In the descriptions of our cremation urns, we say that we use “rescued lumber” and wood that is “FSC Certified”. These are common terms known to woodworkers, but maybe not to the general public.

We get our wood from 3 local sources. The first is Bohnhoff Lumber, a family owned lumberyard since 1910. They only sell FSC Certified lumber. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible forestry. FSC certifies forests all over the world to ensure they meet the highest environmental and social standards.

The second and third sources are from Angel City Lumber in LA and Street Tree Revival in Anaheim, CA. Both companies intercept the fallen trees in Los Angeles and surrounding areas from the waste stream and transforms them into lumber for woodworkers to use. This is what is meant by “rescued” lumber - trees that would have ended up in the landfill get turned into furniture, home goods, and flooring. The Sycamore and Elm we use for the tops of our urns comes from here. Sometimes we have limited edition urns made from Sweetgum as well. It is in short supply, so we find ourselves buying up as much as we can at a time, so that we will always have enough to keep making our vessels for our customers.