tree planter

assistant cook

Folklore Contracting

A typical day of work of treeplanting is one of the hardest things you will ever do in your life. Your day starts at 5:30 in the morning, rising with the sun you step out of your tent, which in all likelihood, is covered in frost, even in the middle of the summer. At this point you have about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on when you woke up, to eat breakfast (provided), make a lunch (also provided), and get your gear together and in the truck before you head to the block. Upon arrival to the block, (the clear-cut area we've been contracted  to plant) you have a day full of bugs, bites, scrapes, scratches, bruises, sore muscles and monotonously placing 2000+ tiny trees in the ground. Also there is no such thing as a weather day, 30+ degrees? Plant. Continuous downpour? Plant. Blizzard? Plant. Lightning? Well you can stop if you want, but then you're not making money, most of the time it's not close enough to be a real concern. The end of the day is what really shines, everyone piles into the trucks exhausted, sweaty, smelly, and so dirty it has soaked into your pores and it looks more like a tan than dirt. No one mind though, everyone is in high spirits for the best part of the day! Dinner! After piling out of the truck and handing in your tallies (stickers taken off boxes of trees so they know how much you planted) you wash your hands and have dinner. After dinner your time is your own, you can play guitar, hang out by the fire, go swimming (their's usually a lake or river close by to provide non-potable water for the camp) or read. Most people however are pretty exhausted and opt for an early bedtime. The management in the business are some of the most welcoming and friendly people you'l ever meet, they've put in the hours planting themselves and understand how you feel, as well as push you to get better! In the same vein your co-workers will become some of your closest friends, and by the end of the summer its more like a family than a work environment. So if you're willing to put up with physical and mental pain for good money and great friends, treeplanting may be for you!

My experience at Folklore Contracting as a Tree Planter is a great one. Management was handled professionally and efficiently, food was great quality and quantity, and the atmosphere was positive and encouraging. Constructing camp was a teamwork oriented job that was supervised by organized, level headed directors. Transportation to the job sites was easy in new, safe vehicles. Tree planting was very physically demanding and required peak physical condition and mental positivity. I thoroughly enjoyed my time working for Folklore Contracting and would highly recommend it to anyone wishing for environment-based labour where maximum effort equals maximum pay. 

I spent three years as a planter before moving on to management, and I can say that the time I spent at Folklore were some of the best times I ever had. However, that's in regards to the overall experience, and the work itself was less satisfying, but still good. As far as tree planting goes, the company is exceptionally safe, provides good training for employees, and has ok prices. I learned a lot about focus, determination,  and efficiency here. Management and planters have good relationships here. The prices can sometimes leave you wanting, and there are occasional breakdowns in management organisation.

Each camp is different from one another, but the company and office staff are organized and dedicated to helping make things as seamless as possible for their employees. Tree prices have increased 20-30% from 2018-2020. Scooter's camp (my experience for 8 seasons) is extremely well run by a legend of the industry. Emphasis is placed on things like injury prevention, cohesive culture, mutual respect, good food, and mental health which are generally lacking in the industry more broadly. Great company and great supervisor to work for, these last 8 seasons were valuable experiences for me.

Tree planting is an incredibly difficult job!
The learning curve is very steep, insanely hard, back breaking work in remote places in all weather conditions (snow in July!), living in a bush camp with 50 other people for 3 months, dealing with bugs, bears and other wildlife.

If you love being outside, you're tough, self motivated and can deal with a fair amount of stress on your body it's a great way to earn quick money.

Awesome management and high safety standards.

Depending on the contract you get to fly to work in a helicopter which is awesome!

One of the hardest but most rewarding jobs I have ever worked. As a treeplanter you are expected to hit a minimum target of production, but once you get into the swing of it that becomes easy and it's a challenge to always try to one-up yourself. Helicopter rides for remote work didn't hurt either.

work in whatever nature throws at you for up to 10 hours a day and spend your summer living in a tent, but you won't find a more diverse and fun loving group of people anywhere else and with the right amount of determination you can make a lot of money

I worked for Folklore for many years, though only when i had to over the last few. Started off well: good prices, great people, decent camps until about 2015. But more recently the company has lost its edge. Prices are now below industry average, safety protocols are loosely adhered to, and the quality of management has declined. If you have planting experience, you should avoid this company. They're a last option. 

Folkelore Contracting provides and encouraging community for an extremely difficult job. Hard workers is encouraged and recognized by all staff and management members.

Folklore is a company which focuses primarily on production. To management you are a number. This is a phenomenal seasonal job with amazing money once getting past the learning curve. This job requires a strong work ethic, without it you will not succeed.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Tree planter 2 salaries reported	$351 per day
Assistant cook 1 salary reported	$275 per day

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