How it started…

How it went…

The 7 months when I do garden and landscape projects at the summer/vacation homes of the rich and famous is now over. After several days of taking care of personal stuff I’ll be starting 5 months of lumberjack work next week. Time to slap on the Carhartt’s (work gear), butch up, fire up the saws, and hit the forest!

But don’t worry, environmentalists. Almost all the trees I cut are spruce, a tree that grows like a weed here and is just about the worst type of tree for capturing carbon from the atmosphere. I’m clearing out fields that are growing in, creating new fields and views, and doing forest management (cutting out dead, diseased, dying trees) to improve the health of the forest. The spruce forest is also one of the least bio-diverse forests on earth. A few birds and lots of red squirrels live in it, everything else just passes through. The fields and clearings I create an opening for plants that sustain a rich abundance of bird, bee, and mammal life so my work actually increases bio-diversity. And this is all small scale cutting for the most part – not like we’re clear cutting vast tracks – and we don’t use skidders or other large mechanized vehicles/machinery. We create no erosion and have limited impact on the soil. I give a lot of free firewood to elderly and low income people. The island I live & work on is 70% in conservation easements of one type or another (national park, state wildlife land, town parks) so don’t worry about any major deforestation. Meanwhile, I’m getting paid to pump up my muscles, get lots of fresh air, and enjoy working with a friend who is a total hot shot assistant.