According to the US Forest Service, 36 million trees are removed from urban areas every year. These trees offer a tremendous opportunity to reduce some of the demand on forests. But, this quality wood that could be used in furniture or the built environment, is more commonly chipped, incinerated or landfilled. Luckily, there are people working to change that.

Paul Hickman, founder of the urban wood consultancy company Urban Ashes, is one such person. Through Urban Ashes, he’s working with municipalities throughout the country to create the systems that maximize the life and value of fallen urban trees.

In this episode, Paul shares how going from a design project manager in the Midwest to a forklift driver in the Bay Area opened his eyes to urban lumber and the impact it can have on the planet.