Donny Blyde

Growing up I was raised in London, Ontario. I left for my first big adventure out west in 2012 to the planter city of Prince George. Before I knew it, I was out in a cut block with a shovel in one hand and a tree in the other. It seemed like only yesterday I was putting those first trees in the ground but here I am twelve years later still doing what I love and running my own camp. Outside of planting I also participate in many other job opportunities within Spectrum such as vegetation management, pine beetle surveying and fall and burn, and fire mitigation. Some of my interests outside of forestry work involve hiking with my dog, board games with friends and a passion for cooking and baking.

Planting History

My tree planting journey began in 2012 where I spent four years planting, mostly around northern BC and Alberta while dipping my toes into the coast. In 2017, after four years of tree planting, I became a crew leader where I ran my own crew of seventeen planters for multiple years. After a couple of years of, I decided to take a year to go back to what I love doing and planted trees for my eighth season. During my ninth season, I took an offer to become an assistant supervisor. For my tenth season, I joined Spectrum’s tree planting program running my own camp in 2022. Last year, my role was a project coordinator where I helped oversee all of our tree planting camps and operations. This was a huge move for myself as I have always been interested in how the forestry industry runs behind the scenes from what I saw as a planter. This season, I will be running my own camp with Spectrum and looking forward to the communal environment, the hardworking individuals and the lasting friendships that planting has to offer.

Goals and Expectations for This Season

Safety. This is the biggest and most important goal for me this season. I am a huge advocate for safety and encourage other members in camp to feel the same way. I believe having a strong and followed safety program is important to success and the well-being of others.

Having a positive attitude. Tree planting can be a rewarding but also a very difficult job. Being outside working in all sorts of weather conditions and terrains can be mentally exhausting. Having a positive attitude is crucial to the success and for one’s wellbeing as well as others around them.

Respect. This is crucial when it comes to planting. Tree planting is one of the toughest jobs I can think of and respect can apply to many factors such as being on time, respect for the equipment we use for day-to-day operations, and respect for others and their time. Respect for others and their time will be dire to your success this season.

Production. It is important that you give every day your best. Every season is limited on how many planting days there will be your success is dependent on you going out and making the most of every day. A lot of resources go into our tree planting operations from training to equipment, to fuel costs. A couple of missed days can add up to a lot at the end of the season and we want you to be successful and hit your goals.