Urban forests are an important part of our cities; they help to cool our homes by providing shade and they add to the beauty of our local environment. Nobody likes the thought of trees having to come down, but unfortunately there are many scenarios where it’s necessary for the safety of the surrounding area.
“Some of the most common reasons we remove trees that are dying or damaged is because they suffered trauma from storms or construction, however there are a number of other reasons a tree can become a good candidate for removal,” Alexander MacBean from White Wolf Tree Service says. Taking down unhealthy trees that would otherwise come down on their own is an easy decision, but it’s another story when they’re presented with healthy trees.
“The biggest reason we’re seeing trees removed is due to the increase in hurricanes in the area. We’ve been taking down a lot of healthy trees in the HRM because the trees have simply outgrown their place and would cause significant damage if they came down on someone’s home during a weather event,” Alexander adds.
Unfortunately some of these trees are very old but Alexander shares that these trees don’t actually have to go to waste. Since day one of business, White Wolf Tree Service has been working with Ed at Crossroads Resources, Milling and Timber Salvage to give this lumber a second life.
“Of course, it’s way easier to cut them up into firewood, but when you’re taking down a tree with a significant veneer log (a straight log which has very few or no defects) using it for firewood would be a shame when it has so much more potential,” Alex explains. Extracting these logs adds an extra step to the already hazardous and difficult job, especially when having to move a 300-500 lb log 100 feet to the road, but it’s worth it to minimize waste and to be as sustainable as possible within the process.
Once the pieces are donated to Ed, he mills and then dries the pieces in his kiln. The wood is then used for either hardwood flooring, furniture, molding, or tables depending on the size of the tree. Crossroad Resources’ website is currently under construction, but will soon display all of the unique wooden products.
Urban timber salvage has been a large pillar in White Wolf Tree Service’s business model, so if you are uncertain about the safety and location of a tree in your neighbourhood, you can get a professional opinion from Alexander or Tim during a free on-site estimate. Both trained in BC, they have a mission to bring the same quality and professionalism that they’re used to seeing on the west coast, from customer relations all the way to marketing at the highest level.
You can book your free estimate online on White Wolf Tree Service’s website: https://www.whitewolftreeservice.com/ or find their other services that match your needs.
This content has been developed and paid for by White Wolf Tree Service without involvement from The Coast’s editorial department.
