Sustainable Lutherie: A Brief Survey of Our Impact as Instrument Makers

Wisdom Tree Institute presentation given to Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery Fall Class of 2019 on December 18, 2019
please note: all sources for this presentation are cited below the presentation text by category with website links
presentation updated and edited for clarity 1/20/2020
 
What is sustainable lutherie?
Sustainable lutherie is the conscious effort to make decisions that ensure the future survival of our forests and the consideration of the corresponding impact on the art of lutherie, which relies on wood for the building of many instruments, taking into consideration the environmental footprint of guitar manufacturers and individual lutherie shops, the types of tonewoods (or tonewood alternatives)  used to create instruments, the manner in which the tonewoods are harvested and if the forests are responsibly managed (FSC-certified), and what reforestation efforts we can make on local and global scales.  
  
Why the need for sustainability?
  1. Many prized tonewoods, such as rosewood, ebony, and mahogany, have traditionally come from areas that are clear-cut by loggers, destroying the rich biodiversity in the search for old growth timber (much of which is becoming extinct). While trees are considered a renewable resource because of their ability to grow back and replenish themselves, the over-logging of certain species of trees and the process of clear-cutting forests limits our resources and requires our conscious attention if we want to prevent their extinction. Trees themselves may be considered renewable, but forests are not. Because of the complex diversity and web of many interdependent organisms, replenishing forests is not as simple as re-planting just any type of tree (such as planting only one species, depriving the area of biodiversity). Multiple variables must be taken into consideration when actively reforesting a depleted area.
  2. In order to continue the practice of making instruments, we need to preserve and replant our forests for future generations to enjoy. The need for sustainability starts with us, now, so that others in the future can benefit from trees.
  3. There are numerous reasons to preserve and re-plant our forests aside from ensuring the survival of musical instruments, including trees’ ability to combat effects of global warming, trees’ benefits to the wildlife in their surrounding ecosystem, and their aid in preventing water, soil, and air pollution.
 
Forests & Deforestation
  1.  Forests cover over 30% of our land on Earth and provide food, medicine, fuel, and jobs (World Wildlife Fund). Forests worldwide provide 13.4 million people with jobs in the forest sector, and another 41 million people have jobs related to forests (livescience.com).
  2. Most deforestation today is happening in tropical regions which were, in the past, inaccessible, but can now be reached by new roads that have been constructed.
  3. Causes include farming and agriculture, grazing of livestock, mining, wildfires (and in some cases human-lit fires set in an attempt to burn remaining vegetation in clear-cut land to make way for agricultural crops which then burn out of control), urbanization (land that is being developed for housing), logging operation (some of which is illegally taking place in remote forests). One example is the clearing of forests for palm oil plantations – palm oil being a commonly produced vegetable oil present in half of all supermarket products (livescience.com).
  4. Between 1990 and 2016, the world lost 502,000 square miles (1.3 million square kilometers) of forest (according to World Bank) which is an area larger than South Africa. The World Bank estimates that roughly 3.9 million square miles (10 million square km) of forest have been lost since the beginning of the 20th century.
  5.  46% of all trees have been cut down since humans began felling trees (Nature journal study, 2015)
  6.  17% of the Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed in the past 50 years (due to the building of more roads, ranchers, and fire) (National Geographic).
  7. Deforestation is the second leading cause of climate change; the first being the burning of fossil fuels (fao.org). Deforestation removes trees and vegetation that remove carbon dioxide from the air, and the act of clearing forests produces greenhouse gas emissions (livescience.com).
 
Reforestation Efforts
  1. Reforestation efforts on both local and global scales are being made to accelerate the forests’ re-growth and recovery after forests have been depleted through logging and clear-cutting practices to make way for agriculture or to acquire timber. One resource for finding information about reforestation projects is the website reforestationworld.org
  2.  Deforestation negatively affects the wildlife that call the forests home, reduces rainfall due to the way water vapor is produced in a forest canopy, and affects climate change because trees are needed to absorb CO2. Some ways to combat deforestation include the reforestation and rehabilitation of forests, including replanting and natural growth encouragement, decreased paper usage/consumption, and decreased usage of products that contain palm oil.
  3. Forests can be restored through re-planting efforts or through allowing the forests to naturally regenerate over time. One example is botanist Hugh Wilson and the Hinewai Nature Reserve. The documentary film “Fools and Dreamers: Regenerating a Native Forest” describes Wilson’s minimal interference method to regenerate farmland into native forest, giving life to over 1,500 hectares of forest and waterways. Another example is a forest-planting company, Afforestt, founded by Shubhendu Sharma (after being inspired by botanist Akira Miyawaki) who uses the Potential Natural Vegetation (PNV) theory to create natural forests whose growth occurs in a very short span of time in 100 square meter areas. Afforestt’s method considers soil nutrition, climate, locally abundant biomass (to nourish the soil), vertical spacing (tree height potential to prevent competition and maximize utilization of space), water supply, sunlight exposure, etc.
 
CITES Treaty as it relates to Lutherie
  1. CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora: an international agreement between governments whose aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. (https://www.cites.org/) The idea for CITES first came about in the 1960's, with the intention to regulate wildlife trade in a conservation effort to protect endangered species. “CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union). The text of the Convention was finally agreed at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries in Washington, D.C., the United States of America, on 3 March 1973, and on 1 July 1975 CITES entered in force” (cites.org). International wildlife trade includes “live animals and plants [and] a vast array of wildlife products derived from them, including food products, exotic leather goods, wooden musical instruments, timber, tourist curios and medicine.” CITES aims to protect not only the currently endangered species, but also wildlife species that have the potential to become endangered or over-exploited, so that the flora and fauna may be sustainably protected resources for the future. CITES currently has safeguards in place protecting over 37,000 species of animals and plants, including both live specimens and dried herbs. CITES works by requiring the listed species being imported, exported, and re-exported to be authorized through a licensing system by a designated Management Authority. In the U.S., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the designated authority through which to acquire the proper permits. There are three Appendices (I, II, and III), Appendix I being the most restrictive category that includes species threatened with extinction.
  2. Several species of trees are listed as protected under CITES, affecting which tonewoods luthiers can purchase and utilize, how musicians travel internationally with their instruments, and affects the international sale of instruments and building materials which feature any of the listed species. Mother-of-pearl is included and may require a permit.
  3. For example, Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) is tightly restricted under CITES (included in Appendix I) and may not be traded for commercial purposes. Dalbergia nigra is so strictly protected in part due to illegal logging, illegal trade, and a high demand for rosewood furniture in China. Brazilian rosewood is known as ‘Hungmu’ and these species have been connected to violence and ‘rebel group uprisings’ (CITES). Exceptions can be made for pre-Convention guitars (i.e., guitars that contain rosewood that was obtained prior to June 11, 1992), which still require an application form and must enter or exit the U.S. through a “plant designated port”. Guitars containing Brazilian rosewood require documentation for travel, according to CITES and the federal Lacey Act. In January 2017, new regulations heightened the protection of rosewood species, including East Indian rosewood, Honduran rosewood, and cocobolo, and three species of bubinga. CITES import or export permits are required for trade across international borders for Dalgeria in both raw and finished forms and components.
  4. Exceptions: “personal and household effects” owned or possessed for non-commercial purposes may not require CITES permits, such as a personal musical instrument that is not intended for sale and will be returning with the person to its original State of origin. Each musical instrument must not exceed a total weight of 10 kg of Dalbergia (10 kg is roughly equal to 22 pounds). According to Taylor Guitars, their solid wood guitars may use up to 0.85 kg of rosewood, and their layered wood guitars may use up to 0.21 kg of rosewood (both definitely falling below the 10 kg limit). Pre-Convention certificates can be issued for specimens that were acquired before the enactment of the CITES treaty and convention, but proof of the date of acquisition is required. In the case of a pre-Convention certificate for exportation of the species, and no CITES import permit is required for Appendix-I specimens.
  5. How to apply for a CITES permit or certificate: 1) Complete a standard application form (3-200) and submit it with a processing fee to the Division of Management Authority. Allow at least 60 days for review. 2) Contact your State wildlife or plant conservation agency and the CITES Management Authority of the foreign importing or exporting country to determine any additional requirements. 3) Some CITES-listed species are also protected by other U.S. laws with more stringent permit requirements, i.e. Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Wild Bird Conservation Act. (source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)  
 
Selecting Sustainable Tonewoods
  1. Consider alternatives (substitutions) to endangered and/or CITES-protected species. Example: some have begun using East Indian rosewood instead of the highly restricted and difficult to acquire Brazilian rosewood. Some less common alternatives to Brazilian rosewood include Honduran, Guatemalan, and Madagascar rosewood, cocobolo, granadillo, ovankol, wenge, and ziricote. (Alternatives suggested in Acoustic Guitar magazine article “A Tonewood Primer: How to Pick the Right Materials for Your Optimal Sound”.)
  2.  Look for the FSC certification: Forest Stewardship Council-approved wood comes from responsibly managed forests. The FSC champions worker’s rights and economic well-being, focuses on conserving biological diversity and the ecological integrity of the forests, and has standards in place to protect and preserve forests for future generations.
  3. Research your sources, know where your wood is coming from, and make informed decisions as a buyer (luthier). Example: Pacific Rim Tonewoods focuses on reforestation efforts, energy and material efficiencies, land conservation, and clean water projects. Pacific Rim Tonewoods is located in Washington and began with Steve McMinn salvaging wood in order to build a guitar.
  4. Consider domestic woods sourced here in the U.S. (Walnut, maple, cherry)
  5. Consider salvaged woods from fallen trees and local sources
  6. Consider experimenting with alternatives to wood, such as recycled materials, bamboo, carbon fiber, and Ekoa® (Blackbird Guitars).
 
Alternatives to Tonewoods
  1. Carbon fiber, glass fiber (fiberglass), or aluminum. KLŌS Guitars (founded 2014), RainSong Guitars (founded 1982), Ovation guitars (1966 debut of Lyrachord body), and Emerald Guitar Company (founded 1994/1998), among others, utilize carbon fiber to build their guitars. Carbon fiber is resistant to temperature and humidity changes and won’t crack or warp, and the guitars are often made with a one-piece body and detachable neck.
  2. Flaxwood: wood fiber composite material. Flaxwood Guitars is a Finnish guitar manufacturer whose instruments are made from a “natural fibre-reinforced thermoplastic”, whose fibers include fiberglass, carbon fiber, aramid (synthetic, aromatic polyamide), or basalt (igneous rock), and may include others such as paper and wood. The polymer is typically an epoxy, vinyl ester resin, or polyester thermosetting plastic.
  3.  Bamboo. Alquier “eco-responsible” Guitars by Jean-Yves Alquier are made with bamboo, FSC-certified non-tropical wood, and non-toxic metals (notably titanium). Bamboo is often considered CO2 neutral because it is the world’s fastest growing plant, able to quickly regenerate, growing nearly as large as trees (and the larger a plant is, the more CO2 it is able to absorb); because it is quite strong and flexible and a low-cost building material for housing and other structures; and because it is able to sequester an amount of carbon per hectare of bamboo forest on a level comparable to some large tree species such as Chinese fir and oak.
  4.  Recycled Materials. Simon Lee builds electric guitars out of recycled yogurt pots, industrial pipes, CDs, water bottles, and vending machine cups, called the ‘Cyclotron’ guitar series. Lee was originally a sculptor, then began making recycled-material guitars to combat the destruction of the rainforests and “build guitars that didn’t glamorize exotic hardwoods [because the] timbers are becoming endangered species.”
  5.  Ekoa®: natural biocomposite material and flax fibers. Blackbird Guitars first began making guitars with Ekoa® material, which is composed of linen fibers, flax, and plant-based resins. Flax linen compared to fiberglass uses less non-renewable energy, is less toxic to humans, and has lower greenhouse gas emissions.
  6.  Richlite: recycled pulp & responsibly harvested trees, ebony alternative. Richlite has many residential, commercial, and industrial applications, including guitar fretboards. It is GREENGUARD, FSC, and Rainforest Alliance certified. Martin Guitars utilize Richlite fretboards as an ebony alternative because it is more eco-friendly, durable, resistant to moisture and temperature, non-porous, doesn’t shrink, and requires next to no maintenance.
  7.  Recycled/reclaimed wood from fallen local trees or demolished buildings. Deadwood Guitar Company uses wood from local fallen trees in North Georgia woods which would otherwise be used as firewood, thrown in the dump, or left to rot. The woods are not necessarily traditionally used in guitar making but offer a natural look and unique sound. Wallace Detroit Guitars uses reclaimed wood from Detroit buildings being renovated or demolished (including pine, mahogany, maple, and walnut) that could not be otherwise reused in building in order to ensure the most sustainable process possible. Wallace Detroit Guitars sources this wood through local non-profits who use the money from selling wood to work on historic preservation projects. 
 
Manufacturers & Luthiers Leading the Way in Sustainable Lutherie
  1. Taylor Guitars: The Ebony Project and Paniolo Tonewoods
  2.  Martin Guitars: Richlite fretboards and FSC-certified woods and Rainforest Alliance partnership, #SaveElephants anti-poaching campaign partnered with The Natural Conservancy, reducing energy consumption, reducing waste, and recycling efforts in the Nazareth, Pennsylvania Martin Factory.
  3. Breedlove Guitars: CITES and Lacey Act compliant “treasured tonewoods”, salvaged dead/fallen trees, individually harvested trees that do not disrupt ecosystem. Tom Bedell of Bedell Guitars, who bought Breedlove in 2010, is committed to using only dead, salvaged Sitka spruce and koa trees, myrtle from Oregon, and Adirondack spruces that are harvested within ten years before their death with the least amount of environmental impact on the surrounding forest.
  4. RainSong Guitars are made of graphite (composite of carbon fibers in an epoxy matrix). John Decker founded RainSong guitars in Hawaii after witnessing a guitarist playing a wedding in a downpour. Decker wanted to create instruments that were weather, temperature, and moisture resistant.
  5.  Ovation Guitar: Lyrachord (interwoven layers of glass filament and bonding resin). Charles Kaman decided to put a team together to invent a new guitar in 1964, choosing aerospace engineers and technicians. One of their innovations was creating a synthetic back and a “parabolic” (round-back) shape. First Ovation guitar debuted in November 1966, with a patented Lyrachord body.
 
…continued
  1. Others include: Aristides Instruments, Blackbird Guitars, Deadwood Guitar Company, Seagull Guitars, Peavey, McPherson Guitars, Flaxwood Guitars, Mada Guitars, Zero Impact Guitars, Simon Lee, First Act Bambusa, Brad Ferguson’s Bamboocaster, Born Guitars, Yamaha, Dave Maize Guitars, Maton Guitars, Valenti Guitars, Pete Beer Guitars, Bright Guitars, Alquier Guitars, Micheletti Guitars, Bedell Guitars, etc.
               
Taylor Guitars: The Ebony Project
  1. In 2011 Taylor Guitars became the co-owner of an ebony sawmill in Yaoundé, Cameroon (Africa). They began an effort to create safer and more efficient working conditions, to educate the local workers about sustainable harvesting and logging techniques, and provided fair, documented employment and increased wages for the local workers. Some of the initial issues discovered upon purchasing the ebony sawmill were the faulty electricity, a lack of training, poor sanitary conditions, unnecessary waste, and no access to clean water (Taylor Guitars, Transforming A Sawmill). To correct these problems, Taylor Guitars doubled everyone’s wages, took action to upgrade working conditions, began building a cantina to provide free lunches to the workers, and drilling a well for fresh water that not only provided for the sawmill workers but extended to the community of Odza.
  2.  Taylor Guitars partnered with Dr. Thomas Smith and the Congo Basin Institute to research the growth of ebony trees. Equipped with a better understanding of their growth habits, lifespans, and required environmental conditions, they delved into re-foresting efforts to preserve ebony trees for future generations of musicians and luthiers.
  3.  Incentivized local farmers to plant ebony trees alongside faster-growing species that produce much needed resources such as fruits and medicine
  4.  Taylor Guitars encourages buyers for other guitar manufacturers to purchase marbled, variegated, or striped as well as traditional black ebony. Color variation is purely aesthetic and does not change the tone or performance of the instrument, and yet countless trees have been wasted – cut down and left to rot – because they were discovered to have marbled brownish coloring instead of the traditionally preferred uniform jet-black. Taylor Guitars has begun a mission to change peoples’ outlook on the marbled ebony, using marbled variations on their highest-end guitars, hoping that buyers and musicians will gain an appreciation for its distinctive personality and unique visual characteristics. 
 
Trees and Humans
  1. Trees and humans have had a symbiotic relationship since our appearance on earth: we are interconnected in nature. Trees provide resources like oxygen, food, and medicine. The presence of trees reminds us of our interconnectedness with nature and “gives us a sense of place” (Ruth Wilson). The first plants to move from the sea onto land did so around 430 million years ago. The first trees (big plants 30 meters high with woody stems, roots, and leaves) evolved around 360 million years ago (“Earth and Life Through Time”, Steven Stanley). Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appeared around 200,000 years ago. “The 200,000 date refers to the earliest known anatomically modern humans, skeletons found at places like Omo and Herto in Ethiopia. They represent people with slender body types, high foreheads, and reduced brow ridges compared to Neanderthals or earlier human ancestors” (npr.org “How Long Have We Been Human”).
  2.  Nearly every culture has mythology surrounding the sacredness of trees, and many worship trees (dendrolatry). Trees are said to evoke mindfulness; a state in which we are more alert and aware, thoughtful, conscious of and compassionate towards our surroundings. The tree is often a symbol of life and regeneration (the Tree of Life) because of its own life cycle through the seasons. Tree symbols are also utilized in the field of biology to illustrate the process of evolution and its branching patterns.
  3.  Writer and biologist Mike Shanahan writes about “the tree that shaped human history”: the fig tree, notably F. religiosa, played a major role in the evolution and survival of human beings, animals, and insects, alike. There are 750 fig tree species, including F. religiosa, that “feature in every major religion and have influenced kings and queens, scientists and soldiers. They played roles in human evolution and the dawn of civilization. These trees have not only witnessed history; they have shaped it” (Mike Shanahan). Fig trees produce fruits that have sustained more species of wildlife than any other kind of fruit, including fruit bats and primates, and our early human ancestors. There is evidence that fig trees aided humans in developing larger brains because of their high-energy nutrition, and a theory that suggests our hands evolved as tools in order to select ripe figs (Shanahan).
  4.  Simply put, we would not exist without trees: Trees have always been integral to our survival, our musical expression, and our sense of well-being and peace
 
…continued
  1. Like humans (but in their own way), trees digest, respire, sleep, feel, learn, store memories, form social bonds within their communities, hear, exchange information, and have the potential to evolve. Botanist Stefano Mancuso, founder of the study of plant neurobiology, states that plants are able to sense and respond to a minimum of 15 different physical and chemical parameters (TED Talk: The roots of plant intelligence, Stefano Mancuso). Plants respond to gravity, their leaves reduce movement at night (sleep), they communicate with other plants (even with other species of plants) and with insects and animals (for pollination, for defense, etc.).
  2. Plant neurobiology: an emerging field of study focused on “the intersection of the philosophy of cognitive science and plant neurobiology” to analyze plant ‘intelligence’ through plant signaling, communication, and adaptive behavior. Plants have been shown to exhibit ‘active attention’ in their response to various stimuli; “[plants’] stress-related modulation results in behavioral changes that often entail the activation of stress-inducible genes [including responses to dehydration, early responsiveness to dehydration, and cold regulation]” (Michael Marder, “Plant intelligence and attention”). (An inducible gene is one that is expressed in response to an environmental change or dependent on the position in the cell cycle.) Plants respond to stress (such as temperature changes, high light intensity, herbicides) by altering their metabolism, growth, and development (“Plant Genes for Abiotic Stress” Loredana F. Ciarmiello et al).
 
The Benefits of Trees
  1. Trees combat climate change by absorbing CO2, removing and storing the carbon and releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere
  2.  Trees clean the air by absorbing pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark
  3.  Trees combat the Urban Heat Island effect in cities, cooling the average temperature with their shade
  4.  Trees prevent water pollution by reducing stormwater run-off which carries pollutants to the ocean
 
… more benefits
  1. Trees provide food for humans, birds, and wildlife and provide a canopy and habitat
  2.  Trees conserve energy when planted around homes, lessening the need for air conditioning
  3.  Trees save water by sheltering lawns from the sun and by transpiring, which increases atmospheric moisture
  4.  Trees prevent soil erosion by keeping soil in place on hillsides or stream slopes
  5.  Trees reduce violence: neighborhoods with more trees have been shown to have reduced amounts of violence due to their calming effect
 
Tree Communication
  1. Notable pioneer: Suzanne Simard, a biologist and professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia, has conducted research on mycorrhizal networks and their importance to the survival and flourishing of trees
  2.  Mycorrhiza (from Greek mykes “fungus” and rhiza “root”) refers to a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and a plant, referring specifically to the role of fungus in the plant’s root system. Mycorrhizae impact the plant’s nutrition, soil biology, and soil chemistry. “The plant makes organic molecules such as sugars by photosynthesis and supplies them to the fungus, and the fungus supplies to the plant water and mineral nutrients, such as phosphorus, taken from the soil” (Wikipedia, Mycorrhiza). “All trees all over the world, including paper birch and Douglas fir, form a symbiotic association with below-ground fungi. These are fungi that are beneficial to the plants and through this association, the fungus, which can’t photosynthesize of course, explores the soil. Basically, it sends mycelium, or threads, all through the soil, picks up nutrients and water, especially phosphorus and nitrogen, brings it back to the plant, and exchanges those nutrients and water for photosynthate [a sugar or other substance made by photosynthesis] from the plant. The plant is fixing carbon and then trading it for the nutrients that it needs for its metabolism. It works out for both of them” (Suzanne Simard, interview with Yale Environment 360).
  3.  These mycorrhizal networks allow trees to exchange nutrients and information in an intricate underground root system
  4.  Mother Tree: encourage the growth and thriving of younger, developing trees. Mother trees are also referred to as “hub trees” in their communities, as they are the hub of connection in a forest and provide ‘wisdom’ as leaders and sentinels. They inform younger trees and protect them, allowing the forest to survive.
 
The ‘Dignity’ of Trees
  1. Florianne Koechlin, biologist, chemist, and Managing Director at the Blueridge Institute, researches the communication networks of plants and suggests that plants may have ‘dignity’
  2.  Tomato plants communicate with fragrances (methyl jasmonate), warning neighboring tomatoes about impending destruction by hungry predators such as caterpillars. Can attract beneficial insects, such as wasps, that prey on caterpillars, thereby protecting themselves from getting eaten.
  3.  Apple trees can release a fragrance to attract birds that will eat the caterpillars gnawing at their bark
  4.  Mycorrhizal nutrient exchange network (phosphate, hydrocarbon, nitrogen, water)
  5. Memory and ability to ‘learn’ from experience. When attacked by a caterpillar, tomato plants react by producing toxins, and then the second time they are attacked, they produce these toxins more quickly, making their defense mechanism more efficient. Birch trees can remember something for as long as four years.
  6. A plant is not just an object, an “it”, but is a living being, a “she”, so to speak. What are the implications of this? How can we use these insights for agricultural purposes to help boost their immune systems, increase biodiversity, warn them with fragrances, and help their communities thrive instead of depriving them through the practice of monoculture?  
  7. Scientists studying the Mimosa plant have explained that “plants may lack brains and neural tissues but they do possess a sophisticated calcium-based signaling network in their cells similar to animals’ memory processes”. The biological basis for this learning mechanism is not entirely understood, but we are now considering broadening our definition of ‘learning’ to include organisms that lack a nervous system.
 
In conclusion
Please consider your environmental impact as a luthier, whether you go on to open your own workshop or choose to apply for an established guitar manufacturer. As an individual and/or as part of a larger company,  your decisions – including the materials you use to build a guitar, where you source your tonewoods, and how the workshop is conducted (e.g., reducing waste, recycling, conserving energy and water) – effect your surrounding environment and the earth as a whole. Please consider the many benefits that trees provide us, including the gift of music, so that you can make conscious and informed choices when it comes to lutherie and life. In conclusion, follow your bliss, build beautiful instruments, and create music – Just be considerate of the magnificent trees that enable you to create art.

Sources referenced in the above presentation

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): https://us.fsc.org/en-us

CITES: https://www.cites.org/ 
https://www.fretboardjournal.com/features/guitar-lovers-guide-cites-conservation-treaty/  
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/27/754509680/musical-instruments-to-be-exempt-from-restrictions-on-heavily-trafficked-rosewoo
https://www.cites.org/eng/imp/Exemptions_and_special_procedures 
https://www.taylorguitars.com/cites 
https://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/factsheet-cites-permits-and-certificates-2013.pdf 
https://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/update-brazilian-rosewood-preconvention-imports-eu.pdf 
https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/rosewoods-bubinga-really-banned-cites/

Center for International Forestry Research: https://www.cifor.org/

Sustainable Agroforestry: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/landuse/forestry/sustain/

Trees, are they renewable?: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2003-11/1069877707.En.r.html

Tree anatomy: https://www.fs.fed.us/learn/trees/anatomy-of-tree

Manage trees sustainably: https://www.bioenergyconsult.com/trees-sustainability/

How and when to plant trees: https://www.arborilogical.com/articles/all-articles/article-repository/2018/january/how-and-when-to-plant-trees/

Sustainable tree planting: https://www.arborilogical.com/articles/all-articles/article-repository/2010/september/sustainable-tree-planting/

Tonewood selection (Acoustic Guitar magazine): https://acousticguitar.com/a-tonewood-primer-how-to-pick-the-right-materials-for-your-optimal-sound/

Tonewoods: https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/tonewood-tutorial-everything-you-need-to-know-about-tonewoods 
https://www.stringjoy.com/guitar-wood-guide-tonewoods-guitar-building/ 
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/natural-resources/good-wood-guide-how-and-why-use-sustainable-timber  
https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/blog/everything-you-should-know-about-sustainable-wood/ 
https://bourgeoisguitars.net/tonewoods-htm/

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: https://www.fws.gov/permits/faqs/FaqFGH.html 
https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/lacey-act.html 
https://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/questions-and-answers-appendix-II-timber-listings-December-2016.pdf 
https://www.fws.gov/permits/instructions/ObtainPermit.html

Reforestation projects: https://www.reforestationworld.org/our-projects

Fig trees: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989418300969?via%3Dihub 
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/scientists-reveal-yet-another-reason-fig-trees-are-titans-of-biodiversity/

Sustainable wood supplies: https://www.forestfoundation.org/wood-supplies

Archangel Ancient Tree Archive: https://youtu.be/XGMJT9H3Aok 
https://www.ancienttreearchive.org/

RainSong Guitars: http://www.rainsong.com/about.html#StoryHow

Ovation Guitars: http://www.ovationguitars.com/  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovation_Guitar_Company

KLŌS Guitars: https://klosguitars.com/

Flaxwood Guitars: https://www.flaxwood.com/ 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaxwood_Guitars

Alquier Guitars: https://alquierguitars.com/ 
https://alquierguitars.com/bamboo-quality-alternative-for-tonewood/

Benefits of Trees: https://www.treepeople.org/tree-benefits 
https://www.activesustainability.com/construction-and-urban-development/benefits-of-trees-in-cities/ 
https://www.thoughtco.com/reasons-living-trees-are-valuable-1343514

“The Meaning of Trees” blog: https://meaningoftrees.com/trees/

Humans and trees: https://www.americanforests.org/magazine/article/people-and-trees-an-intimate-connection/ 
https://blog.pachamama.org/people-and-trees-intimately-connected-through-the-ages 
https://upliftconnect.com/plant-neurobiology-trees-humans/

Trees and oxygen: https://www.fs.fed.us/features/power-one-tree-%E2%80%93-very-air-we-breathe

Tree respiration manual: https://www.warnell.uga.edu/sites/default/files/publications/WSFNR-17-13%20Coder.pdf

Carbon Cycle: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/CarbonCycle 
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/niacs/forests/carboncycle/ 
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/niacs/forests/

Pacific Rim Tonewoods: http://pacificrimtonewoods.com/ 
http://pacificrimtonewoods.com/projects/paniolo/

Sustainability of Bamboo: http://www.ecology.com/2013/05/15/what-can-bamboo-do-about-co2/

Recycled material guitars: https://recyclenation.com/2010/11/guitars-recycled-objects/ 
https://newatlas.com/eco-friendly-guitars/11918/

​Simon Lee Guitars: http://www.simonleeguitars.com/

Wallace Detroit Guitars: http://wallacedetroitguitars.com/ 
https://www.good.is/articles/detroit-upcycled-guitars

Blackbird Guitars: https://www.blackbirdguitar.com/blogs/news/93442822-ekoa-versus-carbon-fiber 
https://www.blackbirdguitar.com/

Ekoa® material: https://lingrove.com/ekoa 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekoa

Richlite material: https://richlite.com/pages/applications 
https://richlite.com/pages/fretboards

Deadwood Guitar Company: https://deadwoodguitarcompany.com/

Taylor Guitars, Ebony Project: https://www.taylorguitars.com/ebonyproject

Martin Guitars and sustainability: https://www.martinguitar.com/about/sustainability/ 
https://www.martinguitar.com/about/sustainability/our-commitment-to-the-environment/ 
https://youtu.be/CP06KHlUIrw

Breedlove and Bedell Guitars: https://acousticguitar.com/tom-bedell-of-bedell-breedlove/ 
https://bedellguitars.com/seed-to-song/the-tonewood-certification-project

Aristides instruments (Arium material): https://aristidesinstruments.com/story/history

Seagull Guitars: http://www.seagullguitars.com/

Peavey composite guitars: https://peavey.com/products/composite-acoustics.cfm

McPherson Guitars: https://mcphersonguitars.com/

Mada Guitars: http://madaguitars.com/

First Act Bambusa Guitars: https://rockingreen.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/first-act-makes-first-rate-bamboo-guitars/

Rainforest Alliance: https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/issues/forests

Yamaha: https://www.yamaha.com/en/csr/environment/sustainable_resource_use/

Born Guitars: https://bornguitars.com/sustainability/ 
https://bornguitars.com/sustainable-tone-the-current-state-of-guitar-tonewoods/

“Building a Sustainable Guitar” podcast series: https://www.wri.org/building-sustainable-guitar

"For How Long Have We Been Human?", NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2012/09/11/160934187/for-how-long-have-we-been-human

Dave Maize Guitars: http://www.maizeguitars.com/

Pete Beer: https://classicalguitarmagazine.com/british-luthier-pete-beer-is-building-sustainable-instruments/ 
http://www.petebeerguitars.com/Workshop.html

Maton Guitars: https://maton.com.au/page/sustainability

‘Green’ guitar makers: http://www.greenecoservices.com/green-guitar-music-to-our-ears/

The sustainability of tonewoods: https://jerryleesmusicstore.com/sustainable-supply-of-instrument-tonewoods/

Bright Guitars: https://www.brightguitars.com/sustainability

Micheletti Guitars: http://www.michelettiguitars.com/Salvaged_Wood.htm

Zero Impact Guitars: https://zeroimpactguitars.blogspot.com/

About trees: https://www.fs.fed.us/learn/trees

Hugh Wilson, “Fools and Dreamers” film: https://happenfilms.com/fools-and-dreamers 
https://youtu.be/3VZSJKbzyMc

Sustainable guitar making: https://earthtalk.org/greener-guitars-2/

Mike Shanahan: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170116-the-tree-that-shaped-human-history 
https://underthebanyan.blog/

Deforestation: https://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html 
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation/ 
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/various-deforestation-facts.php 
http://www.fao.org/state-of-forests/en/

Suzanne Simard: https://profiles.forestry.ubc.ca/person/suzanne-simard/ 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Simard 
https://www.ted.com/speakers/suzanne_simard 
https://youtu.be/Un2yBgIAxYs 
http://www.ecology.com/2012/10/08/trees-communicate/ 
https://mothertree.forestry.ubc.ca/ 
https://e360.yale.edu/features/exploring_how_and_why_trees_talk_to_each_other

Mycorrhiza: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhiza

Florianne Koechlin: https://youtu.be/i8YnvMpcrVI 
https://floriannekoechlin.ch/index.html 
​http://www.blauen-institut.ch/

Plant learning abilities: http://www.sci-news.com/biology/science-mimosa-plants-memory-01695.html

Plant consciousness: https://blog.pachamama.org/do-plants-have-consciousness

Replanting a forest: https://fellowsblog.ted.com/how-to-grow-a-forest-really-really-fast-d27df202ba09 
https://youtu.be/3BgPFIKCaOQ 
https://www.afforestt.com/ 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Miyawaki 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_natural_vegetation

Plant Neurobiology, cognition, and intelligence: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11229-016-1040-1 
https://www.plantpioneers.org/resources 
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59d19e7b0abd041b025024a1/t/5abe9c5c70a6ad85f487a7f7/1522441309007/Plant+attention.pdf https://www.intechopen.com/books/abiotic-stress-in-plants-mechanisms-and-adaptations/plant-genes-for-abiotic-stress 
https://www.ted.com/talks/stefano_mancuso_the_roots_of_plant_intelligence#t-337129 
https://youtu.be/PRvDwfEXkbA

TED Talk “Treecycle America: Certified Urban Forestry” https://youtu.be/SvZwezPohKk Damon Barron

TED Talk “The Power of Sustainable Forests” https://youtu.be/Ia1ZZol0CeM Kathy Abusow

TED Talk “Eavesdropping on Plants” https://youtu.be/zTQVLfG3sgM Jack Schultz

TED Talk “Learning Plant Learning” https://youtu.be/aClSp71zfro Professor Ariel Novoplansky

​TED Talk: “Do Plants Have Dignity?” https://youtu.be/i8YnvMpcrVI Florianne Koechlin