How do I find a job tree planting in BC?

Question 1: How do I find a job tree planting in BC?

There are several ways that you can find tree planting jobs in BC, and it is important to be aware of the primary hiring seasons and how to contact potential employers.

Hiring Seasons

The work season generally begins in March for a small segment of experienced workers on the coast of BC, with most new workers beginning work in mid-to-late April and May in the interior of the province where 80% of the work occurs.

Tree planting employers begin hiring new recruits in November with a second wave of hiring between February and April as employers fill any remaining positions. Employers occasionally hire workers throughout the active season between mid-May and July but generally limit these hires to experienced workers as it is difficult to train new workers after the initial start-up period.

How to Get Hired

There are four main approaches to finding a tree planting job:

Talk to friends and colleagues who already work in the industry and ask them to introduce you to their crew boss. They can often tell you a bit about the company, and you will have the advantage of being familiar with at least one person on the crew as you adapt to the new work environment.
Conduct a search of tree planting companies working in BC and apply to them directly through their website or by using contact information posted on the internet.
Visit The Cache Job Board, which is a website designed for posting tree planting and silviculture jobs in BC and Western Canada. This is a newer resource that will be utilized more in coming seasons, and will be linked to a wider range of silviculture jobs apart from tree planting, including brushing, firefighting, and stand-tending.
Visit social media websites on Meta or Reddit and watch for job postings from employers. Be aware that these sites tend to be used after employers have already filled most of their positions, and you will need to scroll through multiple pages or check frequently to identify available positions. The Replant.ca Facebook page was created specifically for posting of jobs and to distinguish this function from other tree planting social media pages that are focused on more general worker conversations such as King Kong Re-Forestation (KKRF).

Caution

Workers should be wary of employers that contact them directly without providing adequate information. Many workers post "pick me" ads on Meta (Facebook) with the hope of attracting an employer's attention. While this can sometimes work, it also provides the opportunity for scam-artists or under-the-radar operators to contact the worker without revealing information about their company. In contrast, employers that post a job ad generally have to provide a reasonable level of detail, and if using social media, other workers can verify if the job offer is indeed legitimate.

Workers from Outside Canada

*Workers from outside Canada should be aware that you need to either hold Canadian citizenship or hold a valid working permit to go tree planting. Information to guide workers from outside Canada can be found at the following link: https://www.replant.ca/foreignworkers.pdf