News + Resources
Sanctuary Magazine – A Knotty Issue: Responsibly Sourced Timber
Just about every building project uses timber. While it’s a renewable resource, its harvesting is often associated with deforestation practices that are harmful to the environment. We look at the current state of sustainable timber in Australia, and how to make sure the wood you use for your build is as responsible as possible. Timber […]
A man of many branches
This time of year when feijoa season comes around I think of one person – Paul Haar from Archie’s Creek – that’s Paul up there. Each April Paul, who I discovered was also an architect, would drive his Skoda to the Fair Food warehouse filled with boxes of my favourite pale green gritty fruit. In the early days I always thought […]
Visit to Bambra Agroforestry Farm
Bambra Agroforestry Farm Visit Raphie, Paul and Holly from CERES Fair Wood visit Rowan Reid’s stunning Bambra Agroforestry Farm Demonstration with graduates of the Gippsland Master Tree Growers Course and Western Port Catchment Landcare Network. Rowan Reid is serious aussie agroforestry academic, who created his amazing Bambra Agroforest Farm, in the lush Otways. Rowan has […]
Resources
The Mullum Creek Timber Products Guide was created as part of the Mullum Creek project – an ecologically sustainable housing development in
The Mullum Creek Timber Products Guide. This excellent Timber Products List was created as part of the Mullum Creek project, which is an ecologically sustainable housing development in Melbourne.
The International Greenpeace Good Wood Guide is useful for furniture makers looking at imported timbers. It recommends FSC timbers and alternatives for non-sustainable imported timbers.
For detailed information on the properties of timber, sound timber construction detailing and most commercially available timber species, Wood Solutions and its technical design guides are excellent resources. But please be mindful that. because Wood Solutions is largely funded by a levy place on timber sales to the Australian building industry, this resource cannot promote one product over another product, whether on environmental, social or other grounds.
Articles + Books
Videos
Podcasts
Heartwood by Rowan Reid. A book review by Sarah Coles.
Fair Dinkum Wood. An article in the Sanctuary magazine about Fair Wood.
Rowan Reid, author of Heartwood – Sermon on the Stump
Greening the Apocalypse – interview with Fair Wood’s Raphie Kruse and Peter Smyth
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you tell if timber is responsibly sourced?
Deciding whether a timber product has been sourced in a sustainable way can be difficult. Ask your timber supplier about the source of the timber and ensure you are comfortable with the answer. Where the wood is from is often more important than the timber species itself. If you know a piece is recycled, or sourced from farm forestry, or salvaged, then you can be more certain it is sustainable than if you do not have that information.
How can I choose the best timber for my application?
Ask your timber supplier where the timber is from. It is very important to know the source of the timber and to only buy from a trusted supplier.
Of all the timber certifications in Australia, the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification is the most environmentally rigorous.
If in doubt, choose FSC timber grown in Australia or New Zealand. For a detailed Timber Products Guide, which recommends specific brands and timbers refer to the Mullum Creek Timber Products Guide.
Farm forestry incorporates commercial tree growing into farming systems, and includes plantations and native forests on farms. Through the use of a strategic location in the landscape, farm forestry can:
• simultaneously address multiple issues, making it a cost-effective public investment
• provide landholders with an alternative source of income from wood and non-wood products
• improve agricultural production by providing shelter for livestock and crops.