Coming to a City Near You! – RVA Urban Wood

Last week a group of interested tree lovers, wood lovers, and carbon storage lovers met to figure out what the Richmond Area can do to help preserve fallen or removed trees and reduce the number of trees and tree parts that get turned into wood chips. This meeting was inspired by a program that Harrisonburg, VA started and the efforts and education by The VA Department of Forestry program called VA Urban Wood Group.  

• VA Urban Wood Group – www.vaurbanwood.org

This article and pictures are only a tease of what could happen here in Richmond, but I would like to think/hope it’s gonna happen. It is happening here but not by enough people, companies, or municipalities.

Across the country and across the state of Virginia, municipalities and woodworkers are doing what they can to re-purpose the wood that comes from tree removal projects, but it’s not enough and the know-how is not there either.

Discussions from the meeting were: 

Why is it important? 

• Reduce Waste
• Tree parts have more Value than wood chips 
• Trees have Potential and throwing them away removes their potential

What is needed to do this?

• Trees from removal projects or storms
• Individuals, companies, or organizations with the tools to equipment for Milling
• …and Kilns to kiln dry the wood.

What should we do about it here in Richmond?

• Organize a group of individuals who want this to happen
• Educate people, companies, or municipalities about what can happen with trees and tree parts.
• Create and demonstrate Small Focused Projects

Those that will participate in this future tree network commodity are tree owners (homeowners and municipalities), sawyers and sawmill owners, Arborists (I know a guy), haulers, kiln owners, organizers, designers, retailers, crafters, etc.

I know this is only a tease and the discussion has just started. I hope one day you will see reclaimed and recycled trees with stories preserved in furniture, playground equipment, and art all over Richmond. What are you going to do with your next limb that falls or a tree that needs to be removed?