An independent documentary filmed near Prince George is aiming to lift the veil of mystery when it comes to tree planting.
One Million Trees, created by Everett Bumstead, was filmed with the intention of showcasing the long hours, grueling labor, and rich subculture behind the profession.
Bumstead, a tree planter himself, came up with the documentary about seven years ago when he was planting in the Prince George area.
“Just my experiences meeting the people and overcoming the physical hardships and all that happens that is a part of tree planting. I thought that this is a real-world and culture of its own that people don’t see,” he said.
“The regular people in Prince George, they see us come to the laundry mat but they don’t know all that goes on, when you’re in the bush.”
Tree planting is seasonal work, which leaves a lot of room for freedom, Bumstead explained.
The typical planter works from 5 am to mid-afternoon, planting thousands of saplings a week.
“I think most people imagine that we are walking across some sort of farmer’s field and laying seeds. The biggest thing is that when people see (tree planting) they are surprised,” he said.
“You do it with the bags on your hips, carrying around huge amounts of weight,” Bumstead added. “Then you have this little spade or shovel. The trees that you are planting are actually these seedlings that are about twelve inches tall.”
Canada’s silviculture industry is an interesting one, Bumstead says, because it has been operating for over sixty years.
No other country in the world has been planting for that long.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
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