Sustainable Wood Recovery Initiative and MSU Shadows
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EmailMSU students gain hands-on learning experiences working with urban wood management, processing, repurposing and marketing.
The MSU campus is a beautiful setting, largely as a result of the intensity and abundance of its tree cover. MSU has over 5,000 acres of densely treed campus along with more than 3,000 acres of forested farmlands around the main campus.
There are 24,200 trees belonging to 1,885 different taxa represented in the MSU Campus Arboretum, which occupies the 2,100 acres of the developed campus.
The trees not only contribute to a very beautiful campus environment but are also a vast and invaluable resource for teaching, studying and conducting research.
MSU is very committed to the care and preservation of its campus trees, and there is a dedicated staff of qualified professionals assigned to that important task. However, despite extraordinary care, MSU Landscape Services must remove trees due to safety, disease, insects or construction.
In the past, when trees were removed from campus they were converted into wood chips, used as biofuel or sent to a landfill. In 2014, MSU formed the Sustainable Wood Recovery Initiative (SWRI) to process “wood waste” into heirloom-quality works of art crafted by Michigan artisans: the MSU Shadows Collection, managed by Dan Brown, MSU sustainable bioproducts specialist.
The SWRI promotes environmental responsibility and creates an enclosed loop of sustainability. After campus arborists remove trees, they undergo a three-month process of milling and drying. Then, the lumber is categorized and made into products. Proceeds from sales help plant new trees throughout campus, completing the cycle and providing an even greener MSU.
MSU students gain hands-on learning experiences working with urban wood management, processing, repurposing and marketing. The SWRI is also applied in the classroom and the community for activities on urban wood management and utilization. Students learn why trees are removed, how to process wood for maximum value, determine the best use of lumber and how to market urban wood products. In addition, the portable wood mill is used as an outreach tool with community groups.
Shadows’ most recent projects include new furniture items in the president’s office suite in the Administration Building, installation of a remembrance wall for Residential and Hospitality Services (RHS), decking of the Monet Bridge in the 4H Children’s Garden and remodeling Cowles’ House for incoming President Stanley.
For more information, or to purchase your own campus keepsake, please visit MSU Shadows.
