Archive: June 2022
About Our Timber Purchasing Policy
June 22, 2022
Since 1904, our timber purchasing policy has been to source wood locally. Our timber purchasing policy document was last updated in 2021, and it is available to download below. Here's a summary: Our Responsibility We understand that we have a responsibility to the environment, our staff, customers and suppliers. ...
Tom’s new film asks ‘Can we Plant Enough Trees to Save us from A Warming Planet?’
June 16, 2022
'Wood for the Trees' is a series from Tom Barnes and Charly Le Marchant. Tom is managing director of Vastern Timber, and Charly is a film-maker and sustainability educator. They're both passionate about woods and trees, and since 2019 they've worked together to make films about the future of UK forests. In these short films Tom and Cha...
Vastern Timber joins Business Declares
June 9, 2022
Before we start, let’s be clear. We fully acknowledge the climate emergency. And recognise that we humans are the cause of it. We also understand that our business has a choice right now. We can carry on as normal and be part of the problem. Or take action and be part of the solution. Our decision is to act. And to be accounta...
Five reasons why timber is so expensive right now
May 10, 2022
If you’ve been looking at buying wood lately, you may have been surprised. The price of many of the popular wood species has doubled over the last couple of years. And, while standard building softwood seems to have levelled off or dropped back a bit, more specialist woods like oak are getting more expensive. The big question is: ...
Our pledge to give one percent to help our local woodlands
March 8, 2022
At Vastern Timber, we talk a lot about improving local woodlands. But we know that taking action is what really matters. That's why we decided to put our money where our mouth is. From January 2022, we’ve pledged to use a minimum of 1% of Vastern Timber’s annual turnover to fund projects focused on creating bigger and better woodla...
Forest School Journal: Preparing the ground for Project Grow
February 4, 2022
Shared Earth Learning is a forest school in Somerset that supports disadvantaged young people. As we’re sponsoring their newest initiative, we’re delighted to hear what they’ve been up to: It’s become a tradition that Shared Earth Learning Forest School gives the land, and the students, a break in January, while the...
How we turn trees into beautiful oak planks
February 3, 2022
It may be hibernation time. But at Vastern Timber, we couldn’t be further from hibernation mode. In fact, if you popped down to our sawmill right now, you’d witness a hive of activity. These cold, damp days are actually very helpful for us. When the temperature drops and the humidity increases, it’s the optimum time for sawing oa...
Proud supporters of Shared Earth Forest School
November 29, 2021
Vastern Timber is proud to announce our support for ‘Project Grow,’ from Shared Earth learning forest school. We asked Shared Earth Learning to tell us more about the project. “Thanks to a generous £5000 donation from Vastern Timber, we can do more to support young people, and nurture a love of nature,” said Alex Hart, co-di...
What is biophilic design and how can it help you feel better?
November 17, 2021
Want to feel better, recover faster, concentrate for longer and be more productive? Then, here’s how. No, it’s not the latest fad diet or the newest exercise craze. It’s much simpler than that. Spend more time in nature. During my film series ‘Wood For The Trees,’ I spoke to Suzi Martineau, from the Tree Sisters Charity, a...
“Value productive woodlands in creating good quality timber”
November 4, 2021
‘Wood for the Trees,’ is a series of short films about Britain’s forests. We asked experts about their hopes and fears for woods and woodlands, and for one suggestion to help them grow. During COP26 we're sharing these suggestions. Dr Jo Clark is Head of Research at Future Trees Trust, and she spoke with us about her work in part...
