The Dirt: Confessions of a Tree Planter

Today I sit down to chat with the woman behind the podcast art, tree planter and tree checker Bethany Davis! Bethany Davis is 21, currently living in Toronto, Ontario. She is studying Drawing and Painting at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University making art heavily impacted from her time within bush camps in rural Alberta. Her first drawing series Follow the Trees, showcased on the podcast, brings into discussion our interaction with the land through ink illustrations. Currently, Bethany’s work has moved into more of a critical lens of the reforestation industry in her thesis work The Cultivated Orientation of the Natural Infrastructure where she looks closely at the manufactured landscape. Accrediting images of the land to observe how nature responds to mass destruction of deforestation, questioning what elements could remain? Within these drawings, she pictorially expresses the silent, yet the resilient force of life. Where plants such as Hog Weed, Stinging Needle, wildflowers and fungi can act as a scab to cover an open wound on the earth’s surface. Working in correspondence with the drawing series Bethany is collecting Tree Planting maps to make hand-bound art books. Her current piece Treatment Area uses thirty collected tree planting maps. Each has been used, carrying with it, the story of planters among the dirt, bleeding ink and wrinkled paper. These maps show the layout of a cut block, an empty chunk of land following the removal of a forest. Illustrating how the land can be organized through formed bodies, coloured mass, and curious annotation. Poems are layered on top, with transparencies creating the context to the artist and her primordial exchange with the land. Just so you are aware of where a lot of Bethany's educated opinions come from, here are links to her source material: “Is the Bark Beetle All Bad?” The Secret Wisdom of Nature: Trees, Animals, and the Extraordinary Balance of All Living Things: Stories from Science and Observation, by Peter Wohlleben, Greystone Books, 2019, pp. 77–86. “Creatures in Your Coffee.” The Secret Wisdom of Nature: Trees, Animals, and the Extraordinary Balance of All Living Things: Stories from Science and Observation, by Peter Wohlleben, Greystone Books, 2019, pp. 35–52. Call out to planters! Bethany is looking for block maps! There is a link on her website to donate block maps to her creative project (see link below) LINKS Website: https://davis-bethany.format.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bee.davis_/ Book to check out: The Secret Wisdom of Nature https://www.amazon.ca/Secret-Wisdom-Nature-Extraordinary-%20Observation/dp/1771643889/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=CjwKCAiA-P7xBRAvEiwAow-VadxV6EIfnLg4MSTSnUWivjIpzIOWgGZAOBM2nFD-%20ZGVwY2jRdso9sBoCRqEQAvD_BwE&hvadid=324888448280&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9061009&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11157256988861346976&hvtargid=kwd-647253172304&hydadcr=2438_10293367&keywords=secret+wisdom+of+nature&qid=1581277487&sr=8-1

14 Feb 202035min

Lars Zergun, otherwise known as Mike Ross, the creator and founder of King King Reforestation. King King Reforestation is a group on Facebook that has become a hub for the tree planting community online. From discussing gear, ride shares, job opportunities and all things planting, this is the spot! I talk with Mike about his own tree planting career as well as how King Kong came about. **If you are interested in getting any of the mp3 of the planting songs he has made, such as "Welcome 2 Treeplanting, Gorilla Warfare and Gravediggez", please email him with subject line "Planter music" at larszergun@live.ca** LINKS Soundcloud link: Lars Zergun "Gravediggez" https://soundcloud.com/djbolivia/lars-zergun-gravediggerz?fbclid=IwAR2PwWV2ZYSvQqEYcCYoPYWUIb-l0FTbTspYrzaOYDrUz1A0E_B6euCDI0Q Youtube links to some of the King Kong tree planting videos: King Kong Reforestation-Rebuild the future https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yMlQ-dT0fc&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2cRA4EoeefoHEn7BqIU5xpLOGz7upZxRIZUkwwqWeK-GRYnIEU4SSCd8U KEEP COOL - Plant Hard, Die Happy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FJdUUMYH4c&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2cRA4EoeefoHEn7BqIU5xpLOGz7upZxRIZUkwwqWeK-GRYnIEU4SSCd8U

7 Feb 202059min

As suggested by another planter, I have come up with a comprehensive list of planting terms for you!! For anyone who isn't a tree planter or anyone looking to go tree planter for their first time this year, you can brush up on these terms to get familiar with the tree planter lingo. These terms will come up a lot in subsequent interviews! I have attached a print out of these terms on the Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/thedirtconfessionsofatreeplanter/

4 Feb 202056min

This is an overview of what tree planting looks like here in Canada. From how the tree planting industry works, to every aspect of the job. I talk about what gear we use, what we plant (they aren’t actually trees!), what we wear, how long we work, and how long the seasons are. I also talk about things tree planters have in common and what it takes to be a tree planter. Lastly, I touch on how much you can earn tree planting. Enjoy! For corrections on some of the information I mentioned about TFLs, see this document here --> https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/forestry/timber-tenures/timber_tenures_brochure_2012.pdf

2 Feb 202041min

Hey tree planters far and wide, and anyone else who is curious about tree planting. I want to hear from you! Do you have a crazy story to share? Do you have ideas for this podcast, or topics you would like covered? Do you have a question about tree planting you want answered? Contact me! erin@wildewords.ca

31 Jan 20203min

Welcome everyone! Here is a little about me and why I decided to start this podcast. Cannot wait to hear from you and get this this going!

31 Jan 20209min

A brief bio on what this podcast is all about!

30 Jan 202056s