J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) is a reforestation leader in Canada; and each summer hundreds of students from across the Maritimes are hired as tree planters.

"Tree planting is a really important part of what we do in the forest," said Jason Killam, JDI Silviculture Manager. "It's part of our long-term commitment to sustainability.”

The company pioneered large-scale tree planting in Canada 58 years ago.  Since then almost one billion trees have been planted - a national record!

Young growing trees absorb carbon dioxide.  A peer-reviewed internationally published study by Dr. Chris Hennigar, UNB Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, has established that JDI woodlands and the products we make from sustainable forests‎ (pulp, paper, tissue, corrugated medium and lumber) combined are a significant carbon sink over the next 50 years.

"I'm putting something back into the earth,“ said Jordan Bedard, fourth-year tree planter and Mount Allison University student.  "It does make you feel good at the end of the day that you are helping the planet in some way.”

JDI tree planters work hard, and they take pride in the commitment it takes to earn their pay.

"It feels great to say that I planted 4000 trees today - I earned that money,” said David Vickers-Drennan, rookie tree planter and Mount Allison University student. "It's a great sense of pride in knowing that you can do that amount of work."

JDI values the hard work of the students who plant our future forests by providing annual scholarships to help fund their university or college tuition payments.  Over the last 15 years, JDI has supported hundreds of tree planter students with over $500,000 in scholarships!

The JDI tree planting scholarship is one of many incentives and awards available to students in our region.