Typical Work Day

We thought we would write a blurb that outline a typical work day.

Our day usually begins at 7 am. After discussing the location where we will be working, we load up our gear into our Ford F250 named Bula and drive to our site. The gear typically includes loppers, hand saws, and herbicide. Additional equipment can include chainsaws, hedge trimmers, and chaps. If we are cutting trees or large vines we will use 25% Accord herbicide in spray bottles. This kills the roots of the plant when it gets sucked down as a seal forms. In the sites we work in we have observed many stumps that have sent out new shoots. This can be the result of not treating a stump once the top has been cut off. We also have used a 3% mix of Accord when foliar spraying. This involves filling up backpack sprayers with about 3 gallons of herbicide and covering at least 80% of the leaf surfaces. The herbicide will be taken into the leaves and kill by acting as a plant estrogen. It takes a week or more to see results; however upon revisiting our first site at Bull Mountain we were able to see our hard work paying off.

After loading up and getting to our site, we walk in our gear and decide our plan of action. We have rotating duties every week. We have a Hitch Leader who will lay out how we are executing the plan for the day, the Notebook keeper who records what we do and how much herbicide we use, a PPE (personal protection equipment) police, and a Medic who is in charge of the first aid kit.

After stating our plan of action we will proceed to start killing some plants until noon. After lunch we are back in the field and work until 4 pm, when we pack up the equipment and head back to the office. At the office we unload and so ends our work day.