About 230 Km north of Saskatoon thereÕs a small community on Birch Lake of what some would call "hippies." Everyone has their own piece of land. They also buy into a co-op, which is a shared piece of land. ThereÕs the Pelican CafŽ where many come to share in pot luck suppers, weddings, a game of volleyball or afternoon coffee with some friends. However, the best part is the wood sauna on the lake built by the small group of founders. At the right time of day, you can see a stream of steamingÑand often nakedÑhippies and tree planters hooting and hollering as they run full tilt into the freezing water to cool down. This beautiful place is also the home of the BLT (Birch Lake Treeplanters) for a couple of weeks every year. Treeplanting is one of the most intense, unforgettable experiences I have had. At times, it can be the most elating job and at others the most horrific. Treeplanting is simply just sticking trees in the ground at a set distance away from each other (usually 2-3 metres) hundreds to thousands of times a day. You get paid per tree so the faster you work, the more you earn. Sure, it sounds simple but you also spend time fighting with huge piles of sticks (slash), wading through swamps, being eaten by blood sucking bugs thick enough to choke on, shovelling into rocky, tennis-elbow causing ground over and over...not exactly warm and fuzzy. On the other hand there are many positive sides to the job. When you get out to the field, throw on your planting bags and find your rhythm, it can be a totally meditative experience, as one planter put it, that is like nothing else. You are so focused on one thing, planting your next tree, yet, at the same time focused on nothing at all....youÕre in the zone!! The most amazing part of the job is the people. You will never find a more interesting mix of peopleÑ musicians artists, philosophers, engineering students, teachers, men, women, young and oldÑworking in one place. Tree planting is an ideal job for students who need to make a large chunk of cash, in a short time, to pay for their tuition or living expenses for the rest of the year. Or for someone who wants to do some serious travelling. The season starts the beginning of May and usually ends between the end of June and the beginning of August, depending which company you work for. In that short time an experienced planter can make $10,000! There are a whole lot of people that I have met who think that treeplanting is environmentally friendly tree hugging. I have a very different opinion on the subject. While it is very important to replace our forests, because of their impact on the water cycle and air quality, planting trees is just another part of the logging industry. When a huge piece of land is clear cut (all of the trees and underbrush cut and taken, or broken and left), much more is lost than just the trees that are taken and replanted. Invaluable microorganisms (especially in Boreal forests), undergrowth, mossÑbio-diversityÑis destroyed. A logging company will go into a forest with their big machines (usually feller bunchers) and clear cut the land. There will be nothing left but piles of broken sticks, trees, churned moss, etc. Many companies will then "prep" the land: they take a plow shaped like a "V" and cover the land with "ripper trenches" that are three metres wide and half a metre deep. Years later a tree planting company will be hired to go into this site and plant little trees in a grid down these trenches. Some of the original species of trees will grow back on their own with time. However much of the animal habitat and level of bio-diversity has been killed. When using the above techniquesÑwhich includes the treeplanterÑyou are creating a tree farm, not a forest. So youÕre part of the solution, but also part of the problem.

 

Things you need to go treeplanting

¥ Rain gear...Coat and pants
¥ Work clothes...Loose fitting pants (no holes), long sleeve shirts (light cotton for heat and heavier material for cold), wool sweaters, long underwear, lots of socks, both thick and thin, sun hat, bandanas, warm hat and gloves (thin cotton and warm mittens)
¥ Tent, tarp, rope
¥ Sleeping bag
¥ Air mattress /camp cot-compact / closed cell foam pads
¥ Eating utensils...Plate, bowl, mug, fork, spoon, knife.
¥ Lunch containers and thermos
¥ Water container...Vinegar bottle works plus a 2-4 litre water container
¥ Repellant, sunscreen, soap, shampoo, lip balm, towel, toothbrush, toothpaste
¥ Bandages, moleskin, tensor bandages
¥ Handi-wipes
¥ Note pad and pen
¥ Alarm clock
¥ Flashlight
¥ Duct tape
¥ Day pack for hauling gear to field
¥ Two duffle bags large enough to hold all of the above