Acknowledgements: notable leaders and pioneers in sustainable lutherie and tree research
Wisdom Tree Institute would like to recognize the following individuals, organizations, luthiers, and guitar making companies for their efforts in sustainability and contributions to the health of the environment. The notable leaders and pioneers mentioned below set an example for how we, as luthiers and human beings, can be more considerate in our choices that effect our environment and the trees that give life to our musical instruments. Updates are made as we continue to discover new and impactful leaders in sustainability - Stay tuned!
please note that the notable pioneers are mentioned in alphabetical order and that all have made (and are making) considerable and important positive impacts on our environment and/or the world of guitar making
Daniel Chamovitz, Ph.D., Professor and Author
Daniel Chamovitz, author of "What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses" (2012), received his Ph.D. in Genetics in 1993 from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and studies the lives of plants. His research, book (What a Plant Knows), and blog (The Daily Plant) delve into the fascinating world of plants and their intelligence, cognition, and behavior.
Read more about Daniel Chamovitz, his research, and his book here:
http://www.danielchamovitz.com/
http://www.whataplantknows.com/
http://www.thedailyplant.com/
Daniel Chamovitz, author of "What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses" (2012), received his Ph.D. in Genetics in 1993 from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and studies the lives of plants. His research, book (What a Plant Knows), and blog (The Daily Plant) delve into the fascinating world of plants and their intelligence, cognition, and behavior.
Read more about Daniel Chamovitz, his research, and his book here:
http://www.danielchamovitz.com/
http://www.whataplantknows.com/
http://www.thedailyplant.com/
Florianne Koechlin
"Plants are not passive, senseless objects. They use the language of fragrances to communicate above and below ground and engage in lively relationships with their environment and peers. Not only do they support relatives, harass strangers, make alliances, they also learn from experience and remember past events. Underground they form extensive root and fungal networks to exchange nutrients and information – an internet of plant communities of unimaginable size. What are the consequences of re-imaging the rights of plants? Do they deserve more respect? A recent amendment to the Swiss Constitution asserts that plants have “dignity”. Is dignity for plants an absurd concept? Florianne Koechlin thinks not. Florianne Koechlin holds a degree in Chemistry (Middlebury College USA) and a degree in Biology and Chemistry education (University of Basel). She is the founder and current Managing Director of the Blueridge Institute, in Muenchenstein, Switzerland. She is a co-founder of the Swiss Working Group on Genetic Engineering (SAG), the Basel Appeals against Genetic Engineering and GENET; serves on the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Future Farming and Swissaid; and is an Advisory Board member for the Swisscanto-Greeninvest." (source)
Read more about Florianne Koechlin's research and watch her TED Talk here:
https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/15485
https://youtu.be/i8YnvMpcrVI
https://floriannekoechlin.ch/index.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2634081/
http://www.blauen-institut.ch/s2_blue/tx_blu/tf/tf_dignity_plants.html
"Plants are not passive, senseless objects. They use the language of fragrances to communicate above and below ground and engage in lively relationships with their environment and peers. Not only do they support relatives, harass strangers, make alliances, they also learn from experience and remember past events. Underground they form extensive root and fungal networks to exchange nutrients and information – an internet of plant communities of unimaginable size. What are the consequences of re-imaging the rights of plants? Do they deserve more respect? A recent amendment to the Swiss Constitution asserts that plants have “dignity”. Is dignity for plants an absurd concept? Florianne Koechlin thinks not. Florianne Koechlin holds a degree in Chemistry (Middlebury College USA) and a degree in Biology and Chemistry education (University of Basel). She is the founder and current Managing Director of the Blueridge Institute, in Muenchenstein, Switzerland. She is a co-founder of the Swiss Working Group on Genetic Engineering (SAG), the Basel Appeals against Genetic Engineering and GENET; serves on the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Future Farming and Swissaid; and is an Advisory Board member for the Swisscanto-Greeninvest." (source)
Read more about Florianne Koechlin's research and watch her TED Talk here:
https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/15485
https://youtu.be/i8YnvMpcrVI
https://floriannekoechlin.ch/index.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2634081/
http://www.blauen-institut.ch/s2_blue/tx_blu/tf/tf_dignity_plants.html
Stefano Mancuso, Plant Neurobiologist
Stefano Mancuso is the founder of the field of study Plant Neurobiology, which explores plant signaling, communication, and behavior, and a Professor of Plant Science at the University of Firenze.
Read more about Stefano Mancuso's research and view his TED Talk here:
https://www.ted.com/talks/stefano_mancuso_the_roots_of_plant_intelligence
https://www.ted.com/speakers/stefano_mancuso
http://www.linv.org/
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=l3wMLRoAAAAJ&hl=en
Stefano Mancuso is the founder of the field of study Plant Neurobiology, which explores plant signaling, communication, and behavior, and a Professor of Plant Science at the University of Firenze.
Read more about Stefano Mancuso's research and view his TED Talk here:
https://www.ted.com/talks/stefano_mancuso_the_roots_of_plant_intelligence
https://www.ted.com/speakers/stefano_mancuso
http://www.linv.org/
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=l3wMLRoAAAAJ&hl=en
Martin Guitars
Martin & Co. Guitars and sustainability: Martin Guitar's commitments to sustainability and the environment include "Martin's Greenprint" (their 'green' footprint at the Martin Factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania that includes saving energy, reducing waste, and protecting the environment), their efforts to use FSC-certified woods in the making of their guitars, and their partnership in the #SaveElephants campaign with The Nature Conservancy.
Read more about Martin Guitar's commitments to sustainability here:
https://www.martinguitar.com/about/sustainability/
Martin & Co. Guitars and sustainability: Martin Guitar's commitments to sustainability and the environment include "Martin's Greenprint" (their 'green' footprint at the Martin Factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania that includes saving energy, reducing waste, and protecting the environment), their efforts to use FSC-certified woods in the making of their guitars, and their partnership in the #SaveElephants campaign with The Nature Conservancy.
Read more about Martin Guitar's commitments to sustainability here:
https://www.martinguitar.com/about/sustainability/
David Milarch
"David Milarch is the co-founder of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive and a pioneer in the cloning of ancient trees. He has dedicated his life to replanting the genetics of the world's ancient forests. He has led efforts to propogate more than 90 species including the world's oldest redwoods. David's work is featured in the newly released book The Man Who Planted Trees by Jim Robbins." (quote source: TEDx Talks)
Find out more about David Milarch and Archangel Ancient Tree Archive here:
https://www.ancienttreearchive.org/
https://tedxsanjoseca.org/david-milarch/
https://youtu.be/XGMJT9H3Aok
"David Milarch is the co-founder of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive and a pioneer in the cloning of ancient trees. He has dedicated his life to replanting the genetics of the world's ancient forests. He has led efforts to propogate more than 90 species including the world's oldest redwoods. David's work is featured in the newly released book The Man Who Planted Trees by Jim Robbins." (quote source: TEDx Talks)
Find out more about David Milarch and Archangel Ancient Tree Archive here:
https://www.ancienttreearchive.org/
https://tedxsanjoseca.org/david-milarch/
https://youtu.be/XGMJT9H3Aok
Overseas Traders, Ankit Yogi
Overseas Traders, tonewood supplier for Martin, Taylor, Fender, Gibson, PRS, and many others, has been in the lumber industry for six generations. Overseas Traders has a focus on sustainability and offers FSC-certified wood. Nearly 100% of their wood supply is sourced from auctions by the Karnataka Forest Department, who harvest only fallen trees that died of natural causes. The current managing director of Overseas Traders and a graduate of Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, Ankit Yogi is dedicated to sustainable business and lutherie practices.
Learn more about Overseas Traders and Ankit Yogi's work in sustainability here:
http://overseas-traders.com/
Overseas Traders, tonewood supplier for Martin, Taylor, Fender, Gibson, PRS, and many others, has been in the lumber industry for six generations. Overseas Traders has a focus on sustainability and offers FSC-certified wood. Nearly 100% of their wood supply is sourced from auctions by the Karnataka Forest Department, who harvest only fallen trees that died of natural causes. The current managing director of Overseas Traders and a graduate of Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, Ankit Yogi is dedicated to sustainable business and lutherie practices.
Learn more about Overseas Traders and Ankit Yogi's work in sustainability here:
http://overseas-traders.com/
Michael Pollan, Author
"For more than thirty years, Michael Pollan has been writing books and articles about the places where the human and natural worlds intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and in our minds. [...] Pollan has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Gastronomic Science and in 2015-16 was a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard. In 2003, Pollan was appointed the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and the director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism. In 2017, he was appointed Professor of the Practice of Non-fiction at Harvard and the university’s first Lewis Chan Lecturer in the Arts. In 2020, along with Dacher Keltner and others, he co-founded the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. The center will conduct research using psychedelics to investigate cognition, perception and emotion and their biological bases in the human brain. In addition to teaching, he lectures widely on food, agriculture, health, and psychedelic science." (source)
Learn more about Michael Pollan and his work here:
https://michaelpollan.com/
"For more than thirty years, Michael Pollan has been writing books and articles about the places where the human and natural worlds intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and in our minds. [...] Pollan has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Gastronomic Science and in 2015-16 was a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard. In 2003, Pollan was appointed the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and the director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism. In 2017, he was appointed Professor of the Practice of Non-fiction at Harvard and the university’s first Lewis Chan Lecturer in the Arts. In 2020, along with Dacher Keltner and others, he co-founded the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. The center will conduct research using psychedelics to investigate cognition, perception and emotion and their biological bases in the human brain. In addition to teaching, he lectures widely on food, agriculture, health, and psychedelic science." (source)
Learn more about Michael Pollan and his work here:
https://michaelpollan.com/
Mike Shanahan, Writer and Biologist
"Mike Shanahan is a freelance writer with a doctorate in rainforest ecology. He has lived in a national park in Borneo, bred endangered penguins, investigated illegal bear farms, produced award-winning journalism and spent several weeks of his life at the annual United Nations climate change negotiations. He is interested in what people think about nature and our place in it. His writing includes work published by The Economist, Nature, The Ecologist and Ensia, and chapters of Dry: Life without Water (Harvard University Press); Climate Change and the Media (Peter Lang Publishing) and Culture and Climate Change: Narratives (Shed). He is the illustrator of Extraordinary Animals (Greenwood Publishing Group) and maintains a blog called Under the Banyan." (source)
Mike Shanahan is the author of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees (Chelsea Green Publishing).
Read more about Mike Shanahan and his research here:
https://www.chelseagreen.com/writer/mike-shanahan/
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170116-the-tree-that-shaped-human-history
https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/gods-wasps-and-stranglers-paperback/
https://underthebanyan.blog/
"Mike Shanahan is a freelance writer with a doctorate in rainforest ecology. He has lived in a national park in Borneo, bred endangered penguins, investigated illegal bear farms, produced award-winning journalism and spent several weeks of his life at the annual United Nations climate change negotiations. He is interested in what people think about nature and our place in it. His writing includes work published by The Economist, Nature, The Ecologist and Ensia, and chapters of Dry: Life without Water (Harvard University Press); Climate Change and the Media (Peter Lang Publishing) and Culture and Climate Change: Narratives (Shed). He is the illustrator of Extraordinary Animals (Greenwood Publishing Group) and maintains a blog called Under the Banyan." (source)
Mike Shanahan is the author of Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees (Chelsea Green Publishing).
Read more about Mike Shanahan and his research here:
https://www.chelseagreen.com/writer/mike-shanahan/
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170116-the-tree-that-shaped-human-history
https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/gods-wasps-and-stranglers-paperback/
https://underthebanyan.blog/
Suzanne Simard, Professor
Suzanne Simard is a professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia's Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences in Vancouver, and the leader of the Mother Tree Project. Her research in underground mycorrhizal networks and tree communication has had groundbreaking impacts on our current understanding of the interdependent nature of trees and their surrounding connected ecosystem.
"She is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; and has been hailed as a scientist who conveys complex, technical ideas in a way that is dazzling and profound. Her work has influenced filmmakers (the Tree of Souls in James Cameron’s Avatar) and her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide. Suzanne is known for her work on how trees interact and communicate using below-ground fungal networks, which has led to the recognition that forests have hub trees, or Mother Trees, which are large, highly connected trees that play an important role in the flow of information and resources in a forest. Her current research investigates how these complex relationships contribute to forest resiliency, adaptability and recovery and has far-reaching implications for how to manage and heal forests from human impacts, including climate change." (source)
Read more about Suzanne Simard and her research here:
https://suzannesimard.com/
https://profiles.forestry.ubc.ca/person/suzanne-simard/
https://www.ted.com/speakers/suzanne_simard
https://mothertree.forestry.ubc.ca/
Suzanne Simard is a professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia's Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences in Vancouver, and the leader of the Mother Tree Project. Her research in underground mycorrhizal networks and tree communication has had groundbreaking impacts on our current understanding of the interdependent nature of trees and their surrounding connected ecosystem.
"She is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; and has been hailed as a scientist who conveys complex, technical ideas in a way that is dazzling and profound. Her work has influenced filmmakers (the Tree of Souls in James Cameron’s Avatar) and her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide. Suzanne is known for her work on how trees interact and communicate using below-ground fungal networks, which has led to the recognition that forests have hub trees, or Mother Trees, which are large, highly connected trees that play an important role in the flow of information and resources in a forest. Her current research investigates how these complex relationships contribute to forest resiliency, adaptability and recovery and has far-reaching implications for how to manage and heal forests from human impacts, including climate change." (source)
Read more about Suzanne Simard and her research here:
https://suzannesimard.com/
https://profiles.forestry.ubc.ca/person/suzanne-simard/
https://www.ted.com/speakers/suzanne_simard
https://mothertree.forestry.ubc.ca/
Paul Stamets, Mycologist, Author & Speaker, Medical Researcher
"Paul Stamets, speaker, author, mycologist, medical researcher and entrepreneur, is considered an intellectual and industry leader in fungi: habitat, medicinal use, and production. He lectures extensively to deepen the understanding and respect for the organisms that literally exist under every footstep taken on this path of life. His presentations cover a range of mushroom species and research showing how mushrooms can help the health of people and planet. His central premise is that habitats have immune systems, just like people, and mushrooms are cellular bridges between the two. Our close evolutionary relationship to fungi can be the basis for novel pairings in the microbiome that lead to greater sustainability and immune enhancement." (source)
Learn more about Paul Stamets and his work here:
https://fungi.com/ ; https://fungi.com/pages/about-us ; https://fungi.com/pages/sustainability-report
https://hostdefense.com/
"Paul Stamets, speaker, author, mycologist, medical researcher and entrepreneur, is considered an intellectual and industry leader in fungi: habitat, medicinal use, and production. He lectures extensively to deepen the understanding and respect for the organisms that literally exist under every footstep taken on this path of life. His presentations cover a range of mushroom species and research showing how mushrooms can help the health of people and planet. His central premise is that habitats have immune systems, just like people, and mushrooms are cellular bridges between the two. Our close evolutionary relationship to fungi can be the basis for novel pairings in the microbiome that lead to greater sustainability and immune enhancement." (source)
Learn more about Paul Stamets and his work here:
https://fungi.com/ ; https://fungi.com/pages/about-us ; https://fungi.com/pages/sustainability-report
https://hostdefense.com/
Taylor Guitars, Bob Taylor
Taylor Guitars, a well-respected and innovative guitar manufacturer out of California, became the co-owner of an ebony sawmill in Cameroon in 2011 and has made significant improvements to the sawmill's working conditions and sanitation, has considerably raised the local workers' wages, and has commissioned research into ebony tree planting methods, health and environment, and safe, sustainable harvesting methods. Ebony trees are traditionally used in the crafting of guitar fretboards. With the aid of local farmers, Taylor Guitars has begun ebony tree re-planting and re-forestation efforts to replenish the forests for future generations to be able to enjoy the gift of music and to protect our environment through sustainable practices. Bob Taylor, a long-time proponent of sustainability and 'green' guitar making, spearheads the Ebony Project alongside Vidal de Teresa, co-owner of the ebony sawmill, with help from the Congo Basin Institute, Dr. Thomas Smith, and the local sawmill workers and farmers of Cameroon.
Read more about Taylor Guitars and The Ebony Project here:
https://www.taylorguitars.com/ebonyproject
https://www.taylorguitars.com/
https://www.taylorguitars.com/about
Taylor Guitars, a well-respected and innovative guitar manufacturer out of California, became the co-owner of an ebony sawmill in Cameroon in 2011 and has made significant improvements to the sawmill's working conditions and sanitation, has considerably raised the local workers' wages, and has commissioned research into ebony tree planting methods, health and environment, and safe, sustainable harvesting methods. Ebony trees are traditionally used in the crafting of guitar fretboards. With the aid of local farmers, Taylor Guitars has begun ebony tree re-planting and re-forestation efforts to replenish the forests for future generations to be able to enjoy the gift of music and to protect our environment through sustainable practices. Bob Taylor, a long-time proponent of sustainability and 'green' guitar making, spearheads the Ebony Project alongside Vidal de Teresa, co-owner of the ebony sawmill, with help from the Congo Basin Institute, Dr. Thomas Smith, and the local sawmill workers and farmers of Cameroon.
Read more about Taylor Guitars and The Ebony Project here:
https://www.taylorguitars.com/ebonyproject
https://www.taylorguitars.com/
https://www.taylorguitars.com/about
Hugh Wilson, Botanist
In 1987, Hugh Wilson announced to his local community his plans to regenerate a natural forest by allowing a 'weed' (gorse) to grow over the farmland as a canopy to encourage native forest redevelopment. Though initially met with criticism for his project, Wilson is now a celebrated hero for his successful forest regeneration efforts at the Hinewai Nature Reserve on New Zealand's Banks Peninsula. A film by Happen Films ("Fools and Dreamers") features Wilson and his forest reserve, celebrating the positive impact that one man's dreams can make on the world.
Read more about Hugh Wilson, watch the film, "Fools and Dreamers", and support the Hinewai Nature Reserve here:
https://happenfilms.com/fools-and-dreamers
https://youtu.be/3VZSJKbzyMc
In 1987, Hugh Wilson announced to his local community his plans to regenerate a natural forest by allowing a 'weed' (gorse) to grow over the farmland as a canopy to encourage native forest redevelopment. Though initially met with criticism for his project, Wilson is now a celebrated hero for his successful forest regeneration efforts at the Hinewai Nature Reserve on New Zealand's Banks Peninsula. A film by Happen Films ("Fools and Dreamers") features Wilson and his forest reserve, celebrating the positive impact that one man's dreams can make on the world.
Read more about Hugh Wilson, watch the film, "Fools and Dreamers", and support the Hinewai Nature Reserve here:
https://happenfilms.com/fools-and-dreamers
https://youtu.be/3VZSJKbzyMc
*more coming soon*
If you believe that we have neglected to mention a notable leader in sustainable lutherie and/or tree research and related fields of study and art, kindly let us know using the Contact page. We appreciate your feedback and your thoughtful suggestions aid us in crediting those who deserve to be recognized for their positive impact on our planet.
