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!

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

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.

• 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 Work Safe 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.

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.

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.

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…