Tree Planting

About Reforesting By Planting Trees

Tree planting is one of the most difficult yet gratifying jobs, both physically and mentally, you will ever
have. The work itself involves strapping on planting bags full of trees (15 – 30lbs), moving through a
logging block and planting a tree every 7’ until your entire ‘piece’ is covered. Each planter is responsible
for covering their ‘piece’ with properly planted trees, and learning how to do this is the first task of
every rookie planter. Our supervisors, crewbosses, and veteran planters are all there to help you in this
task. In your way might be swamps, hills, slash rocks, bugs and weather, and just when you’ve figured it
out the block is finished, and you start a new one. There are many challenges along the way, but for
those who stay focused the rewards are great, both intrinsically and financially. If you’re looking for a
challenging, meaningful, and rewarding summer job, this is it.

Apply Now

The Daily Routine

Wake up, head to the kitchen, grab some coffee and breakfast, make a lunch and get in the van. Your
commute from the camp to worksite could be anywhere from 10 mins to 1 hour. You are then dropped
at your cache with a few other planters to bag up and head into your piece. For most of the day you are
on your own in your piece, maybe meeting up with others each time you head to the cache for more
trees. Early in the season you can expect several visits per day from your crew boss to help you get on
the right track. You might also be set up to ‘partner plant’ with a veteran planter as a learning method.
At 5:00 you are picked up again to head back to camp. A giant supper is served at 6:00, all meals are all-
you-can-eat, and the rest of the evening is spent at the campfire, at the lake, in the mess tent, or
wherever you want. Go to bed early and get ready to do it all again. We typically work a 5 and 1 shift
for the spring plant, and on the day off you head to the nearest town.
The goal is to provide as much opportunity as possible for motivated individuals in the 8-10 week spring
planting season. If you’re interested in this challenge, or if you have more questions, hit ‘apply now’ to
receive an email and a phone interview from one of our crewbosses. They will be able to answer any
more questions you have and will help you show up ready for the incredible challenge and experience
that is your rookie tree planting season.

Camp & Location

Camp and Location
HRI has contracts across Ontario; Pembroke, North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Cochrane, Chapleau, Sault
Ste. Marie. You will get the details from your crewboss on which area you’ll be working in. Camps are
mobile so we can stay closer to the worksites. You can expect to move camp 1-3 times per season.
The kitchen is the center of camp. Buffet style breakfasts, lunches and dinners are served here.
Drinking water and dishwashing stations are attached to the side of the kitchen and shower facilities are
around back. There is power supplied to each mess tent, and a charging station is set up for all personal
electronics. Laundry facilities are near the generator, and a dry tent for boots and wet clothes tops it
off. Each campsite is different, sometimes lakefront, sometimes riverfront, sometimes creekfront.
Some sites are stunningly beautiful, but tight on space, others have tons of space with less scenery, and
there’s everything in between.

You will get a detailed list of what you need to bring, and what is provided at camp. Throughout the rest
of the winter leading up to the season you will be in contact with your crewboss, who will help you
prepare. It is a priority for us to help rookie planters show up prepared.

Earnings

Planters are paid per tree planted. Prices this year will range from $0.12-$0.16. The price is based on
the difficulty of the land itself. Some contracts have been ‘site prepared’ meaning the soil has been
cleared for you, and others require extra work (screefing) to get at the soil. Difficulty of access is also a
factor in price. If the block is a ‘walk-in’ of more than 1 km you are paid hourly. If you participate in
camp moves, or camp chores, you are paid hourly as well. Payment is by direct deposit every 2 weeks.
A commonly asked question is “what does an average planter make in a day?”. There is no real ‘average
planter’ and each camp will have the entire spectrum from minimum wage earners to highballers. An
achievable goal for rookie planters is to earn $1000/week. It will take 2-3 shifts to get up to speed but
this is achievable for any rookie planter and will be beaten by the better rookies. It is only upwards from
here in your 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th seasons. Highballers are typically in their 4 th season or higher and will average
$2000+ per week.