It’s clearly important that I pursue my craft responsibly and this starts with simply being aware of the threats to tree species in the wild. There are reliable resources for this guidance.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s main authority on the conservation status of species and it publishes its Red List which evaluates the risk to thousands of species and subspecies of animals and plants.

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species [of Wild Fauna and Flora]) is a treaty, in full force since 1975, to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild.

I do not procure any timber which features in either CITES or the IUCN Red List and I only obtain materials from reputable sources of sustainable supply, mainly cultivated forest timber. Any early specimens I’ve collected over the years, from recycled sources, which have since been classified as threatened will be used up; but when they’re gone – they’re gone.

Recycling, generally, features high in my priorities and because my working stock only needs to be small dimension pieces of timber, I source a lot of my raw material from the managed waste of other woodworking processes and industry. In turn I manage my own waste responsibly, some of which finds its way back into my work such as burnishing turned items on a lathe. My use of Corian® stems from the availability of off-cuts from the solid-surface industry – the holes in your sinks!

If you have any questions about my approach to sustainable materials, please contact me through the Get in touch section of this website.