Inspired by an ancient buried log, researchers present a novel method to remove and store atmospheric carbon for hundreds of years or more. It involves locking woody biomass away in “wood vaults.” The approach could provide a cost-effective solution to mitigate climate change. …It is unknown whether carbon-storing woody biomass can be preserved long enough (hundreds of years or longer) to have an appreciable effect on reducing anthropogenic CO₂ in the atmosphere. Here, Ning Zeng and colleagues explore the viability of a carbon dioxide removal strategy involving burying sustainably sourced wood in an engineered structure called a “wood vault” to prolong the duration of carbon storage by preventing decay and decomposition. This novel method was inspired by the discovery of a remarkably preserved 3775-year-old Eastern red cedar log buried in clay soil in Quebec, Canada – a find that demonstrates the potential for long-term carbon storage through wood burial within certain environments.