What to Expect Working as Tree Planter in Canada

Planting Trees is a Tough Job, But Worth the Money

Apr 29, 2009

Dozens of silviculture companies plant 500 million trees in Canada every year. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Trees are beautiful, but more important than that, trees mean big money for Canada. Every year, 500 million trees are planted in the country. Pulp, paper, and timber companies are responsible for planting a tree for every tree they log, and planting companies are contracted to replant clear cuts and areas destroyed by pine beetles.

There are dozens of silviculture companies in Canada, mainly in British Columbia, Alberta, and Northern Ontario.

A Day in the Life of a Tree Planter

A car horn beeps at 5:45 am, serving as a wake-up call for the tree planter. It doesn't matter if the sun is shining or it's pouring rain. After breakfast he is driven by bus or ATV to the piece of land that he will spend the next nine hours alone. Often, he will run into fellow co-workers at the cache (the area where all the seedlings are kept) and will see his boss who comes into the land to make sure everything is being done properly. He will figure out the most efficient, quickest way to plant the area he is working in, the one that will see him travelling back to the cache the least amount of times. He will also make sure to stay hydrated and eat when he is hungry.

A single planter does not put hundreds, but thousands of trees into the ground every single day.

At the end of the work day, covered in mud, he will pile into the van with his fellow planters and head back to camp where the promise of good food is comforting. Bed time comes early.

Why Put Yourself Through the Torture?

Any tree planting information website will discourage prospective tree planters from signing up for the wrong reasons:

While all of the above are valid reasons, the main reason people put themselves through the “torture” of tree planting, and the only reason worth doing it, is for the money.

Make Good Money Tree Planting

The people who do best at planting trees are those who are in desperate need of money. Many people plant trees to pay off debts, many students plant each summer to put themselves through university. Others plant so they can travel comfortably for the rest of the year until planting season rolls around again. Planters are paid per tree – anywhere from nine to 22 cents per tree, depending on the land. With few costs during the season (food and camp costs are approximately $25 per day) money quickly accumulates in a bank account.

The copyright of the article What to Expect Working as Tree Planter in Canada in Reforestation is owned by Jenn Hardy. Permission to republish What to Expect Working as Tree Planter in Canada in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.