Tree Planting Jobs: What Work is Available?

There are many types of jobs available within the tree planting and forestry industry. In the UK, forests sustain over 80,000 jobs nationwide, often in rural areas with few other job opportunities. In fact, industry bodies estimate that they bring £2 billion every year to the economy.¹

How can planting trees generate new jobs?

Planting trees alone generates jobs, as the process of maintaining trees requires specialist knowledge and labour.² Once the trees have been planted, the process is not complete – they subsequently need to be cared for and nurtured.

More broadly, the forestry industry sustains jobs in different contexts. There are recreational jobs in the forestry industry, from creating and helping with hiking trails to tourism and travel.³ As more people realise the mental and physical health benefits of nature, the more demand there will be for planting and maintaining forests as tourist destinations.⁴

Trees also create jobs in a more commercial context, as they provide timber and resources, such as rubber and fruits for industries. Harvesting trees in sustainable forests creates stable jobs, as does the timber trade. Around the world, the timber industry alone sustains over 3 million jobs.⁵ A local timber industry is also more environmentally-friendly than importing wood from overseas.⁶

What kind of skills are required to obtain a job planting trees?

The process of planting trees does not require advanced skills. At a fundamental level, it requires someone to dig a large enough hole and place a sapling inside. But, specialist knowledge around the whole process is useful for understanding the soil and ensuring that a tree survives and thrives.⁷

For example, you should only plant a specific tree sapling if it is native to the region, so it is more acclimated to the weather. This ensures that it is comfortable with the soil, as a tree sapling is deeply dependent on the soil’s acidity and type. There are even different ways to plant trees, depending on the soil type.⁸

Moreover, trees need regular maintenance to ensure that they thrive and are not damaged by animals or disease.⁹