Treeplanters are like relief workers: they head into remote locations to repair the devastation caused – more often than not – by humans. And like relief work, treeplanting is physically and mentally demanding, requiring long hours in isolated camps far from modern conveniences. Those who take on the challenge – usually students, artists, and ex-hippies – can earn a decent year’s salary in six months (an experienced planter can make $300 a day). For the most part, they are a unique breed; they care deeply about the Earth. Photographer Helene Cyr’s Handmade Forests: The Treeplanter’s Experience captures, in beautiful black and white photographs, the pain and joy of working and playing hard in an unforgiving landscape.
Handmade Forests: The Treeplanter’s Experience