Femme in an Apron: Reflections From a Queer Former Tree Planter and Current Bush Cook
CW: harassment, $hit in a bag
I have worked for three companies in my five years in the industry as a tree planter and bush cook. As anyone in the industry knows, the only humane way to survive the brutality of working at a bush camp is through creating community with the camp. Some of my closest friendships are thanks to the seasons I've spent in the bush. Intimacy and vulnerability outside a planting camp take time. This time we speak of is sped up ten fold up when you spend all of your waking hours with the same people, everyone physically and emotionally beaten to the bone: showering, sharing meals, sharing your music with the truck (christian rap, really?), heated political debates on the way to work (anyone else? Or was that just my crew?), melt downs, disclosing camp crushes, post bush rave breakfast at the diner in town, camp meetings where the management tells you that whoever took a $HIT in a bag needs to cut it out. You get it, we all get to see many sides of each other really fast.
Not only is it brutal work to plant trees all day or cook for 60+ ravenous planters, but it is also super difficult and, I think, admirable that we all are willing to go live in the middle of nowhere for months at a time with a bunch of strangers. This level of vulnerability that we put ourselves through is as character building as planting your first 2K or making 180 grilled cheese at 4am imo. It also has the potential for danger to ensue, and unfortunately I've seen it happen. People who took this as an opportunity to harass others, knowing they had nowhere to go without leaving their job, people who took advantage of the vulnerable situation we are all in, thinking they could get away with horrific, unspeakable behaviour.
I've met people in the industry who I would never have got to or chosen to have spent any quality time with anywhere else (that sounds like an insult but I am sure there are many out there who could say the same about me). One year in particular, I think it's likely I was one of the only openly queer people some of my peers had spent a season in the bush with or had a conversation with.
In my opinion, in order for the community to be successful (that is: safe, home-like), and what many tree planters are already (and why I love them), is that everyone at the bush camp needs to have the ability to constantly interrogate their beliefs about themselves and the world. Why do you believe that? Who told you that? Where might their knowledge be limited? I think if we are constantly open to asking ourselves these questions (even if at the end of the day we disagree), we can create a safer industry for all and (call me crazy) a better world.
When interviewing for a new company, I suggest employees ask the management the following questions, and management be ready to answer them. How they are answered can give you insight into how the camp is run and if it is somewhere you feel safe calling home for the season. Because of the physical nature of this job, I have seen much value being played on if someone is physically fit for the job. As much as that is obviously important, I think the socio-emotional parts are EQUALLY important as the physical qualifications.
- Do you consider gender when hiring? What is the ratio of men, women, non-binary people at the camp?
- Do you have a sexual (or just general) harassment policy?
- How is that handled?
- Do you have harm reduction supplies at the camp?
- How do you make decisions about hiring (ie what character traits are important to you as manager in an employee)?
- Employers can ask employees the following questions: How do you handle yourself in a difficult situation?
- How do you handle conflict?
- How do you handle yourself and take care of yourself when your values are challenged?
- How would you describe yourself?