Urban Ash Project

Recently we gained a new piece of furniture in my office: a handcrafted urban wood table constructed from a City of Madison ash tree.  This beautiful piece is unique because it is made from an urban ash tree that once lined one of our busy city streets. The table is an example of one of the many ways to put the lumber from the trees cut down as a result of the Emerald Ash Borer to good use. While we often see ash furniture stained to look more like oak, the natural wood has a distinct color and markings that are very striking. Thank you to Fred Clark and Chris Jungbluth with Baraboo Woodworks for their remarkable artisanship!  Baraboo Woodworks was the recipient of a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry grant.  In partnership with the city, staff there are recovering and milling logs for other projects.

Check out some photos of their work below!

From left: Marla Eddy – Madison City Forester, Chris Jungbluth and Fred Clark – Baraboo Woodworks, Mayor Soglin, and George Dreckmann – Streets Division Special Projects Coordinator