I'm a sensitive arborist, quite proud of the fact, and my treecare business thrives even in this depressed economy. I've been called names and told I'm flat out stupid for using canola oil as bar lube in a chainsaw. However, the science proves otherwise, I'm 9 + years into it, still doing just fine, saws are running strong, all 4 seasons, no downsides, just benefit. A lot of pro saw users are changing over without any problems. However, there's the larger crowd that won't change simply because change is change and change scares the crap out of a lot of people. All I can do is bring the information to the front, let the community make their own choices and not lose sleep over it.
TM, you do some really cool work.
Heh, heh. Thanks, MD. I thought the treehouse was a cool idea, too. The creative / artsy fartsy part of me is perpetually inspired. The science side is uniquely trained and talented. The business side of me is dumb as dirt sometimes.
This thread is titled 'Urban Logging', though more accurately it's Urban Wood Reutilization. There is no 'Logging' in the urban forest, just making
use of logs or wood, or selling the occasional premium log that is gotten.
For me, the GOAL is to recycle the wood, to somehow use it in the best way possible and never have anything go into a landfill or have to be driven any real distance to be gotten rid of. This mindset has more than paid for the 'losses' and on a day-to-day basis I ride the wave where being 'green' pays off in the form of money-in-pocket.
Here's a couple pictures of what I consider my most successful log utilization to date. If I can bear it, I might share the least successful, even though it was the coolest and most interesting thing I've ever done.
Hold for a second, this picture is one of my failures. This site is a neighborhood entrance onto a rail trail, where an old railroad track was taken out and turned into public hike/bike/rollerblade trail through the city.
I work in this neighborhood and am part of the volunteers that maintain this entrance, an easy gig for me as all they need is chips once or twice a year. However, one day I got inspired and decided the best way to reutilize a surfaced-off log was to donate it to the site of this entrance. That way the public has a place to sit, rest, put on or take off their skates, whatever. You see it in the background.
It was an 'anonymous donation', I went in after dark, towed the log down the trail with my truck and the arch, placed it appropriately and then I silently bailed. This shot was taken a week later as the people in the hood who knew me, knew who did this deed. It was like, who else
would have?
I took the shot because the question kept coming up, "How did you get it there?" With this image, I save having to voice a thousand words.
Anyway, the public loved it. The city was furious from what I got from someone on the 'inside'. It was not formally OK'd by the city so they came and took it away. I would have removed it had they just asked. It was a really nice log and I'd sunk quite a bit of time and work into it up to this point. In fact, I bought the tractor arch specifically for this tree and for big logs thereafter so that big logs could be moved efficiently.
Another good deed and the subsequent punishment.
