The Dirt: Confessions of a Tree Planter

Delia Roberts is the President of Research & Programs at FitSafe Solutions. She is also the brainchild behind fit to plant, a widely used program within the industry. Her protocols and research have contributed to many of the H&S programs implemented as well as the standards. Its likely that if you've started your planting career with a larger company you have probably been directly impacted by some of her own research. We chat about her background and how she came to be involved with treeplanting, as well as some really interesting findings she's had. I asked her some of my burning questions, and a part 2 will definitely be needed!! Enjoy! LINKS https://www.bcforestsafe.org/resource/silviculture-fit-to-plant-resources/

A little bit about this week's guest Nate Federau: Born in BC and raised in Ontario I was always longing till the day I could return to the mountains. I'm a winter fanatic that spent years searching for a seasonal offset to support living and having fun in BC. At 24, I finally found everything in tree planting. As a competitive student athlete, becoming an industrial athlete was a logical transition I didn't see. It's blessed me with extended opportunities to explore the different biomes in BC and find the place I would love to one day call home. But for now I'll continue to live a Van lifestyle year round with my pup Avigale searching for ski lines, Prestine rivers and wild mushrooms. LINKS van app: https://ioverlander.com/

I challenge each and every one of you to listen to this conversation, especially and controversially the entire last 90min. I also want to stress that this conversation is stemmed from (obviously) our own opinions and personal experiences. It is NOT meant to invalidate anyone else's experiences, or any fears or thoughts anyone else has. This conversation stemmed from the increasing restrictions we found ourselves in last winter here in Canada, and how the planting industry was adopting those types of restrictions. I was particularly curious about how a counterculture industry was slowly turning into one that went with the grain instead of against it. I had figured I would release this episode once we had nationwide, or at least province-wide mandates in effect. However shortly after recording this episode the Freedom Convoy was birthed and really altered the trajectory of everything in this country. We find ourselves now in a much different position, though I am not holding my breathe for the future just yet. I felt this was an important conversation, albeit a difficult one in these times. So I wanted to release it now in hopes that people are more receptive to it than they may have been 8 or 9 months ago. Too many of us cannot engage in civil discourse. Too many of us cannot disagree on topics and still be willing to have conversations with respect and open curiosity. Travis Chambers was brave enough to come on and have this conversation with me. We have had different paths through this journey, but come together to have a conversation about it all. First we cover his planting career and personal evolution alongside it, and then we get into the nitty gritty of 2020 and the Great Unbecoming. We traverse a wide array of topics that have been of importance over the last few years, most importantly the mandates and how that has affected the both of us-and how we see it affecting the planting industry.

Who is Matthew other than a longtime veteran treeplanter? He is also a Lomi Lomi practitioner. This conversation discusses his planting career to date, as well as his off season venture. He explains his journey to, and what Lomi Lomi is. We chat about that balance between planting and other pursuits, and where things may go in future. A great chat and another wonderful new approach in any and all human journeys. Enjoy! LINKS Website: https://letyourlightspeak.com/ IG: https://instagram.com/letyourlightspeak Offerings: https://linktr.ee/matthewkent

This is an episode I have wanted to do for so long!!! I sit down with my good friend Matt Brickenden to talk about his lengthy planting career, his new full time exploration gig, and his journey with money. We discuss the tools and tricks he has personally used over the years to make smart financial decisions with his planting earnings, and where he's at now. We also talk about my own money journey and compare and contrast tools we both use for financial literacy and empowerment. Near the end we also cover traditional investing, cryptocurrency and bullion. Disclaimer: We are not financial experts, nor pretend to be. This episode is not financial advice but simply two planters sharing their own experiences with money and treeplanting. We offer up our own personal experiences and opinions, and not any legit financial advice! LINKS Mint: https://mint.intuit.com Wealthsimple: https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca Index Investing Basics: https://canadiancouchpotato.com/ Compound interest calculator: https://networthify.com/calculator/earlyretirement Financial Independence et al. blog: https://www.mrmoneymustache.com Financial coach: https://verdiadvising.com/ Great podcast about Gold: https://palisadesradio.ca/

On September 26th, FOREST FOR THE TREES will be showing in cities across Canada at Cineplex Cinemas (big screens + surround sound!) but only if enough tickets are sold before September 15th in each city. So please have a look at the list of cities and book your tickets and spread the word! This is going to take teamwork to make happen and we can only do it together. I'll be at the Sept 26th Montreal screening for a Q&A following the film (I wish I could be at all of them!). Hopefully there will be tree planter reunions across the country! How to make it happen: Go to the website. Click on “Get Showtimes”. Scroll to your closest city. Book a ticket. Spread the word! Note that each city link has a “countdown” number of how many tickets still need to be sold for the screening to go ahead. https://thefoyer.demand.film/forest-for-the-trees Note: Toronto folks, please be patient and stay tuned for a screening later in October (the Toronto premiere has been promised to a film festival held in Toronto in October, that's why it's not part of the Sept 26th lineup). For any questions contact Rita: rita@ritaleistner.com or send me a DM!

Bitches and Barrels (but actually nice girls and small waves) is an organization aimed at building a community to get more rad women into the water. Melissa Morrison is the brainchild of this sweet operation, and she brought with her the skills she learned in the planting industry to do so. We chat about Melissa's career and her quick rise up the management ranks, which from hearing her talk is clearly not surprising. We cover her time as a supervisor and how that shaped the beginning days of B&B, into what it is now, a thriving organization with booked out trips and many women who are living life together on a surfboard. If you are interested in joining a trip check out the details below! LINKS https://www.instagram.com/bitchesandbarrels/ https://www.bitchesnbarrels.com/ **FYI: Last minute opening on our SUMMER SURF CAMP (July 24-29)☀️! We have ONE SPOT LEFT ⏰. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn and improve your surf skills. 6 days and 5 nights of fun waves, daily coaching, and good times with rad women! Interested? Head to our website to register! WHAT TO EXPECT: This option is open to surfers of all skill levels who are looking to advance their surfing through intensive daily coaching.  Cost: $1025 Includes: ⛺️5 nights camping at @surfgrove

A little astrological and tree planter wisdom coming from my piece. You don't need drugs for a bad trip, just go treeplanting! Sharing my insights and wisdom from a rough day out there.

Brian Malcomson MICFor, is a Senior Forest Manager for Scottish Woodlands Ltd. Manages the Irish Office and is based in Ballymena, Co. Antrim. This season he will be facilitating the planting of 1 million trees encompassing reforestation and afforestation with the help of 20 contract planters. In this interview we get more in depth into Brian's own career in planting and getting into forestry, as well as what all the behind the scenes looks like for forestry and silviculture in Ireland and the UK. If you are interested in working for Brian, you can contact him via the links below.  LINKS https://www.facebook.com/scottishwoodlandsireland www.scottishwoodlands.co.uk

I was absolutely shocked to receive an email from a forester in Northern Ireland talking about treeplanting!! He directed me to one of his planters for this interview, Rylen Franke. Rylen started out planting a little later in life, and it was mostly something to help support his travels and love for working in wineries. We talk about his time planting in Canada and abroad, as well as go into great detail about what exactly planting in Northern Ireland looks like-especially because the country is so damn small! Stay tuned for an expansion into all things planting and Ireland in upcoming episode 64.

Welcome to Pt.2! We now cover Virgo, Cancer, Aries, Sagittarius, Leo, Gemini and Taurus. For more information on mine and Shanese's astrological works and offerings, see the links below! LINKS Wilde Astrology wildewords.ca www.instagram.com/wild.e.words Shanese's Offerings www.bogbognotgood.squarespace.com/ www.instagram.com/bogbognotgood

This is a much anticipated episode I have wanted to cover for a long time. Big thanks to Shanese Flewelling for dialoguing with me on this!! We cover Shanese's brief planting career and her transition into this world from that of fruit picking. As a fellow astrologer who also reads tarot and plays with fire, we get into the results of the poll for which signs are most likely to be a tree planter and why. We get into the depths of each zodiac sign, and how each of them apply to the planting world. A truly incredible conversation with lots of interesting insights. In this episode we cover the 5 least likely zodiac signs as planters: Scorpio, Capricorn, Libra, Aquarius, and Pisces. Due to the nature of the interview and covering Shanese's planting career, I have included the top 7 signs in Pt.2 to keep the episodes around the same length. For access to mine and Shanese's astrological work, see the links below! Stay tuned for Pt. 2! LINKS Wilde Astrology wildewords.ca www.instagram.com/wild.e.words Shanese's Offerings www.bogbognotgood.squarespace.com/ www.instagram.com/bogbognotgood

After the official Canadian screening of the documentary Forest For The Trees by my last guest Rita Leistner, I bring you a planter from the film: Steph Sinclair. We chat all about Steph's early start into planting and how most of her career was more unusual than most, with it being while filming a documentary and then the changing season of 2020. We chat about what it was like to be involved in this film, and how it has opened her eyes into her own budding career in the film industry. LINKS https://canada-ny.com/forest-for-the-trees-documentary-captures-beauty-brutality-in-equal-measure/ https://www.instagram.com/stephxsinclair/

Rita Leistner is an award-winning visual artist, photographer, and documentary filmmaker. She is known for her intrepid work in conflict zones and her in-depth portraits of communities in extreme conditions — such as soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, women wrestlers in the United States, and loggers in Canada — exploring themes of purpose, struggle, and belonging. Each unique world shapes her conceptual approaches and aesthetic styles, resulting in distinctive, large bodies of multi-media work that merge art and documentary. In addition to a film, Forest for the Trees is also a photo book and a collection of large-scale fine-art photographs, several of which were acquired in 2021 by the National Gallery of Canada for their permanent collection. In this interview we chat about Rita's 10 year planting career, and what things were like back in the 80s and early 90s. We chat about her transition out of planting and how it has ultimately shaped the rest of her life and the photography work she does now. We get into how this project came about, as well as the lengthy filming process. This is a great interview for a ton of background into this film before you get to watch it next week! LINKS Website: forestforthetreesdocumentary.com Buy a ticket to the Victoria Film Fest: https://www.victoriafilmfestival.com/product/forest-for-the-trees/ **alternatively you can go here and buy a virtual ticket to watch online in BC: https://www.victoriafilmfestival.com/product/forest-for-the-trees-online/ List of upcoming screenings: https://www.forestforthetreesdocumentary.com/film-screenings Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forestforthetreesdocumentary/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetreeplantersproject/ Articles: https://www.vice.com/en/article/d3d887/seriously-metal-photos-of-canadas-tree-planters https://torontolife.com/culture/rita-leistner-tree-planters-photo-essay/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-heroes-of-the-north-rebuilding-canadas-forests-one-tree-at-a-time/

Welcome to Season 3!!! The Dirt is celebrating TWO years of podcasting. Crazy to think of where I was when I started this project, and how many amazing individuals I have had the pleasure of interviewing. Very appropriately, this is a special interview with a special human. Matty Brown spent the first half of adulthood living and breathing treeplanting. He is a treeplanter through and through, who loves the job, the culture, the camps, all of it. However life happens, and he made the tough decision to leave treeplanting as he knew it around the time we met. I have witnessed his process of being a treeplanter who cannot treeplant anymore. As someone who also loves the job, and perhaps for anyone else who has had similar situations, this is a potent listen. This conversation is centered around planting, why it is so beautiful, how it transforms lives, and how we can still be treeplanters even if life doesn't let us plant trees. For anyone who is currently at a crossroads, this is for you. LINKS Give our instagram page a follow for live updates and lots of photos from the vault: https://www.instagram.com/confessionsofatreeplanter/

We're back! This was a conversation I had in the spring with Santi, whom I met on a contract last fall as he was putting the finishing touches on his documentary. We chat about the making of it and his journey through school. For Santi, planting runs in the family and we talk about his journey into this world, and his progression through the management ranks. Entering his first season as a supervisor, we chat about his feelings towards it as he begins his first contract in the coming weeks. A great conversation with a great human, and a good listen for anyone who is interested in moving up the management ranks. Also, I now have an instagram page for the podcast! Check it out and give it a follow here: https://www.instagram.com/confessionsofatreeplanter/ LINKS www.santiagobessai.com www.instagram.com/santibessai https://www.santiagobessai.com/films/plantedin2020

And we're back!!! For many of you that aren't aware I took a hiatus from the shovel this summer and traded it for a hammer to pound on some rocks for money. So I have been mostly out of service, with terrible internet, unable to do much in providing interviews for you all! Fall coastal has begun and I hope everyone is finishing their seasons strong. Many of you are likely returning to school, in person, for the first time in awhile! I dubbed this interview the millennial planting just because Fiona is just that. Of the millennial generation, or perhaps Generation Z or Y or whatever...she has spanned many provinces and exhibits what most of us do today: trying new things and living what was once considered an alternative lifestyle, becoming more and more common for our generation. We chat about Fiona's random start to the industry as well as all the different provinces she has planted in, and the curiosity around starting school already being a planter and having it influence her interest in studies. Basically just two planters chatting about growing as a planter and person in your 20s and what that looks like in 2021. Enjoy! Email me: erin@wildewords.ca

Jeremie Drainville is a longtime vet in this industry, who has circled his life around planting in so many ways. Recently he has evolved forms and come into and developing his love of photography in a very unique and beautiful way. I had seen images of his Men in Tubs from a few planting buddies of mine who had participated, though the project itself goes wider than the planting world. Jeremie seeks to share his own truth vulnerably, something I can truly resonate with and respect, in an effort to help create a space for others to do so. His focus for men comes from his own experiences, on and off the block. We chat all about his experiences through planting and his vision with Men in Tubs and what self care looks like. I sense a development here in the works for creating an environment where all planters are participating in self care for their own mental well being. We talk a little about this concept and how to keep things vulnerable without being sexual. A beautiful conversation from a truly beautiful human.  The Men in Tubs vision:  The mission of this project is to create a world of vulnerability & connection through artistic human experiences. Part of why I decided to donate to mental health is because how much I learned over the past 6 years about my own mental health.There's resources out there that truly made a difference in my life that I had no idea it even existed. By producing this calendar, I want to bring awareness to out self-talk, our actions, and the results that come because of them. The truth is that I cannot do this alone. I need your help to take care of our friends and families. I know you care about this and this is why you are still reading. You are a person of integrity and great kindness. This is the kind of language that truly make a positive change in our lives and in the lives of the ones we love. I'm asking for your support. There's two ways to contribute to this project. First, is to buy the 2021 Men in Tubs Calendar for yourself or gift it to someone you love or do both. Second, is to spread the word on your social media by sharing one of my posts. There are people that you know that don't know how to ask for help or how to reach out when they feel sadness, anger, and fear. Or they don't know how to access their internal Joy and Love. Together with a message of Love, kindness, and compassion we are in a position to bring a Light into a friend's darkness. It is only when I decided to confront my fears that I became a photographer and this is bringing me to connect with you today. By getting this calendar you get to an interesting look at the Kootenays and the Men who live here. The benefits are that you get to contribute to the wellness of individuals who need it, you get to see the images of this calendar everyday, and you get to connect with your friends and family by engaging in a conversation about this calendar. LINKS https://www.facebook.com/MeninTubsCalendar https://menintubscalendar.com/ https://www.instagram.com/menintubscalendar/

Jeremy Young works as a tree planter in northern Ontario. He was born in Canada but also has French citizenship. He is currently a 4th year environmental and urban sustainability student at Ryerson University in Toronto. Jeremy is going into his third season in Ontario. We talk about his planting career, how he prepares for the season, injury prevention and specifically why he chose and continues to choose planting in Ontario over going out west. We also touch on what its like to be a slower starter at planting, and what its like when you don't make a ton of money your first season. A great episode for rookies and newer planters, as well as anyone interested in getting into planting! Also great for any planter who's never planted in Ontario and is curious to hear more about what its like. Regardless of differing opinions, Ontario is an integral part of the tree planting industry here in Canada, and where many planters have gotten their start. This podcast sheds light on some of the reasons people stay, and how planting Ontario ground can benefit you as a planter. Po-taaaay-to, po-taaaa-to! 

Elisha Peterson is based in Golden, BC and has been on the road of becoming a pilot throughout her treeplanting career. Elisha started in Ontario and we go over how the transition went for her deciding to come out west, and the struggles she faced in that phase of her planting. We talk about her own journey to discovering her love for flight, as well as navigating it throughout her planting days. An important episode for any multifaceted human (so everyone) who has other side games besides planting, and balancing all of it.  UPDATE from Elisha since last winter when we recorded the interview: I feel like this was my realization this summer so if it's not clear in the interview:  I took two paths at the same time. Planting and flying, which made me struggle emotionally, believing at times that I wasn't doing my best and not putting enough effort into one. But the truth is I couldn't have done one without the other. Tree planting gave me strength, and confidence (and money) to push me ahead of the game so when I'm ready to put my shovel down and I'll be able to jump right into the cockpit and start my second career.

Pete is based in Nelson, BC and has been planting for his entire adult life. We talk about how planting began and has evolved for him over the years, now being able to work for most of the year from his doorstep. Then we get into the evolution of his obsession around mushrooms and the process of turning that into a new business venture. He is hoping to turn this into his end game and talks about all the benefits that have come about in his own life from his use of tinctures. A really cool episode and a definite must have staple in your healthcare regime! LINKS https://www.facebook.com/pete.moss.982845 https://www.instagram.com/petemossbosssauce/

Will Stewart is the crew boss of Jeremy Young from Episode 13 (https://anchor.fm/the-dirt/episodes/Episode-13-The-Ontario-Perspective-with-Jeremy-Young-ec2tbf). He currently works in Ontario but has worked all over Canada. We cover why he chose Ontario again, as well as the Instagram account he runs called @hiballermemes. We talk about the social media influences on the planting world today and what may come in the future. We also go into a random tangent about tips and tricks for dealing with some of your typical planting injuries such as trench foot...great advice for rookies or those getting into planting! This episode was recorded back in the winter, enjoy and go check out those memes as you relish on being done the season! LINKS https://www.instagram.com/hiballermemes/ PS. A bit of a noise issue at times in here that my expert audio skills couldn't edit out, so it is what it is! 

Well, if you are involved in this community, you know who Dirk Brinkman is!! For those who aren't and who don't know, Dirk Brinkman is the mastermind behind everything we do in modern treeplanting today; from the gear we use with our bags and shovels to the way that we plant our pieces. Dirk is an incredible man who started his career 50 years ago, first as a faller and then progressing into treeplanting. We talk about getting his start in this industry and how it changed his life. For Dirk, everything is about flow state, and he goes into this topic immensely as one of the absolutely incredible parts of what we can access with treeplanting. From this conversation we cover the evolution of what its like as a treeplanter, and how your body adapts not only to the act of planting, but also to the land you walk on everyday. We naturally touch on how treeplanting has changed since the 70s (surprise: it wasn't all hippies despite what you may think!), and what its been like for Dirk to see the forests he's planted. Through the conversation he outlines and weaves in all of the reasoning and processes behind the way all of our rules and regulations towards treeplanting are set today, with a good history lesson about how silviculture has progressed in Canada.   Speaking of, he answers the age old question about treeplanting in the US, and what it used to look like vs. what it does now!  An incredible episode from the Godfather himself about all things treeplanting, why things are the way things are and why it still continues today! A must listen for any treeplanter out there.  LINKS This is the book mentioned by Dirk about the planting cooperative in the US: https://www.amazon.ca/Birth-Cooperative-Hoedads-Worker-Forest/dp/0938493094

Today I sit down with Garth Hadley of Coast Range Contracting, a well-known tree planting company in British Columbia. Often company owners are simply the name of their company to many planters, so I wanted to shed light on the person behind it all and what its like to run a planting company! We talk about Garth's own planting story, and his evolution throughout the tree planting industry to get to where he is today. We talk about all the changes he's seen over the years, and where he hopes to go with Coast Range into the future. Enjoy! PS. For anyone still wanting to get into planting this season, there may be a few spots left! Send a message to the website link located below if you are interested in planting with Coast Range.  LINKS Website: https://coastrange.ca/applications/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/coast.range.planting?igshid=vf05azqy32da

Awhile back I sat down with Zach Melanson, originally from and now settled back in New Brunswick. He was a longtime Brinkman planter and one of the founders of Community Forests International. What is that you ask? Have a listen to find out all about it!  If you are interested in being a CFI ambassador, shoot Zach an email at zach@forestsinternational.org LINKS 15-minute Nat Geo Doc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5VcPoGj4DU Website: https://forestsinternational.org/homepage/plant-4-pemba/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canadatrees/ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pembatrees/

Harland Alexander's distinct brand of lo-fi indie pop music metabolizes friendship, family, love, tree-planting, childhood trauma, the comical absurdity of everyday life, and unites them into healing art. His live performances seek to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable in their own skin and safe to exist within their deepest truths. He wants the audience to leave feeling free to explore the depths of their beings free of guilt and shame. His shows are fun, self-loving, playful, life celebrating experiences.  After obtaining a certificate in Recording Arts from NSCC, Harley has been engineering and producing music in Halifax for the past decade. During this time he has worked alongside artists such as Charlotte Day Wilson (as well as The Wayo), Walrus, Billie Dre and the Poor Boys, Robert Loveless, Kurt Inder, Campbell Woods and Adrian Teacher - either headlining shows and touring, recording and producing, or making music together. He has been touring across Canada's East Coast - notably Halifax Pop Xplosion and the Canadian Space Program Celebration hosted by Bill Nye - as well as in the US. His new album just released August 15, go check it out at the link below! LINKS https://www.harleyalexandermusic.com/ https://harleyalexander.bandcamp.com/album/im-feeling-things https://www.instagram.com/harleyyalexander/ Streamable on Bandcamp & Spotify

See brief memo for details! Make sure to share your favourite episodes with friends! Happy Turkey Weekend!

Hey folks, just a quick update to let you know I am still kickin' and so is this podcast. Releasing a TFTB I recorded at some point last summer, which feels fitting for any time of year. Enjoy it and hopefully wherever you are, it is not on fire...

Ariel, situated in Revelstoke, has been spending her off seasons creating art in the form of clay! We chat about her evolution not only into treeplanting but also into pottery. We discuss her process and how planting has continually supported her creative lifestyle, and how this year she'll be planting from home and able to continue her art throughout the season for the first time. Go give her Etsy site a look and check out the beautiful pottery she's creating. Or if you're around Revy you can catch her at a local farmer's market this summer.  LINKS https://www.instagram.com/keep.cool.clayworks/ www.etsy.com/ca/shop/KeepCoolClayworks https://www.facebook.com/keepcoolclayworks/

Mark Oxer is a Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC) and a member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association who received his Master's degree in Strength and Conditioning from the University of Central Lancashire where he graduated with Distinction. Mark began planting in 1998 and retired in 2011, encompassing his career over multiple provinces in Canada. Uniquely to me anyways, he spent his entire career partner planting, and surpassing his millionth tree in 2005. This is an incredible conversation where we get into the psychological aspects of planting and how it builds so much of our character and human experience. There is so much depth to this conversation it's hard to encompass in a description, so I highly encourage a listen! LINKS https://www.markoxer.com/ https://www.facebook.com/mark.oxer/ https//www.instagram.com/mark_oxer/

An interesting tie in to Episode 40 with Kat Tourond, I have their father, Mike on the podcast! Mike began his treeplanting career at the ripe old age of 56! We cover what careers Mike had pursued prior to this new adventure he decided to embark on. We talk about how he came to this decision and how his lifestyle already appealed to the idea of going treeplanting, coupled with all the changes to the world in 2020. Reflecting on his first season and coming out of an injury, his story is one that shows you are never too old to try something new! Mike is returning for his second season, after vowing he would never do it again at the end of his first; classic treeplanter in the making! Enjoy this episode and good luck to everyone putting their shovels in the ground this next week.

Mike planted 8 seasons from 2007-2015. Over his career he planted a million trees, worked for 12 companies, and also planted in Scotland. He attended the Western Silviculture Association conference three times, once as a speaker on a panel about worker retention with Scooter. Mike executed a successful exit game and is now gainfully employed and living the stable life that doesn't involve suffering on the block! We talk about why Mike decided to leave planting, what he misses, how he went about doing it. This is the lo down episode for those who are trying to take the plunge this year, want to take the plunge, considering taking the plunge....a good reminder that there is life outside of treeplanting and that you CAN thrive financially and otherwise doing so. LINKS Treeplanting song he mentions: General Store by The Gruff https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Various_Peppermill_Records/Hi_and_Ho_We_Plant_Trees Contact form to come onto podcast: https://wildewords.ca/2021/04/15/podcast-updates/

Josy is a yoga teacher in St. John's, Newfoundland and she is entering her third planting season. She fell in love with yoga in 2012 after taking her first yoga class in the hopes it would help her process the loss of her father. This one class was a powerful experience and she now maintains a deep respect for all the benefits that come with a regular practice. Since then, she has completed 500 hours of yoga teacher training. She took on her first yoga teacher training in 2016, completing her 200 hour YTT in Toronto, Ontario. Eager to learn more, she soon after completed a 300 hour advanced yoga teacher training in Vinyasa flow in Goa, India. In the summer of 2017, Josy moved to Newfoundland where she is currently studying Psychology off season, and planting trees in BC in the spring/summer. When she is not planting trees, practicing asana, and meditating, she is making music, art, writing poetry, or basking among trees in a forest. LINKS YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68Tsg5j-mYw&t=45s&ab_channel=JosyL%E2%80%99Astronaute YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTv7ckZnXtLVlDhTIMXJhQ Poses: Sucirandhrasana (Reverse pigeon): https://www.tummee.com/yoga-poses/reverse-pigeon-pose Utthan Pristhasana (Lizard): https://yogalily.com/utthan-pristhasana-lizard-pose/ Vajrasana (toe squat variation): https://nancynelsonyoga.com/2017/01/10/pose-breakdown-toe-squat/ Supta Matsyendrasana variation (twisted scorpion): https://www.tummee.com/yoga-poses/scorpion-twist-pose

Sorry Gab, this episode was recorded in the winter of 2020 and then I didn't want to release it once the season had started...alas here we are! Some things have changed but ultimately much of it still rings true, especially all of the preparatory content in here about bringing a new dog out to the block. Aside from her occasional smelly farts, Della is a really well trained bush dog. I hope this conversation brings you all some new information and some help to prep for the season!

Charlotte Gill is the author of Eating Dirt, a national bestseller that won the B.C. National Award for Canadian Nonfiction. This title was also a finalist for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize and the RBC Taylor Prize. Charlotte was a planter for 17 years before leaving the industry to pursue a full time writing career. We talk about her longstanding career, how and why she wrote a book on planting, and her thoughts on the industry now having been out of the game for a long time. A great episode for a little more insight into the author behind the most well known book on treeplanting!  LINKS http://charlottegill.com/ https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/eating-dirt-deep-forests-big/9781553657927-item.html?ikwid=eating+dirt&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=ab4c95340a63b128fd379bd400439f30

In this episode we shoot the shit, but also begin to talk about life after planting. We cover George's career, as well as the beginning of his drone obsession. If you haven't already watched the One Million Trees doc, go check it out as some of the drone footage in the film is courtesy of George. This is a jam packed conversation about the evolution that occurs not just during planting, but also life. 

Zach Birnie is your average EI ski team member, with a flair for making his own clothes...and hopefully yours! We talk about Zach's planting career thus far, and how he tries to live his life as eco-friendly and conscious as possible; which is ever evolving. We talk about where sewing began for Zach and how it evolved into making not only regular apparel, but also gear for the block. He uses bamboo material to be more friendly to not only the environment but our bodies. I am personally rocking some of his shirts and they are super soft, quick drying and light...really really nice for hot or cool days on the block. I highly recommend putting in a little extra investment to support local and ethically sourced clothing this season! LINKS https://www.instagram.com/drkapparel/ https://www.facebook.com/drkapparel http://darkapparel.net/

Kerri Dunsmore is an athletic therapist who specializes in the prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries. What is an athletic therapist exactly you ask? Tune into this episode for the full rundown, which is something I didn't even know. The kicker and her secret weapon is that Kerri is also a planter! She spent 9 seasons in the bush, and in my opinion is therefore one of the most qualified people to be treating our bodies. She is innately aware of and in tune with how and what our bodies get exposed to planting, and how to treat these injuries and issues. We get into her own career and her transition out of planting, and then dive deep into her new 12week pre season conditioning program (you can join at anytime FYI!). I address some issues I have heard from friends of mine, as well as my own issues. I also ask some deep dive questions about off season prevention and preparation, from those who work out continually to those of us who do long seasons and need more rest time. This is a very informative and important episode, so share widely! Kerri is very talented at what she does, and I would encourage anyone with any issues to use the links below to work with her. You can still join into her 12week course anytime so just send her a DM or an email! LINKS Conditioning program and course: kdathletictherapy.thinkific.com Website: kdathletictherapy.ca Email: hello@kdathletictherapy.ca FB: Kerri Dunsmore Athletic Therapy Insta: kd.athletictherapy By appointment only. Virtual and in-person appointments available!

As my main stay in the industry, it was important that I cover the current issues we are facing as coastal planters. Most of the treeplanting industry doesn't see much of what goes on over here on Vancouver Island, where there are many of the same but also different issues facing companies out here. Scott moved into management early on in his career, and we cover how he navigated the tree planting world to come to where he is today, running operations at a small coastal company. We talk about how important the mentorship process is and how it influences so much of how you get to where you want to go in this small industry where integrity is everything and someones word goes a long way. This is a great episode for someone who is looking to also move up in management and is curious about what its like to move into the role of supervising and also ownership of a planting company.  We then discuss the current realities here on the coast, and how the effects of larger companies coming from the interior affect life for coastal treeplanters. It is an important discussion that needs to be had, as so many planters who migrate out this way wanting to try out the coast are often working for companies who are also putting life for small island-based contractors at risk. It is a competitive industry, but as planters we need to continue putting our shovel in places of integrity if we want to see heart-based change. We discuss the fall of 2020 and its effects on the companies here. I believe these are issues that all planters need to be made aware of so we can continue to support the livelihood of coastal planting for many years to come. 

Dani Kidston decided to find her place in the planting world by creating it. We go into her lengthy career thus far in the industry and what she's been creating with her fellow cohorts. This episode was recorded last winter, and so they now have new projects and ventures on the go which you can follow up with on their facebook page and also TWIG (Tree Workers Industrial Group), which includes coop members creating projects within the planting world. If you have listened to the earlier episode about Ben Prunty, you can hear more about some of the help she has received in making this planting cooperative a reality, and how it continues to grow today. If you are interested in a different style of operation within planting, this is a great spot to start! LINKS https://www.facebook.com/treeamigos.coop/ http://treeworkersindustrialgroup.work/ https://www.facebook.com/Tree-Workers-Industrial-Group-TWIG-200226974216707 Contact: tree.amigos.silviculture@gmail.com

Welcome to SEASON TWO of The Dirt!!! A critical review of the One Million Trees documentary published by a planting company sparked this conversation. It ensued a private discussion that has become one I believes need to be public. As planters we often feel we are "trapped in the system". Except we aren't. We have seen more than ever in 2020 how when people stand up, more people will. And as more people do, as a group, change can be created. So many of the ideas brought up in this conversation have been perpetuated by so many of us, so many of us too afraid to stand up and make a change, because it makes our inner world uncomfortable. It makes job security more difficult, it may alienate us from our friends and community we feel we trust in. I am complicit in this, and I choose to be complicit no more. No more censoring, no more pretending its fine. We can only create all this change together, and I believe it is more in the hands and responsibilities of planters than management. I am not discounting their roles, and I do believe the fact this critical review of practices in planting showcased in this documentary directly by a company shows that their is denial, shame, and trauma on ALL fronts. This is a conversation I want to continue here and beyond. Lets be better. Lets get uncomfortable so we can ultimately transcend from places of fear to a place of love. Love for each other, our community, our job, our Earth. Stay tuned for more information about this potential fundraising campaign this season. If you are interested in being a part of this, shoot myself or Everett a message! Thank you all for listening and thinking and share around. Discuss. Be open. Love. LINKS Canada VPN: Hola Film: https://gem.cbc.ca/media/absolutely-canadian/season-20/episode-23/38e815a-0134fc83a86 Planet Earth narrated by Josh Lichti: https://fb.watch/2ZOed0mFqF/ Saltwater Hank music video: https://fb.watch/2ZOfh__0sx/ Kiernan Anderson music video: https://fb.watch/2ZOg_s4A78/ Luke English music video: https://fb.watch/2ZOi0adef2/

Today is a day we're supposed to, as part of a marketing campaign ultimately aimed at making money for their own personal interest, talk about a still taboo subject that cracks upon the depths of a soul. Mental illness. That word feels so far away from me now, though it was only 4 years ago, to the day, that I was newly engaged. One might compare my symptoms to hysteria or a manic high, otherwise known in my case as a mentally healthy human as pure, naive, fairytale-like love. Little did I know how my life would unravel in the coming months. My denial of reality, but mostly my lack of education around mental illness was the true culprit to the downward spiral I experienced. I witnessed first hand what untreated and poorly treated mental illness not only does to a person, but to everyone around them. To their home, to their environment, to their systems, to their world. My experience is but one of millions people experience everyday. Every single day I know there are women and men out there going through a similar experience I did. Every single day people lose the battle to mental illness. Every single day people are berated from friends, family and loves ones who are uneducated and underprepared on how to support them. Every. Single. Day. If there is but one thing I ask every one of you today, it is to educate yourself. For those who suffer, educate yourself on how you can let others know what you need. Formulate a plan with your support team so they can see the signs and symptoms of when you are not okay and what they need to do to truly help you. For those who don't suffer, educate! Educate yourselves on how to hold space and support those in your life who struggle. Educate so you can have awareness for others and for yourself. Take charge of your part in a future where this is no longer taboo, where we don't have to have a special day, week or month dedicated to this to attempt to raise more awareness. Contribute to a future where everyone is aware, educated, and supportive. The only way out is through, together. I felt called to do this episode, in an effort of transparency and vulnerability on my part. I have an intimate relationship with mental health, that did not start within. I am now a firm advocate of mental wellness all around, whether you struggle with unresolved trauma or not. 2020 saw many people, some I know, transition out of this world. Now more than ever the transparency is needed to cultivate supportive environments for all of us and whatever we are moving through. I wanted to be able to connect with all of us who have suffered on and off the block, and to hopefully inspire all of us to ask for a little more help now and again. My poetry book is the child of all my grief, channeled into my worded experiences. I put it out to all of you so these words can reach you, and find your own experiences within them. LINKS To purchase a copy of my poetry book, This is for me: https://www.blurb.ca/b/10505733-this-is-for-me iBook link: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/this-is-for-me/id1545866424 The WRAP program I did, its FREE: https://vancouver-fraser.cmha.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/WRAP-Brochure.pdf Another program for women of domestic abuse: https://www.womenscollegehospital.ca/care-programs/mental-health/wrap

Kat has two seasons under their belt in Saskatchewan, with a little planting in AB and BC. They switched over to BC fully in 2020, where they actually had their Dad join them for the spring plant from April-June! This is a great episode for anyone looking to get into planting as Kat discusses a lot of their own perceptions about planting and what it was actually like getting into it. For anyone who is looking to stay closer to home this year due to covid, they give an insight into more of what prairie planting looks like...really building on episode 14 with Matthew Kent where we discussed similar planting areas and styles. We also discuss boots a fair bit, especially as smaller people who have trouble finding ones that fit, and planting within the southern interior of BC. We really just talk about everything...its a great conversation between two planters just shooting the shit. Update: Kat's Dad excelled during the planting season, and although he said he would never do it again...started to miss it a few weeks after planting finished up and they are BOTH going back to the same spot this year... #classic Also, kept my caulks in the Cariboo. Don't regret it. Will be doing it again. Caulks for life.

Welcome to 2021! Kicking off this year with an interview with my good buddy Connor, who I have watched go through and come out the other side of a back injury. I wanted to share our conversation around his story and the tools he used to get to where he is now, because I have known so many people over the years who had retired solely because of injury. If you're currently debating whether you can go back this year, perhaps this episode can help you out! Back injuries are a very common issue for planters because #duh, we bend over a lot. LINKS The best foam roller out there. I know it is available at Atmosphere and probably other Canadian outlets, but if you are elsewhere here is their main website: https://triggerpoint.implus.com/ What every planter should be getting for any pulled, sore muscles: https://www.lifemark.ca/services/intramuscular-stimulation

Today, December 20th, was to be Ben's 33rd birthday. He left a lasting impression to all those around him. His passing has rippled shock waves around his communities, including this one. This episode is commemorating and honouring Ben and all that he was to those around him, as well as what he accomplished within the planting community represented in TWIG (Tree Workers' Industrial Group)  and Tree Amigos Cooperative. If you would like to pay your respects, there are links below to access his virtual memorial service today.  "Slipping my way through the cracks And I hope you don't overreact when my body collapses I've been wandering hoping to find my own place on this planet I've been up in the middle of it, I've been up in the middle of it In the middle earth, I've been nothing but real with you" LINKS Ben Prunty Memorial Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/3ItiHWWl8 Zoom link to the memorial service at 10am PST: https://mcgill.zoom.us/j/88480046598?pwd=RUZ1Wm9tSlJMaFh5bGViM0xIQW01dz09 Have a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk9L31Oc7MA

Sooooo this is the coolest thing, a treeplanting video game!!! I saw Sean's post on KKR and am hoping that with this episode the word will get out for more of you well versed in these skills to reach out to him. He is looking for more artists and collaborators all the time! We go into Sean's own planting career and his plans moving forward now that he is done school. We talk about how this entire idea came about in the first place and how it has evolved over time. Such a rad idea!!

Danielle Adams is an artist and illustrator based on the BC coast, a landscape that inspires much of her work. One of the unique parts of Danielle is that she does NOT use planting as inspiration or fuel for her art, but rather a break from it. Planting trees allowed her to fund her way through a Bachelors of Design without having to sacrifice her soul at the altar of Minimum Wage Jobs. She is now pursuing painting full time over the offseason and fully expects to be broke by May. LINKS https://www.danyeti.ca https://www.instagram.com/lasnorgs/

Trigger warning: sexual harassment, assault & rape. Womxn in Silviculture is dedicated to gender inclusivity, equality, and worker's rights within the silviculture industry. A safe space to discuss all things fxmme and trees. I interview Mirina van der Veen, one of the creators of this sacred space. We cover Mirina's own planting career, and her current status as she looks to move further into silviculture. She has planted in Australia as well and we talk a little about her experiences down under compared to her time here in Canada. We talk about her passion around these issues and how she plans to give back and keep moving these rights forward as she transitions out of planting eventually. LINKS https://www.instagram.com/womxn.in.silviculture/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/172706926654848

These are obviously my own perceptions, thoughts and feelings about coastal planting. I try to answer the most common questions I see people asking online, or to me about the coast. How to know if its for you, how to get in, what kind of experience you need, and much more. This is a let it flow episode so I just sorta let myself speak to what feels appropriate. I also answer any questions from your feedback! Raingear: https://grundens.com/ Coastal contractors based in and who primarily operate on Vancouver Island, Sunshine & Central Coast: Nootka Bivouac West (now Guillory Emery & Associates) Wagner Sitka Timberline Rainforest Osprey Evergreen

If you don't know who Scooter is do you even know anything about treeplanting in Canada? Jonathan "Scooter" Clark is a pivotal figure in this industry. No matter your experiences through treeplanting, everyone who has graced this community in some way has been directly influenced by what Scooter has done in this industry. He's humble AF and won't fully admit to any of it, but I try to get him to in this interview! Learn more about Scooter's story here!  LINKS replant.ca/music - redirects to the page to download The Flagging Tapes replant.ca/digitaldownloads - free digital downloads for Step By Step replant.ca/stepbystep - general info about the book www.replant-environmental.ca - my Environmental company replant.ca/publicbids - the Public Bids section on the message board

Andrew has planted in Nova Scotia (as well as dabbling in BC, AB, and SK) for 12 years and gives us an insight into what maritime planting can look like, which is quite different from what many of us are used to further west! I learned a bunch of things I had never heard of, including how they use this line system with a pole rather than flagging trees. Its a whole different world out there! Go have a listen and check it out. Natural Regen: Natural regeneration refers to the ability of an environment, most often a forest, to regenerate itself without external intervention following a disturbance (e.g. natural disaster, logging). In forestry, natural regeneration is a forest management technique that is both economic and ecological. It creates forest zones that are richer in biodiversity.