Nursery Summer Student

Overview

We are seeking to hire a Nursery Summer Student for the 2026 season. This position is an 8-month term from May to December and will be based out of the Saanich Forestry Centre located on Vancouver Island.

What You’ll Do: Our Nursery Students work alongside our team of forestry and nursery professionals gaining valuable training and experience in the growing and maintenance of seedling crops.

Who You Are: This is a great opportunity for students who are currently enrolled in a forestry, horticulture and/or related post-secondary program and looking to gain hands on experience!

What We Offer

• Pay from $4,400 - $4,750 per month based on skill level, qualifications, and experience
• 4% Vacation pay in lieu

Work Environment

This role is to be performed in person at our Saanich Forestry Centre located on Vancouver Island in Saanichton, BC. This position runs on a Thursday – Monday shift, from 7:30AM to 4:30PM.

Responsibilities

• The Nursery Summer Student is a key member of the Saanich Forestry Center and is required to be a team player primarily within the nursery and management staff;
• Monitoring and irrigating crops, including crop health, disease and/or pest presence;
• Seedling growth measurements and reporting;
• Weeding crop, thinning crop, general greenhouse maintenance, cleaning, and upkeep;
• Block spacing;
• Greenhouse poly removal and installation;
• Strong planning, time management, and organization skills;
• Excellent people skills and the ability to support the supervisors with supervision of the seasonal employees;
• Ability to communicate with employees effectively through a culture of respect and trust;
• Good working knowledge of WorkSafe and environmental regulations relevant to the nursery industry;
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in MS-Excel, MS-Word, and MS-Outlook;
• Must be physically fit, capable of lifting heavy objects and be able to physically manipulate objects with body strength.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Currently enrolled in a forestry, horticulture, or biology related post-secondary program;
• Previous nursery or horticulture co-op work terms is an asset;
• Mechanically inclined and able to run various types of equipment such as forklift, weed-whacker, lawn mower, etc.

Skills, Knowledge and Required Competencies

• Dependable, possess a strong work ethic, attention to detail, have a great attitude, and thrive in a team environment;
• Self-motivated and able to take their own initiative;
• In good physical condition and enjoy the challenge of working in a nursery and greenhouse environment.

About Saanich Forestry Centre

The Saanich Forestry Centre operation, established in 1964, is the start of everything Western does. The facility on East Saanich Road features seed orchards and a forest-seedling nursery; it produces 15 million seeds and 3.8 million seedlings annually. The seeds are used to grow Douglas fir, western red cedar, western hemlock, yellow cypress and Sitka spruce. The seedlings are used in Western’s operations around the coast.

Your Career at Western Forest Products

At Western Forest Products, we believe our most significant asset is our people. Investing in our people brings value and success to our business, ensuring a safe, engaged, productive and continuously improving workplace. We offer challenging opportunities working alongside the best in the industry to meet your career and professional development goals while providing competitive total rewards and recognition.

We provide a variety of on-the-job training and continuing education in many areas at Western to ensure you have the skills you need to succeed. Our promote-from-within culture recognizes high performance and we offer diverse career paths across the organization for those with the talent and will to advance.

Our total rewards offering including competitive pay, performance bonus, pension plan, benefits and other programs designed to support our employees.

Western Overview

Western Forest Products is a leading forest products company that sustainably manages forests and manufactures high-quality wood products. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia with operations in the coastal region of BC and Washington State, Western meets the needs of customers worldwide with a specialty wood products focus and diverse product offering.

Our commitment to health and safety, environmental stewardship and community engagement is core to how we do business at Western Forest Products.

Our approach to responsible business practices in all aspects of our business is multi-faceted. We adhere to and employ the most stringent environmental practices in the world. The steps we take to ensure the forests in which we operate are renewed and remain healthy and viable for future generations are mirrored in the care we take to make certain our communities continue to grow and prosper. This includes investing in communities where we operate and continuing to forge mutually beneficial relationships with First Nations in respect of their local and cultural interests.

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