Hello! My name is Tammy. I am a senior in the Forestry program at MSU. Go Green! I am doing an internship with MSU Shadows and I am helping make a few items for Sparty's Cabin. These items are a countertop, door, 3 shelves and a ladder. Each one was made from Urban wood. No need to go to the store for lumber! You might wonder what Urban wood is? Urban wood is any tree that resides within the city. Urban meaning city, well you get the idea. Urban wood is not being cut down because we need or want the wood. It is cut down because it becomes a problem, either from disease, death, hazardous to people or they need to be removed because of new construction. There are approximately 300 trees on MSU campus that are removed each year. These trees are normally chipped or even burned. Instead of taking the wood to the chipper, it is being reclaimed by MSU Shadows.
Yes, all of the items I am helping to make are made from trees that were once on campus. Go Green! MSU Shadows is not the only company using Urban wood. Many people have realized the benefits of reclaiming unwanted wood. Using Urban wood can reduce the lumber taken out of our forests, because we have another way to get wood for our needs. These trees will be taken down regardless if they are reclaimed so, why not help our planet? Another benefit of getting trees from the city is diversity. Many trees are planted for aesthetic value, which brings in species that would not naturally grow in the forest. A good example of this is at MSU, they have many species on campus, for instance Siberian Elm. This means that there are more unique types of wood that can be used, that a person in Michigan would not normally have access to.
Having trees in the city help offset the emissions that are let off into the environment. It has been said that a tree can store about a ton of carbon. If they are not reclaimed, that carbon will go back into the air as soon at it is burned. Reusing this lumber can prolong the carbon storage for many years.
Urban wood can also be great for the economy. Reclaiming wood can create jobs and bring products. An arborist would be needed to harvest the wood, a Sawyer to prep the wood, a woodworker to make the fantastic products, a person to sell the wood products, and last but not least, people to buy the products. So far MSU Shadows have saved an average of 102,900 pounds of wood! Can you imagine if every city reclaimed their wood?
Yes, all of the items I am helping to make are made from trees that were once on campus. Go Green! MSU Shadows is not the only company using Urban wood. Many people have realized the benefits of reclaiming unwanted wood. Using Urban wood can reduce the lumber taken out of our forests, because we have another way to get wood for our needs. These trees will be taken down regardless if they are reclaimed so, why not help our planet? Another benefit of getting trees from the city is diversity. Many trees are planted for aesthetic value, which brings in species that would not naturally grow in the forest. A good example of this is at MSU, they have many species on campus, for instance Siberian Elm. This means that there are more unique types of wood that can be used, that a person in Michigan would not normally have access to.
Having trees in the city help offset the emissions that are let off into the environment. It has been said that a tree can store about a ton of carbon. If they are not reclaimed, that carbon will go back into the air as soon at it is burned. Reusing this lumber can prolong the carbon storage for many years.
Urban wood can also be great for the economy. Reclaiming wood can create jobs and bring products. An arborist would be needed to harvest the wood, a Sawyer to prep the wood, a woodworker to make the fantastic products, a person to sell the wood products, and last but not least, people to buy the products. So far MSU Shadows have saved an average of 102,900 pounds of wood! Can you imagine if every city reclaimed their wood?