Tree-planter.com is an online resource created through the combined efforts of current and historic tree planters. We invite you to look around and submit your own content for sharing with others.
Image Note: The legendary Maytag Man of Grande Prairie Alberta. He was eventually returned safely after spending a few days in camp, and making regional news highlights.
Seeking Experienced Planters - a few spots available immediately.
Planting Tales is a project to collect the stories of one of the greatest unsung heroes: the Treeplanter.
Whether it's horror stories of planting nightmares or tales of the wildest bush parties known to man or woman this is the place to share your planting yarns. Just send your stories to plantingtales@gmail.comand we will collect them and publish them here on our blog plantingtales.blogspot.com.
Our ultimate goal is to publish a multi-authored work of short stories based on the lives of treeplanters, so write in an get involved in this great project.
Student Video Project
I am a student at Emily Carr University participating in an Ecological Perspectives in Design course. Our final assignment was to create a video dealing with one of five ecological issues. Me and my group chose the importance of planting trees. Another aspect of this assignment it to distribute our video to websites and organizations that would be interested in the content of our video.
Extreme Tree Planters Wanted for National Promotion Opportunity
Changents.com - the storytelling and social networking site for the "rock stars" of social change - is looking for an extreme tree planter to be a featured Change Agent in collaboration with our leading good corporate citizen partner. If you are a seriously committed tree planter with an exciting story to tell about your work; 18-30 years old; and based in/around Boston, New York City or London (UK), we want to talk to you. Contact alex@changents.com for immediate consideration.
Hi there,
We are based in Scotland and need some 2-3 tree planters for two weeks over Easter in Scotland.
I had a great Canadian gang last year, but they are in Alaska this year.
This video has an awesome song. I have seriously listened to it 30+ times already. The author has thoughtfully provided an MP3 file for you to download.
Not in my back yard. Not as part of a class project when in elementary school (at least, to the extent that I can remember that far back). Not as a Boy Scout, or as part of a community renewal undertaking nor a river reclamation project. And certainly not in the middle of a part of Canada that God — but not God’s flying, biting, buzzing creatures — forgot.
And yet, I do have a sense of the passion that exists for tree-planting, of the large-scale variety. You see, while I am myself an aging Boomer who has come to enjoy the Creature Comforts, I have a son who has invested a few of his summers in the pursuit. I know that he has not told me all of the stories of what is involved. No parent could honestly expect that. But he has told me with his words, and with his eyes, enough for me to know that there is a distinct allure to the job.
Richard Collis of Lochness Treeplanters in Scotland is looking for some people to plant bare root trees in mounds this spring. They have about 1.5 million trees to plant and their season extends into July. Richard reports that their prices are good and their crew size is normally around 20 people.
Richard is looking for experienced planters who have a work permit.
This sounds like quite an adventure! To find out more, please contact Richard at lochnesstrees@hotmail.com
Check out the Tree Planting Companies link above for for a list of companies hiring for 2009.
Get Efficient with Employee Training
Are you a Supervisor, Manager, or Owner of a reforestation company? If yes, we would like to take a look at this.
We want to change the way that your company does its pre-season employee training. We want to put it all online so we can train your people before they arrive for the start of the season. Once they arrive and your season kicks into gear, all you will need to do is a quick review of critical elements during a safety meeting, do your pre-works, and get to work.
My name is Kim Kenyon. I have worked in the planting industry for 5 yrs now, been a foreman for one, planted 4 coastal seasons...I have worked with three different companies, one in which a supervisor stood out above everyone I have worked with. This is a sad nomination to the Hall of Fame that I can’t type out fast enough... for a tragic accident took the life of this beloved supervisor.
Jabez Kruithof worked with Brinkman for many years beyond what I can count. Leading coning crews, brushing crews, and planting crews (he led many other projects as well).
If you are looking for work now or in the 2009 peak season, you can use Tree-planter.com to help find a suitable company. Use the Tree Planting Companies link in the main navigation.
Companies looking to be represented online for the 2009 season are asked to contact us for an information sheet.
It happens every year around this time. The emails pour in to Tree-planter.com from all over the world asking for a job tree planting. Sorry, we're not hiring - because we don't plant trees (any more). This website is a portal to information about tree planting.
If you are looking for a job, we do have a very comprehensive list of tree planting companies under the Tree Planting Companies link (above). You will also find lots of useful information about tree planting so you can figure out if it is right for you and how to get hired.
2010 Planting Predictions
WSCA forecasts provincial planting program to drop to 150 million seedlings in 2010
Preparing for this year's critical WSCA silviculture sector strategic summit we have used the harvest billing system to predict the likely demand for sowing request for 2009 and the subsequent planting program for 2010. Our conclusion is that the steep decline in in industry and government reforestation work will continue into 2010 dropping to 150 million seedlings that year. This amounts to about a 40 per cent decline in the provincial planting program over the next two years with 2009 planting season estimated to be under 200 million seedlings. This year the number planted is estimated at 250 million. See our attached report for more of the details.
B.C. Tree Planters Claim Six Billionth Tree Milestone
By John Betts Executive Director
Western Silvicultural Contractors’ Association
In early June of this year the silviculture industry celebrated British Columbia’s six billionth seedling reforestation milestone in a series of community and media events covering all quarters of the province. Not since the then deputy minister of forests Mike Apsey hosted the first billionth tree celebration in the early 80’s have tree planters actually been officially invited to participate in this symbolic exercise. So maybe it was time for the silviculture sector to claim the celebration and in taking a little credit for the accomplishment share it with the communities who depend on the forests now and into the future. At a time when the mood in forestry is largely funereal it was a positive reminder that we are good at growing seedlings and planting them in this province.
Crazy Swedish Planters Rockin' Out
Submitted by: Ernst
This rock video is made in a clearcut and shows some Swedish style tree planting with Puttiputkis. The band is 'Idiot' from a place called Norsjö in northern Sweden. The singer-songwriter is Jim Sundström and the music is entitled "Enter plantman". While they sing in Swedish, I think you get the idea. The refrain is "jobba mera, planta mera, svettas mera, skogsplantera" which translates something like "work more, plant more, sweat more, plant forest trees". Something for your website's lighter side?
May 15 Update
Here are some links to a 32 Mb version of the video! (thanks Jim for the report)
32 MB File Download: Select "Music" in the main navigation, then "Diskografi" and watch for the Enter Plantman graphic. Right click the link on the top right and select "Save File As". Then you can wait while the 32 MB file downloads.
Check it out! - - or - - you can go for the low-res video below (which is no where as cool).
Tree-planter.com was emailed by Lana, the mother of a former treeplanter named Andrew who was killed in Vancouver by somebody with a head full of drugs. Many of you will have worked with Andrew so here is a little something else for you to help remember him by.
I would like give a link to treeplanters so they could go see the pictures I took last year on the Queen Charlotte Islands. This is my 10th year planting trees and my second as a partial treeplanting photographer....
I have a real problem with planters having to wear hardhats.
In some regions, on some contracts, with some companies, treeplanters are required to wear hardhats. Usually, it's a client imposed requirement. Sometimes planters have to wear hardhats when they are planting near trees or residual patches, while in other cases planters have to wear them anytime that they are planting.
Tree Planter Quick Poll Results We had a Quickpoll/survey running for the last couple of years on the previous version of Tree-planter.com. Over this time, it collected a huge pile of interesting information. Here is what we were able to save in the move.
In the coming weeks you will see a new Quickpoll on Tree-planter.com. Take a look in the Multi Media Centre.
As covered previously in the Tree-planter.com news, a band from Sweden named Idiot has an on-the-block video of them performing their tree planting inspired song. Here are some of the lyrics and a link to where you can purchase their CD.
Greener than Eden See the attached cover for an introduction to this book by Michael Kohn. We are looking forward to finding out more as details become available.
You guys have a great site. I especially like your top 10 worst reasons for wanting to be a treeplanter.
I've recently completed a documentary film about treeplanting called Rooted Lives. It was shot over two years on northern Vancouver Island, the south-eastern interior of B.C. and the Mackenzie / Lake Williston area. It focuses on three career planters dealing with the mental and physical challenges of the job.
If you're interested in checking it out, send me a mailing address and I'll send you a copy. If you like it, maybe you could mention it on your website. I also have a trailer showing lots of planting and camp footage that you might like for the multimedia section of your site.
You can find more information and a link to the trailer here.
Cheers!
Erika Drushka
Looking for Shawn O'Neill
I have a Flash file from Shawn that shows the steps associated with planting a tree. It is really good and I would like to make it available to people here. Does anybody know how to reach him?
Tree-planter.com has run surveys in the past, but we have not had one for a year or more. Well, it's back and ready to collect data. To take the survey or view the results, please click on the link to the right named "Planter Survey".
Students, companies, or institutions looking to poll our website visitors in this fashion are welcome. Please contact us with your requests.
A Tree Planter’s Guide to Reducing Musculoskeletal Injuries
The Guide was developed for tree planters and their supervisors by FPInnovations – Feric Division (http://www.feric.ca/) in response to concerns about musculoskeletal injuries suffered by tree planters. It is based on a very detailed ergonomic study of 135 planters working in different locations and conditions in BC and Alberta. It is published in a format (Infoflip) that facilitates its use by the planter in the field.
Getting Serious About Hardhats (Recycled News from 2003)
October 27, 2003
Professional tree planters in Canada will tell you that our job is all about keeping the client happy. If the client wants six trees in a plot we give them sixes. If they want cedar around the rotten fir we manage our bag-up to do so. If they want pine planted in mineral soil and organic soil for the spruce we plant that way. If they want a certain percentage of larch in a block we make sure we get the right amount of bundles. If they want us to wear hardhats, get headaches and suffer from heat exhaustion, we...just go along with it?
An Alternative to Hardhats - Approved by WorkSafeBC!
WorkSafeBC BC has approved Nootka Reforestation to use climbing helmets instead of hard hats. Climbing helmets are better ventilated and won't fall off - which is a big plus. The only negative I see is that they cost a lot more.
Thank you to Nootka Reforestation for sending this in.
Click on the attachment below to view or download the PDF.
Online Novel - TREES
Andrew Alastair Robinson planted seven years and a day in B.C. and Alberta, then finally learned how to relax – by writing a novel about it. It’s underway already in serialized form on his blog. Follow the progress of protagonist Tony and his buddies in the instant classic: “TREES”
Fertilizers Affect Tree Planters' Health - Old, but Important News
February 21, 2000
Source: Times Colonist
A hypothesis put forward by a senior Weyerhaeuser forester, at a recent Workers' Compensation Board inquiry as to why treeplanters are getting sick, was that they have no opportunity to wash their hands after handling professional fertilizers before eating or smoking.
Your Job is Dangerous - Old, But Important News
January 1, 2003
We have some basic figures here from the British Columbia Workers' Compensation Board that shows silviculture work is more dangerous that most people realize. In fact, treeplanters, stand tenders and chemical brushers have some of the highest injury rates in the province. Sure, these stats are only for B.C. but working in the bush in this type of work is pretty much the same wherever you go.
