The Atlanta Wood Foundation is on a mission to save and reuse fallen urban trees

By Virginie Drujon-Kippelen
Atlanta Magazine
August 7, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Atlanta is a city of trees. At almost 50%, the city has the highest proportion of overall urban tree canopy in the nation. But for all the aesthetic and environmental benefits trees provide to our urban landscape, there is one practical downside: Trees fall, or have to be taken down, and then need to be disposed of from streets and backyards alike. If the wood is of high value, the tree gets a chance at a second life as a useful piece of lumber. …Woodworkers Kelly and Ali Syed and Chris Tappan, created a unique nonprofit entity amid a vast network of for-profit urban wood industries. In addition to operating a sawmill, they retrieve salvaged trees and process the wood to produce furniture-grade lumber and live-edge wood slabs—always in high demand—which they sell to DIYers, woodworkers, and artisans. …The foundation plans to eventually open a brick-and-mortar store.

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