Tree Planting

TREEPLANTER and HERBICIDE APPLICATOR

Hiring: Seasonal Tree Planter and Herbicide Applicator
Company: Bartram Woodlands Ltd.
Location: Guelph, Ontario

Full-Time Fixed-Term Position, 9-Week Contract

Start Date: April 23, 2025
Completion Date: June 27, 2025

***Applications will not be considered without a Cover Letter and Resume***

Job Description – Seasonal Backpack Herbicide Applicator and Treeplanter

Outdoor manual labour in all-weather conditions on rural and urban forested properties in Southern Ontario. Position will involve planting tree seedlings by hand for 2 weeks, followed by backpack herbicide application for spot-tending of seedlings and invasive species control for the remainder of the contract period. Details as follows:

Handplanting (April 23 – May 9): Workers hired for this position will receive basic training to plant tree seedlings and potted stock by hand at the start of the season. All training paid hourly for the first 3 days, opportunity for piecework pay begins after training period. The successful candidate will then plant trees by hand for the next 2 weeks of the contract period, along with any additional tasks including watering by hand, staking, and installing coco-mats and tree-protection guards to planted trees. This worker will also be expected to assist with handplanting projects as needed throughout the remainder of the Spring planting season when weather conditions are not suitable for herbicide application.

Backpack Herbicide Application (May 12– June 27): This work will begin around May 12, depending on weather and site conditions. The worker will be supervised on site at all times by a licensed pesticide applicator. Work is weather dependent and can involve working weekends or shortened hours during heatwaves. Work will be cancelled on days when weather is not suitable, with assignment to other work crews where possible. There are 2 types of backpack herbicide application required for this position:

• Spot Tending: Backpack herbicide application around planted seedlings to reduce weed and grass competition.
• Invasive Species Control: This work will begin in June, after spot tending is complete. Includes basal bark, foliar, and cut stump applications of herbicide to control a variety of invasive species.

Other Duties: Position may also include additional forestry labour such as: brush chipping, watering trees and manual weed control. All work includes supplemental tasks of loading and unloading equipment, and maintaining clean equipment, worksite, and work vehicle(s).

Demanding Physical Labour: All work requires excellent fitness and mental stamina. To succeed you will need to work to the full extent of your capacity for the duration of the contract period. We will provide thorough training to assist you in maximizing your potential earnings as quickly as possible. Many tasks will be paid by piecework, with opportunity for additional reward for hard work.

Work is based from Guelph, and all planting staff must have their own seasonal accommodation in the Guelph area. Frequent out-of-town projects will also require accommodation in hotels on weeknights. All hotel accommodation and transport are supplied at no cost to employees, but you must supply and prepare your own food each day. There is a $25 meal allowance for each night spent in a hotel. Board and accommodation in the Guelph area is not provided.

Successful applicants must sign an Employment Contract to work a 9-week period from April 23, 2025 to June 27, 2025.

Job Requirements

• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50lbs and wear a 40lb backpack for long periods of time.
• Able to work outdoors while completing repetitive tasks, crouching/bending down, and standing and walking all day in various off-trail terrain while carrying heavy planting bags/backpack herbicide tank.
• Available to stay in hotels out-of-town for up to 4 nights a week whenever required during employment contract. Cannot have personal commitments (e.g. pets, babysitting, appointments, classes etc.) in Guelph/area in conflict with work requiring hotel accommodation.
• Personal accommodation is required in the Guelph area for training days, weekends, and all local work where hotel stays are not required.
• Available to work weekends as needed, according to favourable weather conditions.
• Comfortable working alone and in a group setting.
• Strong work ethic, motivated to work hard, competitive mindset.
• Able to communicate in English.
• Must be able to tolerate flying and biting insects (mosquitos, blackflies, deer flies, ants, etc.), potential wasps/bees.
• Must be able to tolerate working in all weather conditions (cold, heat, intense sun, rain, etc.).
• Must be able to work safely around sharp and thorny brush (blackberries, brambles, hawthorn, buckthorn), stinging nettle, and poisonous plants (primarily poison ivy/oak, occasional giant hogweed).

Any of the following skills/ training will be considered strong assets:

• Pesticide Application Technician certificate.
• Forestry Pesticide Applicator License (Technician or Exterminator)*.
• Clean G-Class driver’s license with minimum 2 years of driving history.
• Experience driving work vehicles or pick-up trucks.
• Previous tree planting or herbicide application experience.
• Demanding outdoor or farm labour experience.
• High-performance fitness training or organized sports training.
• Outdoor travel and camping skills, summer camp experience.
• 1st Aid Certification.

Pesticide Technician Certificate: Bartram Woodlands will pay for the Pesticide Technician training application fee and study manual. Employee will be required to study the training manual at home and pass a written exam prior to April 23, 2025. Bartram Woodlands will also pay for the certificate once the employee passes the exam. This certificate is valid for 2 years.

Contract Timing and Payment Details

Daily Hours: approx. 6:30AM to 6:30 PM Monday through Friday, with regular shifts on weekends when weather cancellations occur during the weekdays.

Dates: Start April 23, 2025, finish June 27, 2025.

Mandatory Classroom Safety Training: April 23, 2025. Includes orientation with the Bartram Woodlands Safety Program and all aspects of outdoor worker safety.

3-Day South Ontario Treeplant Training: Beginning on April 24, 2025, all new and returning seasonal staff must complete this training and orientation to Southern Ontario planting techniques. All work during field training period will be paid hourly at $20.00/hr for new/inexperienced planters, and $22.00/hr for experienced planters with at least 1 previous season of experience.

Piecework Compensation: Where possible, Bartram Woodlands will pay workers by piecework to improve productivity and provide opportunity for efficient workers to earn higher wages.

1. Backpack Herbicide Application Rates: Piecework Rates: Backpack spot application around tree seedlings is paid on a piecework basis, averaging $0.10- $0.15 per tree. Average daily pay range: $200-$300+/day.
2. Hand Planting Rates: Bare Root Seedlings: $0.30-$0.50 per tree. Average daily piecework pay range: $200-300+/day

Hourly Compensation: Hourly compensation is only paid for projects that cannot be compensated by piecework.

1. Regular forestry labour is paid at $22.00 per hour (new planters) or $24.00 per hour (experienced planters).
2. Backpack spot application to control Invasive species is paid on an hourly basis starting at $24.00/hour for unlicensed trainees, $26.00/hour for technicians and $28.00/hour for licensed applicators.

Travel Time Compensation: Expect 1-3 hours travel daily. All travel time from the company yard to the worksites and back paid at a rate of $18.00/hour. All transportation to the worksites is provided. Note: Employees who cannot travel to the company yard can arrange to be picked up in Guelph (at the loss of a ½ hour of travel time per daily).

Bonuses: Seasonal treeplanters will be eligible for all bonus payments listed below:

1. Contract Completion Bonus (5%): Receive an additional 5% bonus on all accumulated wages for the successful completion of the entire seasonal contract period.
2. Treeplanting Quality Bonus (0-5%): 1% of bonus payment for each percentage above 90% quality, up to 95% - maximum available bonus of 5%. (This bonus does not apply to backpack spraying work.)

Statutory Holiday pay and Overtime: Employees will be paid for all Statutory holidays and regular “time-and-a-half” overtime after 44 hours per week.

Average Daily Pay (all payments and bonuses): $200.00-$300.00+ per day

How to Apply

Contact Kyla Boltz (kyla.boltz@bartramwoodlands.ca) to request an Information Sheet that will provide a detailed description of the job experience and further instruction on where to upload your resume and cover letter to receive consideration for an online video interview. Please mention that you found this posting on GoodWork.

Interviews

Date 1: February 27, 2025

We will contact you if selected for an interview. Thank you for applying!

***Applications will not be considered without a Cover Letter and Resume***

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.