Summer Tree Plant
August 24, 2015 10:08 am Leave your thoughts
I can hardly believe it! August is just around the corner! With the closing of the month also comes the end of the tree planting season. Beginning in mid-May, the tree planters are close to finishing off the last of over 5 million seedlings planted on the forest management area this year and I have been busier than ever trying to keep up with their wild pace. Almost every day for the past two weeks I have been out in the field rain or shine, something I have really begun to appreciate about work in the forest industry. We encounter a diversity of conditions, making every day in the field different. This week alone included a sweeping view of a small lake, expansive views west to the Rocky Mountains and navigating steep terrain in the heart of the foothills. It is exciting going to work every morning when you know that there is something different in store.
Being in the field has also afforded me with some very- unique- sightings over the past few weeks. It felt like the good old wild west last week- as I was driving down a county road I glanced to my left and was floored to see half a dozen wild horses grazing on lush forbs beside a well site! Unfortunately I was unable to snap a photo, but it sure caught me by surprise! The horses were black and a bit short and stocky, but much healthier than I expected for wild horses. My supervisor said that because the horses are grazing on crown land and aren’t branded, it’s technically legal to try and catch one and break it- in other words tame the horse so that you can ride it. Breaking wild horses is a practice not unheard of here in Alberta but I’m not one to try it!
This week I was driving to my work site and thought I was losing my mind as there was snow- yes snow on the ground all around me! Sure enough when I arrived at my first cut block for the day I discovered that much of the ground was covered an inch deep in hail stones the size of Mentos candies. Over the course of the day I heard some drivers talk about the hailstorm that hit the day before and all I can say is I’m glad I wasn’t out there for that! The hail fell on a stretch of land that basically coincides with the entire area that was planted in a compartment since the end of June. I think it goes without saying that such a large amount of hail is extremely damaging to the seedlings. One of the cut blocks I visited was just covered in white, and with hail stones crunching underfoot, it sure gave new meaning to the phrase “Christmas in July.” Throughout my day of work it was not uncommon to see seedlings with broken tops, severed branches and missing needles. I am no expert on how hail impacts the growth of trees but I am sure that these areas will need additional attention in the coming years.
This past week I really hit my stride at work and just at the right time. On Tuesday I was busy checking quality in a part of the forest management area with poor access, and had to use a quad. This was my first time loading, unloading and operating the quad on my own for the whole day and everything went well. Finally, as advertised, the weekend mountain rambles continue, most recently with three days of hiking in Jasper/Banff’s famous Icefields region. All in all, the past two weeks have been a blitz of activity that has pushed me to my limits. I am looking forward to finally putting a bow on the tree planting season and moving on to other aspects of forestry.
