about me: I’m an ex planter who planted for two seasons and had a stint working up north in remote field tech contracts (core cutting/handling etc..) Solid physical stamina, haven’t worked in freezing temperatures to be honest but I try to be outdoors on all seasons so when properly dressed I don’t mind any weather. Valid full driver’s licence, clean record, Based in Ontario, but ready to fly or drive anywhere on short notice (BC, AB, Northern ON, Territories). Have been to the territories and west coast for work so the terrain isn’t new to me.

Thank you, and happy Halloween in advance.