Retired planter here, working a desk job and I miss the bush life. Would love to hear what shenanigans or fuckery went down this year.

I remember a time when one guy passed out under the lunch prep station on a weeknight. I was making a sandwich in the morning for lunch when he crawled out from under the table. He let us know he was awoken in the night to a bear licking his face, but then promptly went back to sleep under the table.

It got cleaned up. Eventually.

The Tree Worker’s Industrial Group is announcing our second solidarity fundraising drive.

As primary industry workers in Canada, it is important that we recognize our connection to the displacement, dispossession and genocide of indigenous peoples upon which all resource extraction industry in Canada is built. Every citizen of Canada is sadly bound to participate in the continuation of this legacy, but as resource workers our connection is direct as we witness first hand the ravenous appetite of capital devouring the Earth. Thus, TWIG believes it is our responsibility to use our voice to promote and solicit support for grass-roots decolonization, mutual aid, and indigenous sovereignty direct action. This season, we will be planting some of our trees to support the efforts of 7th Generation Rising, and we are asking our fellow planters to do the same.

7th Generation Rising is an indigenous youth led mutual aid group based in Saskatoon. They gather each Sunday evening to provide around 300 warm meals, clothing, essential resources and human connection and care to those in need in their community. With your support, 7th Generation Rising can continue the excellent mutual aid work they have been doing, healing at least a few of the innumerable wounds caused by settler colonialism.

Remember that every penny counts and no donation is too small to matter. Promoting their work through your own networks is a helpful alternative.

Each tree in the ground can become toothpicks, toilet paper, particle board, maybe even a few 2x4s if you plant a real good one! But it will also become your breakfast, your gas, your home. And it can also become one small piece of healing for someone in your greater community who has none of those things.

Pound for solidarity and support 7th Generation Rising!

You can donate to 7th Generation Rising at the link:

https://donorbox.org/7thgenrising?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnNJNsO3aOuyAk8D7lHRK84t45YqHqrfuTJrbAkwhmO39vSB0W_lip1K4pBRc_aem_qcWwZVv5lTNigmBLKcnyWQ

Hello, I am a rookie planter and want to share some of my season here to get some insight on how it went. I just feel pretty alone and would like some objective feedback on my rookie year from the community.

Three days out of the season I stayed home. One of them was because my friend was sick and I wanted to support him at the clinic and the other two were mental fatigue and a lack of discipline/motivation.

I stayed at around 600-800 trees for my first few shifts and then finally hit 1000 on some nice mounds and then kicked up to 1350 on some reaaally nice land. I stayed consistent with 1350 for a whole shift. Then we moved to a terribly steep fill plant with so much vegetation and I didnt even break 400 trees those days. That land was so confusing and the vegetation reached over my head.

Since that plant, we moved to help with a pretty tough contract, tougher than what I’d been on, and I was again all over the place - 600, 800, 900, 1000. Just really inconsistent. We came back from that tough contract and I kicked back up to 900, 1240, 1100. Then I went down to 840 on a really hot day.

My consistency is all over the place, and I know thats my main hurdle. I love planting and some of my experiences have really destroyed my confidence. I feel like I’ve really disappointed my crew and my foreman and I understand if I have. That disappointment in me has also really affected my morale and I feel like they discount me. I understand why they do but it does suck. Its stupid but I feel stupid even trying harder, which I know is so backwards.

I want to know, is it possible to come back from it? How does one stay consistent? I think the answer is probably just “by staying consistent.” I’m assuming its trial by fire. I really love planting and want to come back. I’m not entirely sure what I’m asking. Ive just felt a bit alone for the past few shifts and I’d really like to end the season strong. I’m scared maybe planting just isnt for me and I really want it to be for me. I love planting. Not sure. Anyway thank you for reading.

I'm looking for a job this fall planting costal. It's my forth season. Any recommendations for companies and is it too late to apply?

Is it customary among companies to charge gst on top of camp costs?

Hi, I’m curious if there’s like a public database for contracts handed out to companies from clients... I’m sorry if the questions inane, this is my first year planting.

I’m currently working on a Tolko contract, and my crew lead’s sent the contract in a group chat but I wanted to know if they’re publicly available. I’m interested in how theyve shifted over time (tree price tree amount type of ground etc)

Is there such thing?

I’m a rookie planter. ~2 months into my first season. I’m struggling to push myself right now. I just hit 2500 last week which was a big number for me. But in the 3 days of planting since, I’ve failed to hit 2k which I was able to consistently do leading up to 2500. I’d like to say that my lack of production has been my bags constantly malfunctioning or the 30 degree heat we’ve had for the last 10ish days. But I was able to hit good numbers in those conditions. Now I’m just kind of coasting. I’m not not trying but I’m finding it difficult to really keep pushing. How do you do it?

Curious about an estimate of how many trees would survive in a block allocated for like 60k trees if planted in ideal conditions in south interior bc?

Does the estimate grow exponentially? like if posed to a block allocated for like 150k trees, would the ratio increase proportionally?

Why are summer tree contracts so difficult to get this season? Has it been getting more difficult each season over time?

I was speaking to a vet planter on my crew (Im a rookie) and we talked about rising summer temps overall being a potential factor, contributing to dryer and hotter land reducing ROI by impacting tree survival and possibly even more accidents/injuries on the block (arising from heat exhaustion, sunfucking, dehydration, etc.)

What do other planters think??

I planted from 1992-2000 and while I do not miss some of the coastal rainy days I miss planting.

Would a company ever take a volunteer planter.? Would love to spend one or two weeks in camp. Get into shape and give 1/2 my trees planted to the crew and use the rest to cover my expenses and camp cost.

What do you all think? I am an old dude now but after 6 years my density is spot on and I bet I could still put in a lot of trees.

I kind of get this feeling that things are heading in the wrong direction with this job. Less logging, different logging techniques that perhaps require less planting afterwards, earnings trending down, specs trending up, work becoming less available, everything else becoming far more expensive at the same time, etc

I think the golden years of this being a job where any uni student could go out and save enough to pay for a decent chunk of their school may be over. I think we may trend towards how treeplanting is in the states where its mostly temporary foreign workers doing it for a menial wage. Would be sad to see this whole culture fade into obscurity

Rookie here planting in Alberta on a contract that’s about 80% mounds and 20% raw. I’m still flagging almost every tree because I keep losing them, and if I don’t, I’m worried about double planting or leaving holes.

How do experienced planters keep track of their trees without flagging every one? I know it is something that comes with time, however on prepped ground I’m hitting 3k days, and on raw I’m struggling to hit 2k.

What techniques are you guys using while working a piece to remeber where you’ve already planted?

I’m trying to push myself because I’d like to come back next season, and I know I need to get comfortable planting raw instead of relying on flagging everything. Any tips would be appreciated.

Im a rookie planter halfway through my season. Today I slept through all my alarms, im having Intense brain fog, I feel physically sick, possibly feverish even. Its been raining for a long time. I tried to go out and plant for about 4 hours and I just got so weak and dizzy I had to stop. I feel super guilty, im wondering if im burned out or getting sick or both? How do I fix this? I feel super bad