Urban Forest Conference

Urban Forest Conference · 04-13-2008, 08:59 PM

I'm organizing an urban tree utilization conference at Appalachian State and hope to see a lot of NC woodworkers and sawmillers there on May 16. There'll be a bus going to Asheville the next day for a sawmill demo (portable) at the Biltmore Forest (8 ft. dia sycamores) and visit to Grovewood Gallery, plus cool tools at Asheville Hardware.

Please reply if you have any questions or if I can be of help.
Thanks very much for helping me get the word out,
Jana Carp

It would be great if you could post this info on your site: http://www.urbantree.appstate.edu/

scsmith42 · 04-13-2008, 11:47 PM

Dave, sounds pretty interesting, but unfortunately I hjave a previous committment.

Scott

ashley_phil · 04-14-2008, 09:48 AM

certainly looks interesting.

CarvedTones · 04-14-2008, 10:16 AM

OK, I gotta ask the stupid question...

Why have a conference about urban forests in Boone? It seems like Charlotte, Raleigh or the Triad (nice compromise between the first two) would be far more likely to draw the crowd they are after.

Kyle · 04-14-2008, 01:05 PM

I was invited as well.. Cant make it this year.

The National Conference on Urban Forestry was last year in Charlotte and I went to that.. Pretty cool, but not a lot was discussed regarding valuing urban timber.

04-14-2008, 10:13 PM

I can't make it either - sounds interesting - 8' dia sycamores

Trent Mason · 04-14-2008, 10:32 PM

Dave,

That sounds really interesting. From my brief time as a woodworker, all I've really gotten to know about the wood was "what I do with it after it has been sawed down into boards." It would be very interesting to learn about how those trees become boards. Are you going?

Trent

adowden · 04-14-2008, 10:54 PM

I can't go, but I just visited the Grovepark Gallery in February. It is really impressive. They have all kinds of crafts and lots of woodworking pieces. I especially enjoyed poking my head around under the pieces and checking out the methods of joinery. The piece I remember most is the solid Bubinga table for $9000 (Wow). If you are going, definitely bring a camera.

Amy

DaveO · 04-14-2008, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by wtf21

Dave,

That sounds really interesting. From my brief time as a woodworker, all I've really gotten to know about the wood was "what I do with it after it has been sawed down into boards." It would be very interesting to learn about how those trees become boards. Are you going?

Trent

Trent it would be a very interesting conference to attend, but alas it is too far for me to travel. I only posted the information on the request of Jana Carp who sent it to us via Contact Us form.
I am enthralled with the whole process of logs to lumber to finished furniture. One of my goals is to create something from start to finish. Cut the tree, mill it, dry it, work it and finish it. Urban timber offers a vast untapped resource of trees that aren't grown in the normal forest ecology. It is not without it's pitfalls (metal and the logistics of obtaining the timber) but you can obtain trees of greater diameter, more unique species and figure than can be generally found in the standard forest ecology. Plus urban harvest keeps beautiful wood from just going to waste.
As a wise dude once said..Tree-cycle

It just makes sense

Dave

Trent Mason · 04-15-2008, 12:44 AM

Dave,

Very cool. I have had family and several friends say that they were coming into town in late May. I didn't have any dates nailed down yet, so if that weekend somehow managed to be open then I would definitely try to attend. It is also a dream of mine to see a tree go from being, well, a tree into a finished piece of furniture. That conference really seems like a great way to learn about that entire process, especially with species that I don't get to see in my neck of the woods.

Trent