Canadian Forestry World's Toughest Jobs

This programme contains strong language

For many young Brits, life has never been more of a struggle.

There isn't really any opportunities, there isn't really any jobs.

They may be broke...

Well, that's my money gone, going on a bet.

I've never been in so much debt in my life.

..stuck in a rut...

People think I'm lazy, but I'm not.

I want something that actually challenges me.

..or just want more.

Two days a week I have to do this - digging shit out of a hole!

But now...

..they have the chance of escape.

Around the world, there are manual jobs where young people

can strike payday gold.

Definitely some good money to be earned.

It sort of comes down to the individual

and how much money do you want to make.

The sky's the limit.

You work hard, you're going to make the money.

The catch?

They're some of the toughest jobs on the planet.

Covered in cow shit 24/7,

and if they're not shitting on you, they're running at you.

Today they would have cried like little bitches.

They would have cried like that there.

Now young Brits in need of a cash injection...

I'm not coming home until I have that money.

..are being given the chance to earn the big bucks.

-Oh, why the

-BLEEP

-did I sign up for this!

That is the brutalest job I've ever done in my life.

And it's no good complaining cos we don't give a shit!

And it could change more than just their bank balance.

Ooh!

Hey!

Before I came here, I didn't have any confidence in myself.

The question is, can they stand the pace?

Now you're working three steps below everyone. No walking.

I want you running. Whole day.

I just want to head-butt him so badly!

Or will the punishing world of manual labour...

Oh, Brent!

Oh...

I can't handle this shit! It's hurting me.

..send them screaming back to the UK?

Oh!

I just desperately want to go home.

Meet Keiran, Shannon and Danny...

..three Brits all looking to transform their lives

and earn serious cash.

I've been knocked down, my confidence is shot.

I've still got dreams, I haven't given them up.

I just haven't had the chance to grab them yet.

My mother and father can't keep on supporting me.

They won't be able to retire

till they're probably about 90

if I keep on being this, like,

party queen and go out, keep on drinking.

I need a bit of discipline and structure in my life

cos at the moment it's everywhere.

Going to the pub and getting drunk don't pay wages,

like, I want to get out and be able to do something.

In an effort to change their lives and boost their bank balance,

they've signed up for one of the toughest jobs on the planet...

..tree planting in the Canadian wilderness.

Every year millions of trees are cut down for paper and wood.

Each of those trees must be replaced.

And that's done by hand.

Surrounded by bear-infested forests,

the Brits will rough it on a planter's camp.

Each day they'll head into the wilderness

and plant thousands of trees in this back-breaking, arduous

and mentally demanding job.

This is a tough job and you've got to be working hard,

getting sore and being hot and getting attacked by bugs

day in, day out.

The day-to-day work is definitely back-breaking.

The weather, the mosquitoes,

the fact that you're never resting enough.

It makes the job mentally hard

and that's why people cry a lot.

You've got to work your body to the point where you can't work any more

and just keep going.

I'm pretty sure everybody who's done this job has cried at least one.

But this punishing job comes with one major perk...

You can make 10,000-15,000 in a couple of months.

It's good money.

Our trio will join thousands of young people

who flock to British Columbia for one of the best paid seasonal jobs

in the world.

But can the Brits hack it?

Or will they dig themselves a deep Canadian hole?

I want to do a bit of travelling, maybe experience different jobs...

But I wouldn't say no to, like, a rich husband

and just being a WAG or something.

My favourite pulling boxers, these.

If I'm going to pull, then...

The one thing I'm worried about the most is the food over there

because I'm an extremely fussy eater.

It could make the four weeks tougher than it needs to be.

Armed with their one-year working visas,

the Brits arrive in Western Canada.

-Nice to meet you.

-You all right?

-Yeah.

-Hiya, I'm Keiran ...

-Nice to meet you.

-All right, I'm Shannon. You all right?

-I'm good.

Yeah, they seem like a lovely bunch of people.

Now I'm here, I'm here for the work.

I can't wait to getting my hands dirty and get started.

I'm knackered. I stink.

But I'm excited and I'm...raring to go.

I have bought 20 pairs of eyelashes with me,

but I'm a bit scarce on the eyelash glue,

so I'm a bit worried that I'm going to have to, like, make my own

on camp with a bit of mud and a stick or something.

Back home in South Wales, 20-year-old Shannon has one passion.

I am probably the most materialistic girl you will ever meet.

I will buy loads of clothes, everything for myself,

instead of paying a bill.

It's not just bills Shannon ignores.

My mother calls me selfish because I'd probably buy myself

something for Christmas instead of her...which is quite bad!

Shannon does have a job - when she feels like it -

working with her mum as a hairdresser.

Shannon, could you shampoo Mrs Ashford for me, then, please?

Two seconds, texting, like.

'I would say Shannon is lazy, slovenly. She thinks she'

can have anything she wants in life,

but without doing an awful lot.

'Shannon just lives her life for Shannon, basically.'

(Stop texting.)

Desperate for her daughter to work,

Shannon's mum set her up with her own salon.

But Shannon's love of being on the lash

means she only works two days a week.

OK, thanks. Bye.

Phone call for you, that was.

Did you take their number? Did you ask who it was?

-Haven't got a clue.

-Oh.

Most people would jump at the chance of their own business,

but you can't really go out on a Friday night,

get absolutely legless and roll in on a Saturday at 12 o'clock

like...everywhere. Can't do it.

Where's my magazine gone?

Where's your magazine gone?

Now Shannon's mum has to run the business for her.

Thanking you!

That was worth interrupting me for, weren't it?

'Basically, I was left to pick up the pieces,'

because if it wasn't for me, she'd have no business left.

If she didn't step in and take it...

God knows where I'd be now.

Probably be bankrupt.

Shannon's realised her behaviour has to change.

'If I had children like me,'

probably would have left me outside a long time ago.

'I think we always strive to give our children that little bit more.'

Unfortunately, they will just sit there and take and take and take.

This is Shannon's chance to prove she CAN grow up

and take responsibility for her life.

-Oh, my God.

-Go on, lass!

I really need to be shown what else is out there.

I don't know what I want at the moment,

and I need something else to make me buck up my ideas

and come back a new person.

In Canada, the trio are heading into British Columbia's

vast forested region.

This is where the planters have set up camp,

and for the next few weeks, it will be home for our three Brits.

Greeting the rookies is Field Supervisor, Shelby Leslie.

Hello ...

It'll be his job to whip our trio into shape.

Welcome, welcome. I'm Shelby.

-I'm Shannon.

-Shannon? Pleased to meet you.

-Hi, I'm Keiran.

-Keiran?

-Keiran, yeah.

-Keiran, that's an old friend of mine.

-I'm Danny.

-What was it?

-Nice to meet you.

-Danny.

-Dunley?

-Danny.

So welcome. Never been to Canada, eh?

-No.

-Well, this is it, man.

Well, looks like we've got a little bit of weather coming in,

so you guys will probably want to set up your tent

and put on some warm clothes.

It'll drop below zero often here at night so...

So yeah, you guys set up your shit and then tomorrow we'll...

teach you guys how to plant some trees, hopefully make some money.

The camp is home to 47 young people.

Facilities are basic and everyone lives collectively.

-Guys...

-Yeah?

Being taken here...

My first impression of camp, it looks like a shit-hole.

There's lots of wood...

sawdust and mud.

-Shannon, you can sleep down there.

-Yeah, there you go.

Think that's where the toilet chute goes by the way, just you know.

And it looks like something from like a scary movie...

Like... Hostel or something.

Urgh!

I'm a lot different to the girls walking round.

I'm walking round with an umbrollie, like,

cos I don't want to get my hair wet, and they, like, don't care.

-Nice to meet you.

-I'm Shannon.

-Nice to meet you.

-I love your umbrella.

'Like they probably wouldn't give a shit if they stood in shit,

'but I'd be screaming petrified.'

I saw the girl that walking with an umbrella...

which was pretty funny.

I mean, I've never seen an umbrella in a planting camp in my life!

Right, we need to get the tent out first though, don't we?

Planters live in tents, whatever the weather,

and our guys need to get theirs up before dark.

Right...

It's my spot here.

There's poo right there, though. Typical.

-Oh, right there as well.

-I haven't got a fucking clue.

Open the instructions.

I haven't put a tent up in ages, either.

I don't get out my room, to be honest, so...

Back home in Plymouth, 23-year-old Keiran dreams of a career in music.

I'm always playing music, writing music.

The dream job would be playing music that I created with friends,

travelling on a tour bus,

playing at a different city every day.

But for the last two years, Keiran's been unable to find work of any kind.

I have been applying for work. It's not like I've not been trying,

but I'm not getting all the interviews.

I either get rejection e-mails or just don't get anything at all.

Unable to find a job, Keiran spends most of his time playing Xbox

and chatting to mates online...

much to the annoyance of his parents.

He stays up far too late.

Unfortunately we have to go to bed because we work

and we can't be there to monitor him all the time.

Well, I've gone in there sometimes at two in the morning

cos he's woken me up with his laughing and I've lost it and said,

"Will you bloody go to bed because I need to get to sleep!

"I'm up at five!"

What's the point of getting up early?

I haven't got anything to get up early for.

I stay up really late because my friends do

and I've got someone to talk to,

because during the day they're at work and I'm not.

Keiran's parents think he could do more to find work.

There's things he could go for,

but he just hasn't got that willpower just to...

just to push and think, "I'll try that".

It's not because I'm lazy, it's because I just haven't got

the get-up-and-go to do something,

I haven't got the funds to go out into town and, you know,

look for work properly.

My confidence is shot, to be honest, looking for work

and not getting anything back.

It makes me wonder why, what's wrong with me?

I'm fed up of this place.

I don't feel that there's enough opportunity for me.

Kind of...

in a tunnel at the moment

and there doesn't seem to be any light at the end.

Now Keiran's a long way from home.

I think it will do him the world of good and it might make him think,

"Hang on a minute, there is something outside my bedroom window.

"There's a big, big world out there

"and I'm going to grab it with both hands and make the most of it."

I'd like to see him work up a sweat.

It's a chance for me

to prove to myself that I am better than I think I am.

And I need to prove to my parents, to people that doubted me,

the people that never gave me that chance

that I can do it, if given the chance to.

You don't get any credit for backing down.

Keiran's got this far.

Ow!

If he can cope without the comforts of his bedroom...

Fucking pissing me off!

..he'll have taken a massive step forward.

My tent's flooded already.

To be fair, I'm pretty useless at putting up a tent.

And I don't really know what I'm doing,

but we'll get there eventually.

There's towels, I'll dry it off.

Our trio pitch their tents...with a bit of expert help.

-That was hard.

-High five. Good job.

Thank you so much.

Just in time for the evening meeting.

I wanted to introduce Keiran and Shannon and Danny from the UK,

who are going to be joining our group. Yeah.

-So...welcome.

-APPLAUSE

-I'm Keiran.

-Keiran.

-Shannon.

Everybody thought the same thing when they saw them,

cos they didn't look like, obviously, the typical tree planters.

My original thought when I saw the new guys in camp

was, "Oh, man, there is a punk band in camp now."

I was like, "They're just a rock band." This is hilarious.

That was my first thought seeing them trying to set up tent,

Shannon with her umbrella and dress and everything,

I was like, "This is not going to work."

CHATTER

The young people who come to tree plant

are lured by the way of life as much as the money.

It's the nomadic lifestyle, you kind of live moment by moment,

so I figure, make the most of it,

plus you can make some really good money in three months.

I make a lot of money.

I make my full year's money and pay my, like, university tuition

and my rent for the year just from my summer.

Fitting into this alternative lifestyle

could be as much of a challenge as the job itself.

I am feeling absolutely petrified about the work.

And, to be honest, it sounds like hard work.

I like work where you work but you don't seem like you're working.

This is the busiest I've been for the last, you know, two years of my life.

I can safely say, I'm glad I'm here right now and not stuck in my bedroom being a recluse.

I'm just looking forward to just getting on with it.

And I am going to struggle, so I am trying to prepare myself now

for it just being kind of horrific, you know,

but...I think I'm going to do better than the other two,

I've got to be honest.

LAUGHTER

In Leeds, unemployed 24-year-old Danny

is notorious for being a party animal.

The priorities of my life

are to go out as much as possible and enjoy my life while I'm young.

So if that means necking a load of beers,

getting blathered with my mates and having a bloody good time and pulling some birds, why not?

I don't believe there's such a thing as partying too much.

I'd say, to be honest, I go out at least five nights a week,

which it's mental to say that I'm unemployed, really, innit?

It sounds like I'm bragging about it and, in a way, I am.

CHEERING

Danny's mates ensure he's always got a drink in hand.

And he's so broke...

-HORN

-..he's still living at home with his dad.

He don't have the work ethic that we had.

Dan just does not conform, he don't think

that that's how it works, you know what I mean?

He doesn't understand about working.

He just thinks he can get through life without doing anything.

Ey up.

'I think my dad, if I'm being honest, is a bit fed up of it now.'

It drives me mental, because I'm out six o'clock of a morning

and he's sometimes rolling in at that time pissed up. Sorry!

Danny's never paid his dad rent,

so tree planting could be the chance

to prove he can graft for an honest wage.

You need to have a job, so this'll make your mind up one way or other.

You heard this?

'Going to a pub and getting drunk don't pay wages.'

I want to work hard. Well, I say I want to work hard, I want to make some fucking money.

BIRDSONG

In Canada, it's 6.30 in the morning.

Danny, Keiran and Shannon are about to find out

how tough tree planting can be.

Last time I was up this early in the UK,

I was probably going to sleep at this time, really.

The planting site is known as The Block,

and is located deep in the wilderness.

-How are you feeling, Shannon?

-Shit.

The Brits will be trained by Field Supervisor, Shelby.

Make sure you're on top of your tallies.

It's a tough job, you know, there's no mistake about that.

You're going to be sore, guaranteed.

If you're doing this job, you're going to be sore.

You're back's going to hurt, your legs are going to hurt,

your mind's going to hurt. You hurt in this job,

it's just kind of part and parcel of the whole package.

Our trio are part of a workforce of 47 people,

who must plant two million trees in just four weeks.

Push it forward, right? And then you bring it down like this, right?

And then the..the tree slides in along the back of your shovel.

You want to make sure you protect the roots. And then what you do...is just a little one of those.

(How do I do it?)

Planters earn around 13 cents for each tree planted.

Doesn't sound much, unless you plant like Lucas,

one of the camp's top earners.

Yeah, you've just got to focus and keep your momentum going,

keep your body moving and work as hard and well as you can.

And what are your hopes for the day?

Um, I hope to hit 5,000 trees.

So that'll be 550 minus camp cost, 525 in my pocket,

which isn't the most I've made from a day of planting, but it's pretty good.

To get that kind of cash,

a planter would have to put a tree in the ground every four seconds.

Feet moving, hand in the bag,

grabbing my next tree, and then you just keep going.

Like, this is...this is gravy, man. This is what planters call cream.

-This is 500 land, you know?

-Yeah?

For sure.

Got to get 'em a bit deeper there, Keiran, you're a little shallow.

-Stand up, Danny!

-Oh, fuck!

I'll just check some of our trees here.

A little bit shallow. See how when I just kind of pull this back a little bit

there's the plug right there?

You need to get that just a little deeper, cos when I pull that out, right?

'So we've got Danny boy there, he seems keen, you know,'

he's got the motivation, he's...he's probably the fastest one right now.

It seems like he's got the drive.

I can see him really picking up the pace.

Shannon, she's spatially aware of what's going on to...to some degree.

How am I supposed to like...

'She seems to be planting consistent.'

Fuck! I hurt!

Keiran, er, he's kind of trying to figure it out.

I think he's trying to figure it out,

but he definitely needs to..to pick up the pace a little bit.

Ooh!

I feel like a fucking hillbilly.

Why do they need logs anyway?

They don't have log fires no more.

They don't even make paper out of wood no more, though.

-What?

-I'm joking. I'm joking.

SHANNON LAUGHS

By lunchtime, the Brits are already flagging.

There's something you guys want to be aware of, right?

Like, you don't see guys like sitting around, like rolling smokes.

You know, it's like once you get into it,

it's like you've got to go, right?

Cos I mean, to make money in here you got to.. you got to put the trees in the ground, right?

I'm so tempted to just dig a big hole and just chuck 'em all in and say I've done it.

To be honest, I can't see why someone would, like, drag theirself out and plant all these trees.

Like, 120 was enough for me.

Like, I could go home and sleep now.

But there's no time for a nap.

The rookies have three weeks to prove they can plant enough trees

to be asked to stay on for the rest of the season and earn serious cash.

It is hard, but it's enjoyable hard.

You're doing something good, you're in a different country,

and anybody who moans about it are just idiots, you know.

It's doing this technique with the shovel that I just cannot get.

I keep messing it up.

Work on just using the one hand, man,

cos you're not doing yourself any favours by using two hands, you know.

Like, it takes a bit of force, you know,

it's not...it's not eggs in a grocery store, you know.

I don't know what it is he's doing, honestly.

The Brits are beginning to realise

there's a lot more to planting than shoving trees in the ground.

Just work on seeing the trees, so you're not ever double planting,

and just keep working on your spacing and your density.

Basically, I can't go in a fucking straight line.

I should be here, but I planted my trees there.

I don't even know if I'm supposed to go backwards.

Really fucking confusing.

They can fuck off, cos I'm going to go forwards.

A tree every four seconds, but you can't go at that pace, not a chance.

Shannon's up to a good speed,

but the physical demands are taking their toll.

This fucking bag's hurting me,

this fucking high-vis is cutting into my neck,

it's fucking boiling and my wrist is stinging like a bitch!

And I've just dropped my fucking shovel on my toe!

This is easy ground to work with and, like, you know,

you're a big strong dude, you should be able to...

Shelby's been tree planting for ten years,

and knows that for our rookies, the first few days are the hardest.

You just need to work hard. Get off the road, you don't make money on the road.

Anybody can come out here and just plant trees for a day.

You know, Boy Scouts plant trees for a day.

I think what'll be interesting to see tomorrow,

is they're pretty quickly going to come to the realisation

that, you know, this is a tough job and you've got to be bending over

and working hard and getting sore and being hot,

until they either can't handle it any more or until the contract's done.

Take...take your layers off. Like, you know, you're going to be pouring sweat out here

and you're going to get hot, so take your layers off and just be moving, you know.

Feet moving, feet moving, feet moving, feet moving.

It's like Fatboy Slim. # Body movement. # Right?

-You know Fatboy Slim?

-I don't listen to him. I don't know.

Ohh! Whatever, whatever song, you know?

Like if you've got music playing, I hope you're not listening to sad fucking Emo shit, right?

You want to be listening to like something to jazz you up, right?

# Body movin'

# Body movin'

# We be body movin'

# Body movin'...

But Keiran ignores Shelby's advice

and, eventually, the sun gets the better of him.

# Body, body, body, body movin'. #

Ow!

Oh, I feel horrible. Got a headache.

Too much sun.

HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

Way too much sun.

-Hold that there.

-Shannon's also suffering.

Her wrist has swollen up and needs attention.

SHUTTER CLICKS

By mid-afternoon,

all Keiran and Shannon can do is wait for the day to end.

Fucking phone died!

Back at camp, Keiran's woes continue.

With planters burning up to 5,000 calories a day,

eating well is essential.

But Keiran's fussy taste in food means he can't find much he likes.

-Don't like the soup, man?

-No.

-Have you tried it?

No. It's got broccoli in it, I don't like broccoli.

You can't taste broccoli.

It tastes like chicken.

I might have your soup!

Keiran might have an issue with the food,

but Danny has a different kind of problem.

I were bored today.

Fair enough, work is not meant to be exciting,

but then I choose not to do jobs that I don't want to do.

I love everything about the whole place, right,

but the actual job itself is boring.

And it's about to get even harder.

The following day, Danny and Keiran

are getting their first taste of very tough ground,

while Shannon is confined to camp with her injured wrist.

SHANNON YAWNS.

Yesterday, we had them in really easy ground.

Today, they're going to be running into, you know, rocks and, basically, just lots of rocks.

They're going to be hitting lots and lots and lots of rocks.

Basically, today the word of the day is rocks.

See that?

That's what you...that's what you're trying to plant trees through!

How am I supposed to get a fucking plant in there?!

Rock, rock, rock!

What am I supposed to do here?

Mike's been planting for five years

and knows only too well the challenges of rocky ground.

The first time being in really tough land,

especially after the first day was pretty good is, like, really discouraging.

Especially when it's rocky.

I remember the first bad land I ever had, I almost quit.

They always say, "When you've hit a rock, move around a little bit in the circle you're in,"

and I'm moving around and there's nothing to plant in.

Rock, rock, rock, rock!

It's fucking stupid!

It's not just rocks the Brits have to contend with.

-You're trees are not deep enough, man.

-Now they've got quality checker, Lumi, breathing down their necks.

The plugs are sticking out on almost all of 'em.

Deeper than shallower. Always think, put 'em deeper than you think.

If it's just a few mistakes, then you just tell the person to correct it.

But if you've told them too many times and it hasn't been corrected,

then you make them replant.

And that's the worst thing ever, because the job is so fucking hard.

It's...it's a soul crusher to go back and replant your trees.

I fixed your line, but I'm not supposed to do that ever.

-OK, mate.

-Yeah.

It's hard today.

In spite of his training, Keiran's not planting correctly.

Uh-oh. Whoa! You're going way to lightly.

It should be one movement, no hesitation.

Put your shovel in. Yep. You know the technique, you've been shown.

We're not planting flowers.

Right, now plant a few, like, as fast as you can.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Don't need your kicker in that ground.

-No?

-No.

It's just...one.

OK? So, open, put it to the wall of the side there...and then plant.

'Keiran I think is still struggling a bit.'

Realistically, it can only go up from here, you know.

You have no lack of strength.

You've got enough strength to plant a tree, everybody does.

Keiran's suffered with a lack of confidence since he was young.

'School life was mixed. I didn't enjoy it mostly.

'I got bullied quite a bit.'

A lot of the days, I'd be kind of walking around on my own as well.

'I think it's just...people just didn't accept difference,'

and I was different because I stood out.

Keiran's parents think his experience of bullying

still affects him today.

He spends so much time in his room,

it's a lot of the result of what he's been through.

Cos he's got no confidence, he doesn't find it easy to go out and meet people,

so he tends to do the opposite and stay in,

so he doesn't get in that situation.

I definitely think my confidence

is a lot lower than it could have been had I not been bullied all the way through school.

Keiran thinks his issues

have affected his ability to push forward in life.

This is a huge chance for me to wake up a little bit

and get out of the comfort of my own room,

get in somewhere where I'm not going to be comfortable,

and just...give it a go.

Back in Canada, Keiran's motivation is faltering.

No.

It's something all planters struggle with.

I would say the hardest thing is the mentality of it.

Like, the work itself is quite...quite difficult, quite physical,

but if you get into a bad mindset,

it kind of sends you crashing down, you don't want to be there, you don't want to work.

And it can be very isolating and lonely.

I find it way more mentally challenging than it is physically challenging.

Just trying to stay positive and not start thinking negatively,

cos it'll snowball and you'll just be grumpy all day.

It's tough out there.

After less than two hours, Keiran's drive hits a wall.

Just lacking in the motivation, I just can't get myself going.

The more I'm doing, the more agitated I'm getting,

it's not doing me any good.

OK. So what motivates you?

Why did you sign up for this? Did you sign up for this?

Yeah, I signed up for it,

I didn't know what it was, I didn't know what it was going to be.

I just put myself in the deep end and just thought, "Just go for it."

-I just don't think I'm cut out for it.

-Ah, fucking bullshit!

-That's what I think.

-Yeah, well, you know, you're wrong.

If you quit now, you're giving up before you've even tried

and you're selling yourself short and you're not going to like yourself.

Trust me, you're not going to be pleased,

cos you're just going to go through life living...going through the motions.

And that's not living, that's just breathing.

Get on out there!

He's a little Emo kid, but you can tell he hasn't been far from the nest.

But he wouldn't be the first kid to be bullied.

Like, this job attracts all kinds of fucking people.

And a lot of times weird people that have been bullied and that have been outcast.

And if there's a place where you can have peace of mind

and not be fucked around by society, this is the place.

But mid-afternoon, Keiran manages to get going with his planting.

But it's not long before he's back at the roadside.

Oh, man!

It's too hot!

Danny finds Keiran's mindset hard to comprehend.

I knew it were going to be fucking hard work,

and it is hard work and it's red hot,

but you can either just get on with it or you can sit and moan about it, which just makes it worse.

And nobody likes you when you do that.

But back in Leeds,

it's Danny who prides himself on avoiding a hard day's graft.

Life should be enjoyed.

I like to be free

and not conforming to what everybody decides for you.

SHOUTING

Danny thinks his refusal to play by the rules comes from his childhood.

My mum and dad broke up when I were six.

I got kicked out of every single school that I'd been in.

I just felt like nobody gave a fuck when I were growing up.

He is rebellious and he does reject society

and I just pray that one day will find his right way in life.

Maybe I'm just a little bit lost with where I'm going.

Because I'm a little bit lost and I don't quite understand it,

it's just easier to do that to everything, you know.

He has this problem that settling down, having children,

having a mortgage, he thinks that that's all wrong

and you shouldn't go down that route.

But he's nearly 25 years old now with nothing.

It's all right going through life and not conforming with anything,

but at the end of day, you end up working at McDonald's

at 40 years old, do you know what I mean?

That's the reality of it.

Hey, Daniel.

In Canada, Danny's asked Lumi to take another look

at the quality of his planting.

-It looks pretty decent.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Yes.

But, you know, this is... this is the easy stuff.

But it looks nice.

-Right, man.

-Yeah. Thanks again.

You're going to make it. You're going to make shitloads of money.

One day...soon.

-Soon.

-Soon.

Danny's certainly.. You know, something's happened there

where he's thinking about actually wanting to plant trees

and not be thinking about other things.

He's getting a little more present,

which is what you need when you're planting, you know.

Father, I've got a blister. An actual blister.

And me nails are dirty.

Keiran, I think, is kind of wrapped up in his own mind

and a tale is being told in his head

that, you know, for all intents and purposes,

doesn't really do him any good.

If they're serious about earning decent cash,

the next few days will be crucial for the rookie Brits.

The next day is a day off. Time to chill out by the lake.

You know Jim Carrey from Dumb & Dumber?

-Oh, is that who that is?

-It's meant to be.

That looks like a dick, don't it?

'I definitely feel like I'm getting it now

'and adapting into the lifestyle.'

I've only been here for four days and I can already see a difference in myself.

'Like, at home, I'm not approachable

'and I'm known for being a bit of a cock.

'But here, there's no dramas. Everything's peaceful.'

As hard as the work is, it is worth it.

But Keiran and Shannon are struggling to fit in.

Yeah, everyone's nice, everyone's happy.

Really nice people, but I don't click with no-one.

Like, I like make-up, I like going out, I like...

You know, they're totally opposite to what I am.

So, like, I can't form a bond with anyone.

I feel quite isolated. Danny's fun, Keiran's fun sometimes.

I think with Keiran, he moans a bit too much.

And, like, he moans about the food all the fucking time.

Like, if you're fucking hungry, you fucking eat anything.

Just get on with it.

I can't get in the mindset that people have got here.

You know, Shelby can say that anyone can do it.

There is no, you know, "you're not cut out for it". There is no that.

But it's just, I don't know.

Not my kind of thing, I guess. I don't know.

The next morning, it's back to work.

I've got something on my ear that really hurts.

I don't know if it's a mosquito or got caught in my zip.

But I didn't sleep very well last night at all.

Now the Brits must show they can plant in volume

to be in with a chance of staying on.

How you doing, man?

-Cold.

-Yeah?

I don't know how I'm going to make it through today.

-You going to plant a thousand trees today?

-I fucking am, yeah.

Cos you'd better.

-Cos we're going to start judging you.

-Yeah.

-Don't be a pussy.

-I won't.

-Plant a thousand trees.

Out on the block,

our trio face another eight hours of punishing, repetitive work.

Shannon is back on the job for the first time since her injury.

My mindset is shit. I don't know what I'm doing.

I don't mind planting, but I don't want to be here at the same time.

I'd rather be sat in a five-star hotel, sipping a pina colada,

in a swimming pool in Thailand or something.

Fuck!

Could be tough. Depends whether they've got the wave machine on.

Nobody fucking likes the actual planting.

You put 40lbs' worth of trees on your fucking back every morning

and then you go out and plant them one by fucking one.

Who the fuck would like that? You gotta be insane. Nobody likes it.

What's to like is the money, the adrenaline.

It's the fact that you're trying to push yourself.

The actual planting of the fucking tree is mind-numbing.

Whether you plant 2,000 or 5,000, they all suck.

30-year-old Yanou has a simple solution

to keeping himself motivated.

At the end of the day, it's all in the head.

And, to me, I see dollar signs. That's what I see.

I set myself a goal every day,

I need to make that kind of... that much money, or I'm not happy.

That simple. I think anybody can do it.

Danny's goal is to plant a thousand trees today.

Realistically, I wanted to do it today,

but I've just been told to take it a bit easier

cos I'm hammering in and I've hurt my hand.

It's a fucking hard job, so... people do get hurt

and it doesn't matter if you've been doing it

for three days or three years.

His sore hand means he'll miss his target.

It's just shitty, to be honest. It hurts.

But no rest for the wicked.

Shannon's also finding it tough going.

But it's giving her a new perspective on life back in Wales.

It's so hard. It's, like, so physically fucking demanding.

My job is so fricking easy to what these people do.

I've got so much respect for them,

that they do this every single fucking day.

But by late afternoon,

Shannon's been pulled up by one of the supervisors.

I've just got to recheck my plants

to make sure that the buds are in, or something,

the fucking head, or something.

I don't know what to do.

I don't know. Not doing it. Want to go home.

I'm still not really enjoying it. I'm trying to.

I'm trying to really... you know, keep it going.

I appreciate that I've got the chance to be here, but...

I don't know.

Another eight-hour shift done.

Whoo-hoo!

But it's taken its toll.

I've got tears of acid. I've got one eyelash on and one off.

-Oh, dear.

-So, one's down my bra, so it looks like a spider somewhere.

Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong today.

My finger's fucked, my wrist is as stiff as morning wood.

But I'm still smiling.

Danny's the only one remaining positive.

Did you enjoy it a bit more today?

-No.

-Definitely not?

-No, I don't think...

I've pushed myself a little bit more today.

My hand's sore as fuck, though. My thumb is spasming.

I know I said it was boring,

but I'd rather talk to myself than fucking plant a thousand trees.

It's a lonely job, as well. I said it earlier on.

-So, you're out there, and it's just...

-Suit yourself.

You're just there for yourself, that's it.

-But work's not meant to be fun.

-Yeah, it is.

-But there's got to be...

-What if you're a stripper, you know?

-Well, to be fair, yeah.

-..sense of enjoyment.

You've got to have a sense... Yeah.

I just refuse to do jobs I don't like.

At dinner, the kitchen lays on a taste of home for the Brits -

beef and ale pie.

But Keiran doesn't like it.

The food is still an issue, even though I've spoke with the chef

about, you know, seeing if we could work something out.

But it's just... I feel like a burden.

I'm that one person out of 60-odd people

that are having a problem now.

I don't know. I still feel like... that there's a bubble around me.

Whilst Keiran is stuck in his bubble...

WAVERING WHISTLE

..Danny continues to immerse himself into camp life.

When I first came, you know,

I didn't really know what to do at the time.

It's Duncan's second year as a planter.

It was awesome, because first off, I didn't really go to camp as a kid,

so I'm just making up for it.

I don't really enjoy the tree planting.

No, me neither, man!

-The job itself, like, is fucking daunting and...

-Yeah.

Oh, yeah, especially if you put in a day

and then you put in your numbers

and you see the people that have done it for a couple of years,

you see their numbers, especially in your first year,

you're just, like, "Oh, my God! How did you do that?"

I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't here for the camp life.

-Totally.

-Cos I genuinely do not like planting trees.

-It is what it is, and...

-It's misery.

But you need the misery, or else it's just like...

You've got to go from, like, rock bottom to, like, ohhhh!

Danny's found it easy to make new friends,

whereas Keiran prefers to catch up with old friends back home.

..That's good. About time.

And Shannon seeks solace in her magazines.

The following morning, Danny's finger got worse.

Just keep it... Keep getting ice on it.

It's bad news.

He'll be confined to camp for a couple of days

and won't be able to work or earn any money.

I've got the most feeble injury possibly known to man,

which is repetitive strain injury,

which you can get from too much masturbation, you know what I mean?

Hopefully, you know, my finger will be all right,

but I don't want to be a bitch about it.

I just want to get on with it.

On the block, the crews are hard at it.

Despite their doubts,

Keiran and Shannon's numbers have been increasing.

If they last three weeks, they could stay on and earn big bucks.

But they're nowhere to be seen.

They're still back at the campsite.

Basically, this morning, woke up and I felt like shit.

Tossing and turning all night,

and I just thought, "I don't want to be here."

I just want to go home, really.

Just go home and see my family. I think...

..I've come here and I've experienced it, I've given it my best go,

and it's just.. it's just not made for me.

I made my mind up that I wanted to quit last night.

I know when enough is enough and I'm unhappy here, so...

I'm definitely done here now.

Shannon and Keiran break the news to Danny.

I can't understand why you're going, Keiran.

It's, like, I don't understand the whole thing of being homesick.

It's not just that, though. It's loads of things all together.

-You just don't enjoy it?

-Yeah.

I don't think you've given it a fair chance, though.

Honestly. You needed this more than both of us.

We live really outgoing lives.

But, like, you, you're housebound

and this were perfect for you to fucking throw yourself

out your comfort zone and be like....

It's too far out my comfort zone.

'The job itself was hard enough as it was,

'but to add that to being, like, fatigued and the camping issue,'

the food issue...

Generally being uncomfortable didn't make anything really easy.

That evening, Shelby tries to persuade Keiran and Shannon

to reconsider their decision to quit.

So, if I'm hearing you guys, you were looking for a culture shock...

-Something to kick me up the arse.

-..to do what?

What is kicking you up the arse? What does that produce?

For me, you know, I'm taking my time with you guys

because anything less than that is me not doing what I could do.

What about you, Keiran? What was it that made you want to apply for it?

Well, for me, it was an opportunity to just go for it.

Cos it's not every day you get to go and do something like this, is it?

I'm on the other side of the world, I'm not going to be ungrateful.

I got given a good chance.

And I'm not taking that for granted, and I know I'm, like...

-You've still got a good chance.

-Yeah, I know, I know.

You've still got all that.

The only... You know, the only person that, you know,

doesn't have that is you.

Like, you're the person that's, you know,

essentially trying to make up their mind

about whether or not to squander that opportunity.

-Yeah, well, like...

-You've got a full year work visa

in one of the richest countries in the entire world,

if not, I would argue, the richest

in terms of its quality of life and job opportunities, you know.

So, I mean, to hear you say that you've given it your all

and you're simply not good enough...

And I know that to be not the case.

You guys, like, you know...

You're... You're right there. It's right there.

You've got a chance to make it a go and if you sell yourself short

and say that you're not good enough, it's just not true.

The following morning, Shannon decides to give it one more shot.

Agghh... Fuck!

You're doing well, Shannon.

I hate it.

Despite her doubts,

Shelby can see Shannon's potential as a fully fledged tree planter.

Shannon planted 700 trees the other day,

which is really good.

That's kind of on par for the rest of our rookies,

so she just needs to stay positive and work hard

and I don't see any reason why she wouldn't be able to plant

similar to what she planted the day before.

Fuck!

Keiran's also back on the block,

but Shelby's chat has fallen on deaf ears.

A lot of what he said made sense, sure, but my mind's made up.

I don't want to be here. I just want to go home now.

I said that yesterday.

Despite the fact she's planting, Shannon is struggling.

For fuck's sake!

Fucking trees!

'What I'm thinking is, what a pile of wank it is,'

how much I want to go home and how much I fucking hate it.

'People who do it, fucking fair play to them, but I can't do it.

'It's making me go fucking crazy, man.'

Oh, fuck! Ow, ow!

I'm like this in the shop some days.

I'm like, "I can't do it," and, "I don't want to do it."

So, why I thought I'd come and actually thought

that I'd be able to do it, I don't know.

I made... You make... You live and learn from your mistakes

and, definitely, this was one of the mistakes

which I'm going to learn from,

is don't fucking nosedive into something

which you know nothing about.

You know?

Keiran and Shannon are leaving after just two weeks,

so they'll only be paid minimum wage.

Danny's hanging out with fellow tree planter Fish.

It's a shame about them two going.

Like, they really haven't used the opportunity.

The visa for a year, and they both want to go home.

I just can't imagine that.

To me, I just think it's for such a short period of time,

I personally can't understand not being able to stick it out.

But Shannon's experience in Canada

has led her to an important realisation.

I used to think my job was so bloody hard, cutting hair all day.

Now I actually realise it's so fucking easy.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-So, maybe I'll go back and cut some more hair.

-Interesting.

-Yeah.

I thought I was really hard done by

-cutting hair and waxing eyebrows and spray tanning.

-Yeah.

It's not like these are the only two jobs in the world.

-You could do other stuff, too.

-Yeah.

Right? It's not just tree planting or cutting hair.

Win the lottery. Hopefully I'll just win the lottery.

-Win the lottery?

-Yeah.

-Well, nice meeting you.

-Yeah.

-You, too, man.

-And you.

-Pleasure.

'I don't think there's anybody here I'll keep in touch with.

'I didn't really kind of open up a close friendship with anybody.'

I'm not too upset about it, you know.

-All right, well...

-Yeah.

-Tree planting's not for everybody.

-Thank you.

-Yeah.

-Have a good life.

-Thank you so much.

-Be safe. Have fun.

-Hope you took a few good things from it.

-Yeah, definitely.

If you ever manage to get a visa again and want to try it again...

-Yeah, definitely.

-..try a different company!

No, I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

Danny's coming along to see Keiran and Shannon off.

It's frustrating that they wasted the opportunity.

How often do you get to go to Canada

and do something like this, you know.

It frustrates me that they couldn't stick it out.

But, really, for Keiran, it really wasn't for him.

Despite leaving early,

Keiran and Shannon feel they've learnt some lessons.

Yeah, new beginnings when I get home.

Definitely not going out as much.

Going to put 110% into the salon and sort out my finances

and get my life back on track, really.

Tree planting didn't work for me,

but it's definitely made me more motivated

to kind of take the opportunities I'm going to get in the future.

One door closes, another one opens, so...

-..Yeah.

-Yes.

-Look after yourself.

-I will. I'll try to, anyway.

'It's going to be weird.

'It feels like I've known them for months.'

-Yeah, you, too.

-Enjoy it.

-Take it easy.

Yeah, yeah. I'll see you.

But their lives go on and I've got work tomorrow, you know what I mean?

I've got to get on with it.

Better get back to work, ain't I?

The next day, Danny's hard at work and his numbers are improving.

Spacing looks good. There you go. That's fucking perfect.

By the end of the day, he's reached a personal best.

I did 901, so I'm officially earning money now.

Anything under 800, they just pay you minimum wage.

But today, I actually earned money, so...

..a few beers are in order.

At the campsite,

Danny's been reflecting on his future as a tree planter.

I pride myself on being the nonconformist,

because if I ever found anything boring back in Leeds,

I just haven't done it, that's it.

You know what I mean?

If it's shit and, you know, it's boring,

why are you wasting your time doing it?

But this isn't a waste of time. This is a fucking great experience.

Look around - it's fucking beautiful.

And everybody is fucking chilled out and they're all just fucking ace.

This is a lifestyle, this is,

and it takes special people to be able to do it.

For whatever reason they come to do it,

some of them come because they literally want to fuck trees, they love trees.

And some of them come because they want to earn some money.

But you can't just come for your love of trees

and you can't just come for the money.

So, it must be the fucking lifestyle, you know.

The shit job is worth that.

Back in the UK, Keiran's decided to make a major change to his life.

After two years stuck in his bedroom,

he's moved to Wigan to live with his best mate.

-Beer-battered onion rings! What?

-Never had beer-battered onion rings?

I don't like onion rings. Surprise, surprise.

-Welcome to Wigan.

-Cheers, man.

He may not have loved the job or earned the money,

but for Keiran, his journey was life-changing.

Going over to Canada to do a job that I've never heard of before,

with people I've never met before, it gives you a sense of confidence

because, you know, you've got to be somewhat kind of gutsy

to go over there on your own.

It gives you a sense of confidence in your ability,

so moving to the other side of the country, to move out,

was no issue for me because of, you know,

what I've learnt for myself to go over in Canada.

Thank you.

Despite his premature return,

Keiran's parents have noticed changes.

I'm just relieved that he was home

and I can make sure that he eats properly, for a start.

Canada was good for him.

I think it's made him think a little bit more about his future, what he actually wants.

-He's definitely happier already, isn't he?

-Oh, yeah.

He's not stuck in his room on the Xbox, feeling sorry for himself.

Probably still on the Xbox, but he's just not in our room - he's somewhere else.

That's one thing I don't miss from Canada.

I can pick what I want to eat now.

Moving up here has made me feel like I've got out of an endless rut

of just being in a tunnel with no light at the end.

This is something fresh now so, you know,

now it doesn't even feel like there's a tunnel at all.

So, did you enjoy your time out in Canada?

-Yeah, it was all right.

-Yeah?

For Shannon, the experience of tree planting has encouraged her

to make a fresh start with her hairdressing business.

If I was going to describe it to anyone,

it would be like crying blood!

'Canada made me appreciate the salon a bit more,

'because I actually realise, you know,'

a lot of people my age would give their right arm

just to be in the position that I am.

'So, I think I need to just take responsibility

'and get on with it and make a go of what I've got before it's too late.'

Maybe I should have stuck it.

Everyone wanted me to stay, cos they all fucking loved me.

Maybe I should be a brickie, or something.

That's what I've learnt about myself since I've come back from Canada.

Maybe I should be a brickie or a builder.

Because I think I was made for hard labour!

Back in Canada, Danny's been paid,

but he's some way off planting the numbers needed

to earn the big bucks.

673.75 - my first paycheck.

That'll do.

Plenty more where that came from.

Yeah.

As Danny begins his 19th day as a tree planter,

the nonconformist from Leeds is in danger of becoming a grafter.

If me dad were watching this now, he'd be like, "It's not him.

"It's someone else who looks like him.

"Cos he wouldn't... He don't do fuck all...

"for anyone, not even himself."

But it's me.