Resources
AVAILABLE NOW! Comprehensive Urban Wood Marketing Kit
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New publications
Urban Wood in the Built Environment
Urban trees carry a unique legacy, often growing for decades and embedding themselves in the local culture of their communities. Repurposing these trees when they must be removed provides a multitude of benefits, from supporting local economies to promoting sustainability. By maximizing the potential of urban trees, we reduce pressure on traditional forests and also elevate built environments with the natural beauty and unique character of urban wood. In this publication, we explore how architects, designers and developers can utilize this resource across a variety of applications.
Urban Wood Utilization: Municipal Case Studies
This case study aims to guide municipalities and private firms interested in developing an urban wood utilization program by exploring how two cities, Stoughton, Wisconsin, and Harrisonburg, Virginia, have implemented successful initiatives.
UWN Educational Webinars
2025 Webinars
(links available four weeks before the webinar):
April 29
Building Markets for Urban Wood: Seasoned UWN Members Share Successes and Lessons Learned
June 24
September 30
Environment: Urban Wood in the Wake of Disasters: Adapting, Supplying, and Rebuilding Sustainable Communities
December 2, 2025
Policies: Building the case; Overcoming barriers to urban wood upcycling at the municipal level
2024 webinars
We Are the Urban Wood Network, Inc.
First Life of a Tree — We all play a part in urban wood utilization
Developing and Improving your Urban Wood Business
NHLA: An Urban Wood Resource
How Anatomical Features of Urban Wood Create Unique Designs
Building an Urban Wood Business: Where to Start and How to Thrive
Urban Wood Success Stories from Churches to Universities
USRW Certified Urban Wood Update
Previous webinars
Articles, Newsletter, Publications, and Tools
Articles
Biochar as a solution to wood processing waste
A Perfect Woody Union: Nail-Laminated and Urban Wood
The Gap Between Research and Reality in Urban Wood
Newsletter Archive
Spring 2026
Publications and tools
Urban Lumber Drying: An Introduction
Wood drying is one of the most important steps in processing logs into high-quality lumber. A basic understanding of kiln drying is essential for successful woodworking — for both professionals and hobbyists alike. This UWN brochure introduces the vocabulary, explains the underlying concepts, and highlights some of the pitfalls of drying. Please feel free print on your own, or or request printed copies at info@urbanwoodnetwork.org. (Maximum 20 per request. Please note supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.)
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Storage in Urban Wood Products by Sam Sherrill
The Urban Wood Toolkit
Establishing an Urban Wood Program Brochure
Harvesting Urban Trees with Modern Logging Equipment
National Association of State Forester Wisconsin Success Story
Webinars
The Urban Wood Network’s TEDxUrbanWoodNetwork Talk
How Urban Wood Utilization Positively Impacts Carbon & The Climate Crisis
On December 2nd, 2021, on the campus of Michigan State University, within the first mass timber building in Michigan, the Urban Wood Network (UWN), featured Dr. George Berghorn for their first TEDx UrbanWoodNetwork Talk.
As part of COUNTDOWN, the Urban Wood Network invited politicians, business leaders, policy makers, arborists, foresters, mills, manufacturers, government staff, designers, architects, planners, philanthropists, youth activists, and others to learn how urban wood utilization positively impacts carbon and the climate crisis.
COUNTDOWN is a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action.
A net-zero future is possible, and our trees hold one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle. The talk provided excellent information and tools, by walking you through our history of wood utilization, biophilia and the critical connections between carbon and our current urban wood utilization.
Whether you are in an industry that can utilize or process urban wood, a municipality that provides urban wood or a consumer, WE NEED YOUR HELP! . . . as champions of the UWN brand, urban wood utilization in general and this global initiative.
The Urban Wood Network’s 2021 Fall Webinar
Tools for Urban Wood Producers
The Urban Wood Network along with UWN members Cambium Carbon and Deadwood Revival Design held the “Tools for Urban Wood Producers” webinar on September 28.
If you missed joining and learning about new tools that are available for urban wood businesses and users, you can now watch the webinar below.
The Urban Wood Network’s 2020 Fall Webinar Series
Making the Most of Campus Resources – Trees First, Wood Next and Learning Along the Way
The Urban Wood Network invites colleges and universities, campus land managers, arborists, instructors, and students; as well as municipalities, arborists, sawyers, woodworkers, architects, advocates and all others interested in advancing the urban wood movement to join the webinar.
Join us each month this fall for a UWN Webinar
September: Making the Most of Campus Resources – Trees First, Wood Next and Learning Along the Way
October: The Urban Wood Movement: Expanding from Coast to Coast
November: National Urban Wood Academy 2020
December: Helping Municipalities Develop Urban Wood Management Programs
The Urban Wood Network: Future Visioning” Webinar Series
The Urban Wood Network kicks off its 2020 webinar series with “The Urban Wood Network: Future Visioning.” The Urban Wood Network invites municipalities, arborists, sawyers, woodworkers, advocates and all others interested in advancing the urban wood movement to participate in one or all of these 75-minute webinars.
Webinar #1: The Urban Wood Network: Future Visioning
Webinar #2: Urban Lumber Standards
Webinar #3: Urban Lumber Business
Webinar #4: What to do with the rest of the Tree(s)
Webinar #5: Forming a State Organization: Nebraska Urban Wood
Urban Wood: Using Local Materials to Enhance Design and Sustainability on Projects Webinar
The type of material used in a construction project has a significant effect on the project’s sustainability and wellness goals. When considering using wood in a project, many architects and designers look for materials that are certified, salvaged or reclaimed. While these types of wood are sourced responsibly, they often are not sourced locally. Urban wood provides a responsible and locally sourced option for wood building materials.
This webinar will introduce attendees to urban wood, explain what it is, where it comes from, grade, characteristics, and considerations when sourcing. The presentation will explore how wood can support sustainability goals such as supporting the local economy, reducing waste, and how the use of wood can achieve wellness goals on a project.
Urban Wood Toolkit Webinar Series
The Urban Wood Network kicks off its 2020 webinar series with “The Urban Wood Network: Future Visioning.” The Urban Wood Network invites municipalities, arborists, sawyers, woodworkers, advocates and all others interested in advancing the urban wood movement to participate in one or all of these 75-minute webinars.
Webinar #1: The Urban Wood Network: Future Visioning
Webinar #2: Urban Lumber Standards
Webinar #3: Urban Lumber Business
Webinar #4: What to do with the rest of the Tree(s)
Webinar #5: Forming a State Organization: Nebraska Urban Wood
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Storage in Urban Wood Products by Sam Sherrill
This presentation is based on two research projects conducted by Sam Sherrill and Steve Bratkovich in 2011 and 2018. In 2011 Dovetail Partners conducted a study on the potential for carbon sequestration in three urban hardwood products: landscape mulch, biomass for fuel, and solid wood products. An Excel model was developed that focused specifically on tons of sequestered carbon dioxide equivalent of solid hardwood products from urban forests in the United States. Estimates for a 30-year period were developed for several situations based on assumptions about variations in carbon and wood harvest. The minimum estimate from the 2011 study was approximately 124 million tons of CO2e that could be sequestered nationally in urban hardwood products over a 30 year period. Beginning in 2016, a follow-up study reconstructed the national model developed in the previous investigation to convert tons of sequestered CO2e into board feet. In addition, to making the results more user-friendly to urban wood industries, architects, and other interested parties, two products were selected, and sequestered CO2e was estimated. Download the presentation here. Visit Dovetail Partners, Inc. for more information and to download the study reports.
The Urban Wood Toolkit
The Urban Wood Toolkit was designed to be used by municipal foresters, city managers, community volunteers, or students who are interested in finding the highest and best use for removed urban and community trees. Using wood from urban and community tree care residues is an effective way to reduce municipal forestry costs and waste, promote stronger linkages with the forest products industry, and produce new economic opportunities.
The Urban Wood Toolkit helps users to prioritize the most important goals and objectives for their community’s wood, recognize the types of information or resources necessary to advance, and identify the types of services that you may need from additional partners.
Download The Urban Wood Toolkit here.
The Urban Wood Toolkit was developed in 2018 by our partners in Michigan, Verdant Stewardship and Spalted Banjo Consulting, through support from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Sustainable Resources Alliance, and the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area.
