Jackson Bonn, residing in Belleville, Ont., shared his firsthand experience as a tree planter. On a crisp morning with light smoke lingering from nearby wildfires, Bonn led his team of tree planters, providing safety instructions before assigning them specific sections for planting. Throughout his 12-hour shift, he monitored the planters, ensuring they had the necessary tree seedlings and planted them in the correct locations.
Bonn, who has been a tree planter for years, joined thousands of individuals each summer in remote Canadian forests to replant areas cleared by logging and fires. Typically, tree planters plant between 1,500 to 5,000 trees daily, earning a piece rate per tree planted. Bonn mentioned that planting 2,000 trees at 17.5 cents per tree would yield $350.
Reflecting on his journey as a tree planter, Bonn highlighted the physically and mentally demanding nature of the job, leading planters to take pride in their work. Despite his love for tree planting, Bonn acknowledged it as a temporary job and expressed his aspirations beyond the profession. In 2025, he opted for a summer break on the East Coast instead of the annual tree planting season in British Columbia.
Now 24 years old and managing his crew as one of the more experienced planters in his company, Bonn sees tree planting as a quintessentially Canadian experience, unique in its scale and connection to the environment. He emphasized the deep bond shared among tree planters, stemming from the challenges and rewards of the job.
While Bonn plans to explore other avenues in the future, he intends to always carry the title of a tree planter with pride, considering it a transformative experience that expanded his horizons and appreciation for the Canadian wilderness. For now, he looks forward to continuing his passion for tree planting, both literally and metaphorically, deep in the bush this summer.