🌲 FIELD GUIDE 17: Sustainable Timber

Saving the Earth one TREE at a time

What is a circular economy? It involves reusing, repairing, and replenishing sources or materials used. Jenny with Vastern Timber based in the United Kingdom shares with us how they embrace the circular economy of sustainable forestry by sourcing locally grown timber and using every part of the tree to get the most of its benefits.

-Skyler

Name

Jenny Macdonald

Habitat

Wiltshire, United Kingdom

Occupation

Marketing Manager for Vastern Timber

Soundtrack

What is Vastern?

Vastern Timber is a 4th generation family firm based in Wiltshire, UK, with roots back to 1904. Founded by Leonard Barnes in High Wycombe, Barnes Branch & Company’s specialty started as traditional beech furniture. Barnes Branch & Company’s specialty quickly evolved and in WWII the factory was commandeered to create wings for mosquito aircrafts.

Increasing demand for timber products led to the acquisition of the Vastern Timber Sawmill in Wootton Bassett in 1974 and a second sawmill at Studley, near Chippenham, in 1982.

Now, at Vastern, our mission is to encourage more people to build with locally-grown wood. 

Where do your trees come from?

At Vastern Timber we’re interested in how local woodland can sustain our needs. And we find that to sustain our needs – and to sustain our woodlands – it is necessary to use the full range of species available locally, and especially those faster growing species such as sycamore, ash and poplar. While some of these species do not immediately have a marketable value or desired end use we look for technology to enhance the wood’s characteristics, and for new ways to promote the benefits of choosing local timber.  

Reducing the carbon footprint of forestry

Using local renewable resources is a lower impact way to develop comfortable living spaces for people to enjoy. We have a duty to use as much of the tree as possible and to reduce waste to a minimum by finding uses and markets for every part of the tree.

This means using the knottier parts of the tree, either as they are, or by jointing and laminating smaller sections together. Where possible we should embrace knots as a fundamental part of the tree and celebrate their beauty.

We use a non-toxic thermal modification process to make faster grown timbers more durable, so they are suitable for cladding and decking. We think it's important to have a local alternative to imported hardwoods, and avoid the carbon costs of transporting timber for thousands of miles.

“Sustainable forestry” might seem kind of contradictory. Each year we lose 32 million acres of forest due to the demand of us humans. Trees and the forest serve many purposes. From material objects like furniture and building material, to warming our homes in the winter and the only way for sustainable forestry to be successful is complex, but to put it simply, it relies on balance.

Bringing it full circle

People think that cutting down trees is always a bad thing. But sustainable forestry is an essential part of a circular economy, and using local timber can support regenerative woodland management, benefiting both people and wildlife.

What can we do to support sustainable materials?

If you’re in the market for wood, building materials, or anything of the like, consider local bio-based materials! Sourcing local and renewable resources wherever possible can help to reduce carbon emissions and pollution, and supports the circular economy

Learn more

From the Sawmill is Vastern’s newsletter. Here you can subscribe and learn more about what they’re doing in day to day operations and projects.

Vastern Timber is one of the largest British hardwood sawmills in the UK. Their specialty is to grow and cut locally grown timbers.

More on sustainable forestry can be explored through the Rainforest Alliance.