Planting Trees for the Future

Whether you need table legs for a coffee table, stone table, kitchen island, wooden desk, or dining table, my metal table legs offer clean looking, contemporary style. If you have questions about using my metal table legs, let me know, as I have helped guide thousands of DIY table leg projects.

(If you would like to make large, or tax deductible donation, then we can set up a custom "order" donation through my not-for-profit 501 c 3.)

It is important that you know these trees are part of my Assisted Migration of Trees for Carbon Sequestration and Biodiversity Research Project through my Wild Places Initiative, a partnership between HandMadeLegs and my not for profit, the Byers Foundation.

In this project, which I fund, I am planting trees in the wetlands of northern Minnesota where climate change is heavily impacting tree populations and peat bog carbon uptake. The tree species being planted are from more southern plant hardiness zones. Right now I am focused on growing (some species are experimental, but I plant extra):

persimmon, paw-paw, white oak, swamp white oak, shagbark hickory, black hickory, red cedar, hackberry, wild black cheery, sycamore, silver maple, walnut, and chestnut

I am assisting the migration of trees northward, effectively planting trees that will be more likely to survive the long term effects of climate change and the consequential northern shift of plant hardiness zones. The trees, being strategically planted in and around peat bogs, will help offset carbon emissions due to peat lands shifting from carbon sinks to carbon emitters. Planting these trees now, while there are still healthy mother trees in the area (though their numbers are declining from insect damage), and continually planting every year after, allows the trees to find their own way into the natural forest system like any seedling does. This helps grow the forest boundary into the peat lands as nature allows. Ultimately, this supports biodiversity and strengthens the ecosystem as a whole, reducing the chances for species collapse and the the need for large scale regenerative practices. This is crucial for helping create a resilient network of trees of different ages rather than one mass planting at a later date. If you don't know, trees support each other through their root system (mycelium network), literally sharing nutrients and communicating with each other about pests and other threats. Planting trees in already robust root systems (mature forests) means greater resiliency rather than cutting down a Forrest or letting a forest become decimated by insect damage, and planting a bunch of seedlings that can't communicate with each other.

Ten EXTRA trees will be planted to offset the finishing of your table.

I will plant ten EXTRA trees for you; you will NOT receive a physical tree.

You may want to purchase EXTRA trees in order to offset the varnish that you use, or because your table top is made from a lumber product or is a live edge slab cut from an old-growth tree.

All of my table legs that I make are already carbon neutral because of my tree planting program (described below), and now you can add EXTRA trees for me to plant on your behalf.

You will receive a certificate for my promise to order, plant, and nurture an additional tree purchased through my state's carbon sequestration forestry program or started on my farm from collected seed.

***How does the tree planting program work?
Even though my studio is located on 30 acres of mature forest, I want to ensure that I am helping to build a better, cleaner future. As such, I will plant one (1) tree for every order that I fulfill. Though trees take some years to really start absorbing carbon, this will ensure that a balance is maintained from my humble studio (I do not have any climate control).

Because spring is the best time to plant trees, I count all orders and plant the trees at one time. We round up a few school kids and have them help us plant trees at needed locations in our community. This rages from local county parks, private properties, to state forests. You will get a small certificate with your order as a commitment on my part! Depending on volume, I may pay the state to plant some trees on my behalf.

FYI: A typical set of table-height legs produces about 20 lbs of CO2 in production. My forest absorbs about 400 lbs. of CO2 per acre, per year, or 12,000 lbs per year. The tree planting program will ensure that this not only continues, but increases every year. So really, your legs are produced CO2 negative!