By Erich Ebert, Urban Wood Lab Supervisor, Wisconsin@UrbanWoodNetwork.org or 608-622-7212
Urban wood (lumber and live edge slabs sourced from neighborhood trees) is more than a local, carbon-smart, sustainable source of building materials. It’s a way to capture the natural beauty of Wisconsin and bring it inside your home. In true Milwaukee tradition, there’s a festival to celebrate it. The Urban Wood Network and the Urban Wood Lab Store by Hoppe Tree Service will host an exciting day of all things urban wood on Saturday, Sept. 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Wood Lab’s location in Caledonia.
This is an event for people who love trees. You don’t have to be a woodworker to appreciate the natural beauty of urban wood. We’ll be joined by a collection of local artisans selling finished products made of urban wood. Many of them are available to do custom projects, so a customer can come find a piece of wood they love and meet an artisan who can make something from it.
The event will also feature educational activities and information on trees and their care as well as sawmilling demos and wood finishing demos, food and beer trucks and much more. Festgoers can browse the Urban Wood Lab’s selection of 600+ live edge slabs as well as wood products from other Urban Wood Network members and Urban Wood Lab partners who will have booths on-site.
About The Urban Wood Lab Store
The Urban Wood Lab Store is a division of Milwaukee-based Hoppe Tree Service and a national model for sustainability in the tree service industry. We turn trees removed by Hoppe for reasons other than their timber value in local-area neighborhoods and communities into high-quality urban wood lumber and live-edge slabs for use by woodworkers, artisans, builders and homeowners. The carbon impact of our mission is two-fold: to maintain the carbon storage that is lost when trees are burned as firewood and to reduce transportation emissions. In addition, since our wood comes from trees that have grown naturally, it has dynamic grain qualities for a visually stunning look. The Urban Wood Lab is located at 195 27th Street in Caledonia, Wisconsin. The Urban Wood Lab is a member of the Urban Wood Network. Learn more at www.theurbanwoodlab.com.
About the Urban Wood Network
The Urban Wood Network is a national group of people, organizations, and businesses working together to find more value in urban trees once they are removed. Its mission is to inform, collaborate and connect to build business and consumer confidence in the urban wood industry. Urban Wood Network members work on different projects and/or offer different services, but they all share a common vision for putting dead and dying trees to better use. The Urban Wood Network is funded in part by the USDA Forest Service, an equal opportunity employer. Learn more at www.urbanwoodnetwork.org.