Hi all. My son came home today with a spruce seedling and I do not know where we can plant it. I think it is a great activity and I hope we can do it, but I doubt the landlord and association would like a tree in the common area as we are just renting and we don't really have a yard.
Thanks in advances dear friends
I’ve never been a tree planter, but I started seeing videos from Two Leaf Notice / Mathieu Chaput on Instagram and it got me interested in the industry. From what I understand, his mentorship/coaching program costs around $1,000 USD per month for 3 months — and that’s just the coaching, not including gear, travel, etc. So this would be a pretty serious financial decision for me.
I’m specifically NOT looking for motivational hype or “just invest in yourself” type answers. I want honest opinions from people who actually know the industry.
I’ve also seen references here and there to some infamous planter/coach that people never seem to name directly, but I couldn’t really find much info in the wiki or old threads (probably missed it).
So I wanted to ask:
I’d especially appreciate answers from experienced planters or anyone who’s actually interacted with the program.
Ive been planting in BC for a while now and ive noticed recently that clients expectations for planting specs are getting pretty high, due to the fact that the weather is making it difficult to regrow trees
Now you have to obstacle everything north side, screef to mineral dirt, and make sure the plug is totally sealed in mineral dirt, if you are anywhere south of PG basically. And there is less and less leniancy, often approaching a strict literal interpretation of the specs where a tree a couple inches too far from an obstacle is called a fault
Not only that, but we gotta plant with two silvis in our bags, not use flag, and deal with loose pack trees
All these factors add up to making planting quite a bit more difficult than it used to be 10 years ago
Just something to be aware of for those placing bids on the work
What are fair prices for mounds and stumped ground these days? Obviously there’s variability but just curious on the range people have been getting.
have been here for about a week and a half now, had one of the worst days of my life yesterday and today wasnt much better. have had one decent work day so far. i suck so bad at this my bosses are getting sick of me. i feel ashamed showing my face anywhere in camp or work. im feeling so defeated i just cant enjoy anything.
i was looking forward to this and i prepared and i worked so hard to get this job and everything and now everyday i just hope something happens so i can not be here anymore. i even hope i get fired sometimes lol.
i can never just think about planting when im planting so i inevidibly fuck up my piece and my bos gets pissed at me again and j get upset because when im alone all i can think about is a billion things tbat upset me and fhen im making no money and busting my ass and suffering everyday with nothing fk shkw flr it. im dissapointing everyone here and i hate myself.
i told myself i would stick it out no matter what and if i can defeat this season i can take anything. now i cant imagine being here for another two months or more. the thought is unbearable. im eating shit everyday. one of my checkers told me today that quitting isnt an option because that means youre a little bitch, but man i just fucking hate my life.
i want to stick it out and make money and have a good time even but man every day just seems to get worse and im just dragging my crew down. the only thing i enjoy here js sleeping because in my dreams im not here.
also yesterday got sone really awful family related news which is seeiously affecting my performance. i really want to give up but i just cant. i dont know what to do fml
crewboss here looking for a way to send shape files to my guys. $50 a year people would be willing to swallow as a price jump. But $200 a year in order to share shape files a lot of my guys aren’t willing to do (totally fair). Anyone find a nice app that is easy to use and you can share kml’s on for a reasonable price?
Signed,
Avenza are greedy little pigs
i just hope i can get past the first few weeks. i dont want to flunk out and look like an idiot. im really nervous but it is what it is.
I have worked with Summit for a long time and have been reading through some threads. It's disheartening to see the misinformation. I am purely posting as an update for what people should expect when working for Summit.
It is a ''rookie mill'' - that said they have a great training program to bring people into the industry and introduce them to the world of tree planting. From thumb taping everyone in camp, training (and paying) vets to train one on one, training management on coaching practices, and wage top ups while people are learning (to name a few tools). Culture in camp is also pretty strong at Summit, which is a great opportunity for new planters to form community and learn from other planters.
Pre-season training - all pre-season training is paid and a campground is provided for everyone to stay at while receiving the training. Certs are provided for all the typical things (CSC, bush roads, S100, etc...) not only for crew bosses, but also for assistant crew bosses (who also receive a wage for helping out their crew bosses during the planting season)
They pay their drivers $50/day regardless of drive time. The average drive time varies but typically sits at an hour.
Reefer unloading, summer cache set up, camp set up, camp tear down, and any extra work performed in camp is always paid. If it gets missed on payroll, you simply have to ask (crew bosses enter payroll every day, and sometimes things get missed).
Price bumping with walk-ins and long drives of an hour or more.
Pricing has increased significantly in the past couple years. Most camps average a $400/day once ramped up over a 9 hour working period. Some contracts are lower, some higher. This is generally made up by a fairly long planting season (50+ days). If they had a higher percentage of vets, the monetary average would be reflected as higher (and it is much higher in their vet heavy camps).
Crews generally stay in the same camp. Sometimes they move crews around to up production and meet a deadline. Sometimes there is 1 crew that floats around contract to contract, but the aim is to keep camps and crews together throughout the season.
Equipment has improved significantly over the years. Majority of the trucks are new, clean (though windy) shower trailers, newer cookshacks, quiet generators...things tend to fall apart if the weather is cold (think freezing lines affecting water in the early season). But that goes for most outdoor camps.
Alt work. Summit is partnered with a physio provider that does online appointments, provides guidance on alternate work and follow up care. As long as work is available for a hurt worker to do, they are paid their average wage hourly to perform duties until they are fit to plant again.
Online therapy sessions (provided) - this has been ongoing for years and is an amazing service.
Like all things, management styles vary from camp to camp as well as experience. You may get a green supervisor or crew boss who doesn't always make the right call or doesn't understand labor laws and policy and leaves people feeling like they are in the dark. And that sucks. But I would say pursue those things with the office team, HR or the owners.
Sometimes it will feel like a shit show (I'm here for it) but all in all Summit has trained some of the best planters and management in the industry, and I think that says a lot.
I'm anticipating getting some pushback, and that's just fine. Just wanted to set the record straight on how the experience should be for everyone working with Summit.
Have a great planting season all!
What are you folks getting in alberta now days on good contracts? 20c? 16c?
Hey all,
I am just starting a new planting job and have so many questions. My first two days have been kinda rough - but not necessarily for the typical reasons.
I’m fine with the physical part of it, but I just can’t seem to ‘manage my land’ well. I find myself getting lost in where I am and need to be going.
Also questioning where I should I be planting (e.g., where there is a bit of slash) a lot.
I know the planting thing is likely a question for my crew boss, but our day of training was on a perfect plot of land with little to no slash and virtually perfect planting land, and then I got put on a block with rocky land and a lot of slash.
Just looking for guidance, I will of course consult with bosses as well.
Hey all. I just found a pair of scarpas in my size at the thrift, they were 5 bucks so I got them as back ups! One thing though, they’re in pretty good condition although the soles are pretty much completely off on the front half of the boot.. I have shoe-goo, but has anyone ever had shoe-goo repairs hold up in the bush? Wondering if they’re worth bringing if I can successfully repair them, or if they’ll just fall apart on the block.. thanks in advance, hope everyone’s having fun out there!
Everyone i have spoken to on the team has been more then lovely and the crew boss seems super as well. They were telling me their positive experiences as some have been there for quite a few seasons. I just cant shake all the nervousness about what I've read. I didnt think I was gonna get in anywhere else so I hastily accepted. Now im heading out in two weeks.
Hey everyone hope you are well, I'm Naveed from Pakistan and actively pursuing job opportunity in Canada as a foreign candidate willing to relocate and manage my relocation expenses for promising career aspect.
Any suggestions are welcome.
I love nature, was born and raised a naturalist - have been tree planting 3 times, are there any clothing optional planting companies, solely just because being in nature that way is so much better. Not tryna b weird, I was just raised that way and want to find work that practices my culture or at least respects it both on the block or back at camp…. Just curious but also wanna live how I wanna live, again this ain’t in bad faith or weird faith or trying to be a creep, it’s just how I was raised and it would be sick to be able to go live in my nudist community on the off season then go in season and work how I am all the time without judgement
I applied for an IEC Working Holiday from Ireland. I did my biometrics already and recently uploaded my police certificate through the webform. My application status shows “action required” on the account, but there’s no actual message or request showing up when I open it.
I’m mainly waiting on the POE letter now and starting to stress a bit because planting season is already underway. I’m hoping to still make it over for mid/late May work. I dont know if i can i think my POE will come this next week do you think ill get placement i can leave within a few days of getting Poe i just want to know is it worth going missing may im going for a 2 year visa so i want to do two planting seasons one to get used to it the other to getter better any advice is welcome thanks
Does anyone else experience post-planting depression?
I had a small depressive stint last year after I wrapped planting. It only lasted about a month. Initially I felt off because I had to finish my season earlier than my peers (because I had commitments), and it felt a little like I was missing out…but now I’m thinking it’s more than that.
Anyone else go through this? Is it unavoidable?
I stayed active during that time and even started going to therapy - but still had to grind my way thru it.
I couldn’t find much in the company directory about torrent so I would like to start a thread just asking if anyone has any personal experience they could share regarding safety/ camp life/ contracts or anything else that may be relevant. Any info on the different camps would be great as well, cheers!
Hearing some horror stories with a mix of very few good accounts. Wondering if anyone has planted with them recently and what to expect?
okay how much stuff is too much stuff... i'm getting dropped off right at camp so i don't know how much stuff is too much stuff for camp moves etc. i have 2 MASSIVE hockey bags with all of my gear a 20L backpack and i want a smaller duffle bag for my food... is this way too much???
Edit: I am getting dropped so don't have to worry about flying my stuff there :)