VIDEOS
GreenWood is launching a state-of-the-art timber-tracking program in the buffer zone of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve of Honduras—a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most pristine forest areas in tropical America. The carefully monitored system of applied bar codes will enable GreenWood and its client, Taylor Guitar Company, to track each of the critical control points in their supply chain of mahogany guitar parts, identifying the origin of the wood and ensuring the integrity of their supply. Owners of a Taylor guitar will be able to identify the actual rainforest location from which the materials in their instrument were derived and confirm that the wood came from a well-managed source.
The project puts the forest at the fingertips of guitar aficionados as never before. Guitar owners will be able to conduct a "virtual" tour of the rainforest community that produced the wood in their instrument. Arriving at the harvest site of their tree via Google Earth™, online tourists will download all the technical information they like, as well as photos and profiles of the local loggers who cut the wood, their families and the surrounding flora and fauna, plus music and videos of the harvest process.
Drawing a direct link between the forest and the finished guitar, this groundbreaking technology makes the global truly local!
Click on the photos below to watch these GreenWood videos:
Yanesha Chairmaking Workshop: Peru
GreenWood's first Peruvian Workshop—conducted in February 2008 by Brian Boggs and Curtis Buchanan—illustrates the skills and cooperative spirit of the Yanesha artisans. With the introduction of new tools, techniques and furniture, designed by Curtis and Brian, GreenWood has opened an exciting new training ground in the Amazonian frontier.
In Memoriam: The young GreenWood artisan featured in the first three videos below, José Pablo Cordoba, was tragically killed in July 2007. One of the earliest and most accomplished GreenWood artisans trained in El Carbón, Olancho, Honduras, José Pablo is survived by his wife Santa Catalina, his two children (Allan, 7, and Janeth, 3) and his parents, Pablo and Antonia Cordoba. He set a high standard, and will be missed.
GreenWood: How Artisan Furniture is Helping to Preserve Forests
World-famous Canadian environmentalist, David Suzuki, introduces GreenWood—a pioneering non-profit that trains indigenous populations in sustainable forestry and artisan furniture making—preserving biodiversity through sustainable economic development.
GreenWood: Making Furniture, Making a Living
The international nonprofit, GreenWood, uses appropriate hand-tool technology to train artisans in traditional woodworking techniques. GreenWood's artisan mentors include some of the finest furniture makers in the world.
GreenWood: Selective Forestry + Quality Craftsmanship = Empowerment
GreenWood works with artisans to identify lesser-known tree species and add value to local forests—providing economic incentives for conservation and management.
