Imagine waking up at sunrise in a camp a couple hundred of miles away from the nearest small town. Trek even further into the wilderness until you reach a man-made clearing. Throw on gear that weighs roughly 50 pounds. Make your way through a steep and treacherous terrain, bending down ever so often to tuck a spruce or fir seedling steadily into the ground. Continue until sundown. Repeat the next day. And the next. And the next. For an entire summer, while insects feast on your exposed flesh. Such is the reality of tree planting, a job that employs thousands of young Canadians every year.

“Everyday, you fluctuate between wanting to leave, and never wanting to leave,” says Rita