Treecycle America founder inspires Charlotteans to re-think trees

Charlotte is known as a city of trees, but did you know that 100,000 pounds of lumber from them ends up in area landfills every day? This fact shocked the attendees at our May monthly mixer.  And it’s the reason that Damon Barron, founder of Treecycle America, is passionate about rescuing those trees and giving them new life as lumber or furniture. Treecycle America is a collaborative network of certified architects, designers, developers, municipalities, arborists, sawmills, woodworkers, and makers embracing the common goal of using urban trees to their fullest potential.

Damon Barron views Charlotte’s downed trees as a very underutilized resource!

“Think about the type of trees you’re planting today,” urged Barron. By planting quality trees today, we’ll not only give future generations of Charlotteans the gift of environmental benefits including stormwater filtration, shade, mitigation of climate change (trees convert carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into nourishment for themselves), and habitat for wildlife. Quality saplings planted today will eventually grow into mature trees that can be harvested and converted into useful products at the end of their life. The TreeID system guarantees buyers that the lumber they purchased was harvested sustainably. It essentially tells the life story of the tree.

Sustain Charlotte is proud to recognize Treecycle America as a Platinum Partner. Damon Barron was recently chosen by our judges (all of our sustaining members were invited to be judges) as the Outstanding Leader at the Fifth Annual Sustain Charlotte Awards! Click here to read more about why he was nominated. While you’re there,  check out the incredible sustainability work being done by individuals and organizations across our region.

We also shared an exciting event organized by the Sustain Charlotte Community Corps and Grier Heights Community Improvement Organization. Join us this Saturday morning, May 14, for a fun family-friendly 1.5 mile walk through one of Charlotte’s most vibrant historic neighborhoods! We’ll celebrate the neighborhood’s history, active transportation, and health & wellness while honoring the memory of devoted community leader Jonathan Belton. Click here to RSVP or here to volunteer for a few hours during the event.

**Note that we’ll be at a different location for the June 7 mixer!. For the month of June, the Sustain Charlotte + Green Drinks Charlotte Monthly Mixer is partnering with Tour de Turns, Friendship Trays, Charlotte Cycles and Triple C Brewing Company for an exciting, family-friendly event!

Join us at Triple C Brewing Company between 4:00 – 8:00pm on Tuesday, June 7 for great local brews, E-bike demos, and a fantastic raffle where you’ll have a chance to win a brand new E-bike provided by Charlotte Cycles! Click here to learn more and RSVP.

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