The Dirt: Confessions of a Tree Planter

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

12 Jan 202234min

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/

27 Des 20211h 22min

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!

16 Des 20211h 11min

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.

2 Des 202148min

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/

24 Nov 202139min

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!

13 Nov 202154min

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

30 Okt 20211h 29min

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

21 Okt 20211h 7min