"The Summer of Record-Breaking Tree Planting Feats"

In an amazing accomplishment, Leslie Dart planted a whopping 4,545 trees in just one day during Saskatchewan’s planting season last year. She worked on a burnt landscape, using a small shovel to dig, placing a seedling, and moving on. A TikTok video of her efforts got a huge 8.7 million views.

During her college summer breaks, Dart planted a total of 372,290 trees – a really impressive feat. Her dedication is inspiring. She’s not the only one planting trees in Canada during the summers. British Columbia has strict rules for planting trees each summer to repair damage from wildfires.

Lots of college students work planting trees in the summer and can earn between 13 and 27 cents per tree. Dart, who just graduated and works in aerospace manufacturing, found tree planting rewarding. She set a personal record by planting 5,415 trees in hot 93-degree Fahrenheit weather.

Summers in British Columbia’s forests are unpredictable. The weather can change quickly from sunny to rainy, hailing, or even snowing in a short time. Dealing with tough conditions, including heatwaves of 37 to 40 degrees Celsius, was hard work.

Since 2017, over 1.6 billion trees have been planted in British Columbia, with more than 200 million seedlings added every year. This is important for keeping the environment healthy.

Many students, like Dart, plant trees in the summer before getting full-time jobs. Some, like Kenny Chaplin, have spent their lives planting trees. Chaplin, with 35 years of experience, set a record by planting 15,170 trees in a day. Though that record was broken last year, Chaplin is still a leader.

Even though it’s challenging and humbling, tree planting is appealing. Dart, whose TikTok video was really popular, hopes to plant more trees. She calls it the “coolest office” she’s ever worked in. Her advice to new tree planters is to be ready for anything and stay strong – both mentally and physically.

Re-reported from the article originally published in My Modern Met