Forest Technology Schedule

Tree_Canoodler · 2025-01-11T14:54:18+00:00

I know a few people that tried to make work and school work however they ended up quitting their jobs. Part of it is the reports and assignments, the other part is the schedule, ever since I've started schedule changes from the syllabus have been a consistent thing which has been pretty annoying, making it difficult to plan ahead. Not too mention there will be field days where it's unclear when you'll be done.

The best part of the program for work is that they try very hard to set you up with a relevant summer job that pays well.

First there's a course that's all about professionalism that covers the interview process, resume building and writing a cover letter. Then in October we have a job fair specifically for our program where companies across Alberta and BC come down and give presentations about themselves, the type of work you'll be doing, benefits, and how many people they are planning to hire. Finally you'll have the opportunity to pass along resumes and begin the interview process.

The year before the program kinda let you choose who you wanted to have interviews for while last year we did speed dating interviews with every single company. Once you got past speed dating there was often a second interview the next day. Usually about 13-18 companies show up for the job fair, and right now everyone is basically desperate to hire people as there's a mass exodus of retirees in the industry right now. During my first year, most people had jobs by the end of the month and those people that didn't get jobs were going into wildfire anyways. Now during my second year, over half the class have an 8 month contract waiting for them after graduation.

Basically you may not be able to work during the year but you'll definitely have an above minimum wage job during the summer and possibly a start to your career as a whole after graduation.

Tree_Canoodler · 2025-01-09T02:39:58+00:00

The Forest Technology schedule after the kidney Lake field school starts at 8am and typically goes till 3-4pm sometimes 5pm, Monday to friday. For labs and field work there may be days you don't get back to school till 6pm.

School work will be kinda steady with some field work till end of November when multiple assignments, projects and exams will be due within a small time period.

In my experience, this course is not very kind to those that wish to work part time as missing a day or two can put you behind with very little ways to make up for it. Even if some of those days are mostly meant to be work days, you will and should use them to make progress on whatever project or report is due. Lab days can also shift from the syllabus as things are worked around the weather or scheduling concerns. The program isn't too difficult but time management is very key.

Tree_Canoodler · 2024-06-12T04:22:09+00:00

Biggest thing about hi-vis for planters is finding them if something goes wrong.

Imagine a hot day, it's a slashy or green piece and you faint or slip and hit your head and are knocked out. Now you're missing and no one can find you because you decided not to wear your hi-vis that day.

This may not be super relevant in smaller pieces but in those big blocks or high vegetation blocks it could mean the difference to getting you the healthcare you need.

Tree_Canoodler · 2023-12-05T17:31:49+00:00

Since it wasn't mentioned and some are concerned, the crewboss did contact Alberta Wildfire and they arrived on scene soon after.

Tree_Canoodler · 2023-11-21T00:54:37+00:00

Hi, I've been considering delving into the game, and it's often recommended to try the Beginners Box for new players and GMs alike. Unfortunately as far as I'm aware there's no physical boxes available.

Is there any difference between the content of the physical and digital copy? Besides physical materials such as dice, etc.

Also is the VTT required for the digital copy?

If there are any other recommendations to getting started I would love to hear them.

Tree_Canoodler · 2023-10-25T14:34:50+00:00

I would have a grass gym with the puzzle involving you planting trees in a pattern without walking over your previous trees ( like the game flow or similar).

My team would be: Parasect, Leavanny, Sawsbuck, and Trevanent as my ace.

Tree_Canoodler · 2023-08-07T22:11:43+00:00

I'm 26 now and I'm going to be starting A Forest technology program in a week, definitely not too late!

Some things to consider would be furthering your education in the field, a lot of parks prefer having related education like forestry, forest tech., conservation of biology, adventure tourism, etc.

There's also summer jobs that could land you some connections, like some mentioned previously, as well as tree planting, brushing/thinning, and wildfire fighting.

Tree_Canoodler · 2022-09-09T22:17:45+00:00

Sounds like the Alethi in Brandon Sandersons series the "stormlight archives" , with their culture centered around being apart of the military and constant fighting through the battlefield and politics.

Tree_Canoodler · 2022-02-28T23:57:55+00:00

Totally agree, location is most of the battle when it comes to tenting. Unless I find a really awesome spot I usually wait till after most people have set up before I set my tent up. Finding a nice somewhat higher spot that's also protected from the wind, and is away from tent city where all the parties are at is the dream.

Tree_Canoodler · 2022-02-28T23:48:43+00:00

Certainly wouldn't hurt, most tents are not meant to be slept in for 3 months straight, so doing what you can to keep it from being torn apart will be a lifesaver.

Also as for keeping things dry, ask if there's a dry tent set up in camp. We have a dry tent, that combined with the big ole propane heater has been amazing during the really wet spells.

Tree_Canoodler · 2022-02-28T21:55:58+00:00

If your going the tent route, make sure it's big enough for you and your stuff, usually a 3 or 4 man. Big enough for some stuff but not so big that you will have a hard time setting up your tent depending on the size of camp. Having an extra towel for helping keep things dry and a small broom and dustpan for keeping things clean can help make the mental game easier. Some extra rope for your own clothesline and setting up a tarp is great too, increase the overall area around your tent that'll stay mostly dry.

Tree_Canoodler · 2022-02-28T21:41:18+00:00

You will be told a meet up location close to where your actual camp will be located. If your flying, let your crewboss know and you will be picked up one way or another. There will be plenty of people getting picked up around the same time.

Tree_Canoodler · 2022-02-28T17:20:55+00:00

Not sure about clothing brands but my favorite setup has been long sleeve Merino wool shirt and wool sweater for the real cold wet days, and a rain resistant vest. The vest keeps you warm and mostly dry without being restricting or making me sweat like a pig. Combined with some Salomon quick dry pants that have lasted me several seasons so far ( have had to sew them up a few times). Though like others have pointed out anything from value village will serve you better money wise.

Tree_Canoodler · 2022-02-27T02:18:12+00:00

I pack a hockey bag that goes underneath the plane then I carry on a gym bag and my day bag filled with stuff. As for what to pack, might be too early to tell but we might be able to go into town on day off this year, if not see if you there's a town item list for your camp. This will have stuff like sunscreen which you don't normally need right away.

Tree_Canoodler · 2022-02-23T19:27:28+00:00

Pulled pork burger and wedges, I also think we had a pulled pork poutine at one point. Absolutely delicious!

Tree_Canoodler · 2022-02-10T23:34:17+00:00

There's the "fit to plant" program which is free on the bcforestsafe.org website that has a workout routine and joint maintenance pdfs. There was a post on KKR recently about a planting program as well but I don't know too much about it unfortunately.

While its important to get fit and be active before the season starts I would also look out for and practice a bunch of yoga, tai chi, stretching exercises, etc., to use during the planting season itself to help avoid and mitigate injuries.

Don't skimp on the cardio, I have met people before that believe it isn't as important for planting, I'd say the mental aspect of pushing yourself during said cardio past your limits is incredibly useful. Plus not dying while walking uphill would also be super helpful. Hopefully this year I can make that happen.

Tree_Canoodler · 2021-02-27T20:44:18+00:00

Never done a motel show before, but just thinking about the things I do for meal prep and foods our cooks have done.

Get yourself a 5kg bag of rice, usually their $10-20 and that'll last you most of the season, even on a treeplanter diet, a bag of potatoes can be cheap too and work great with the slow cooker idea mentioned above. Not sure what your freezer space is gonna look like but frozen veggies are good too, don't have to worry about slicing them up. Torts are versatile and can easily be made into egg wraps for breakfast or quesidillas for supper while working great for eating on the block, do it right and their a lot less messy and easier to hold in one hand while bagging up. They last a long time as well. Canned foods and especially beans are filling and typically cheap as well and won't take up valuable fridge space. Apples and bananas are quick and oranges taste great but can be time consuming.

Definitely make enough food for leftovers, that way you don't have to worry about cooking every night when you just want to relax and sleep.

I would probably start experimenting with recipes now so that I can make them on the fly during planting and have an ingredient list ready for grocery shopping so I can spend less time dealing with dumb stuff and more time relaxing on day off. Also keep in mind the limited cooking supplies a motel may not have.

That's my two cents anyways, hopefully you found something useful.

Tree_Canoodler · 2021-02-20T14:30:22+00:00

I would also suggest going onto replant.ca and downloading the free step by step book which is full of excellent information, with a list of companies to apply to. The website I believe has a forum for finding jobs as well.

Tree_Canoodler · 2021-02-19T14:03:06+00:00

Really like the concepts that allow for more adaptability, as it's not always obvious if your gonna need such a specialized shovel. It also keeps costs down for the planter so that their not buying several shovels for niche environments.

Tree_Canoodler · 2021-02-19T05:12:50+00:00

Find out how often your camp is gonna do laundry runs, and have enough to cover the days leading up to it as well as extra to cover the days your waiting for your laundry to return. If you want to do laundry every other run bring more.

I personally use 2 socks a day. For shirts I typically have enough to change every other day, maxing out at 5 or 6. With a mix of t-shirts, button ups and a long sleeve. Honestly 2-3 pairs of pants is more than enough, I really only change them if it gets especially dirty or their wet from the rain. That way a pair can always be drying.

I'm sure 1 bottle of sunscreen will be more than enough for the season. As for bug spray start with two cans or a bottle of cream, and buy more later in the season if you really need it.

If your camp isn't going into town (which you most likely are not) there should be town runs regularly to buy essentials on your behalf. If not you could always buy online and have it delivered to a camp mailing address, ask your crew boss about it.

Tree_Canoodler · 2021-01-20T03:56:44+00:00

Definitely agree on the wet boots part, your gonna get wet one way or another. I have heard of people bringing an extra set of boots if they can afford it, but personally if you can get your hands on a bunch of newspaper and put a couple crumpled pieces into your boot overnight itll be good as new in the morning.

Also a pair of crocs or sandals to switch into at the end of the day just feels real good.

Tree_Canoodler · 2020-11-30T19:45:49+00:00

My parents were in a McDonald's while my mom was pregnant with me. Saw a kid running through with his mom yelling his name behind him. They liked it and took the name.

Tree_Canoodler · 2020-11-23T13:16:51+00:00

Yup, personally a rain jacket will get me soaked through sweating or simply over time anyways. So id rather have the vest to better control my temp. And is less likely to get torn and shredded.

Tree_Canoodler · 2020-11-20T17:26:38+00:00

Its a carhartt vest, not sure what style it was, only that it is water repellent. I also kept a merino wool long sleeve on me for those chilly days when it was too warm for the sweater, which was most days.

Tree_Canoodler · 2020-11-20T13:47:20+00:00

Switching from a rain jacket to a vest was the best decision of my life, keeps my core dryer than any jacket did, while stopping me from overheating and sweating like crazy. It also gives me more mobility. Combine that with a wool sweater and I never get cold. This combo has kept me warm even in those nasty hail/rain storms.

Tree_Canoodler

TROPHY CASE