Summer 26 - Seasonal Planting Laborer Short Term - Greening the Gateway Cities (Westfield)

About the role

Seasonal Planting Laborer I (Short Term Employment) positions are available through the Greening the Gateway Cities Program (GGCP) in Westfield, MA. The role involves full-time outdoor labor supporting urban forestry initiatives to increase tree canopy cover in Massachusetts’s Gateway Cities, thereby reducing heating and cooling energy costs for residences and businesses.

Responsibilities

• Dig and backfill tree planting holes using hand tools
• Plant trees according to industry standards
• Load and unload trees, tools, and equipment from vehicles and trailers
• Maintain vehicles, tools, and equipment
• Perform preventive maintenance on assigned equipment and tools (washing, inspecting, tightening, lubricating, sharpening cutting tools)
• Work outdoors in all weather conditions

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to follow oral and written instructions
• Ability to work effectively in a team setting
• Manual dexterity and physical stamina for full-time manual labor
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds
• Willingness to work in all weather conditions
• Skill in using hand tools such as shovels, mattocks, pry bars, bolt cutters, clippers, etc.
• Potential to advance to Laborer II with experience driving a van or towing a trailer (rate: $18.00/hour)

Contract period: September 8, 2026 – November 14, 2026. Work hours: 40 hours per week. Salary: $17.00 per hour / $1,360.00 biweekly. Not eligible for benefits; earned sick time provided per applicable rules and regulations.