UNC Asheville STEM Studio Receives Grant To Process Trees Felled By Helene

UNC Asheville’s STEM Studio received a $200,00 grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina’s Emergency and Disaster Recovery Fund to support the Community Lumber Project. The grant enables the STEM Studio to acquire equipment for processing trees felled by Helene into usable Lumber. A key component of this is a mobile sawmill from Wood-Mizer, which generously offered a 50% discount for the equipment, a track loader, equipment trailer, and kiln to dry the wood. Additionally, the grant provides funding for a staff person to coordinate the project.

“When Helene happened, we were consumed with grief like the rest of Western North Carolina and wanted to find ways to turn the grief into action. As practitioners who work with wood and understand its value in rebuilding, it was heart-wrenching to see so many trees getting hauled off to be chipped,” said Sara Sanders, director of STEAM Studio. “We figured that if we could get a mill and start producing lumber from salvaged timber, we could donate it to community rebuilding efforts. Thanks to CFWNC and Wood-Mizer, this idea became a reality.”

The project only mills trees that fell due to Helene or other natural causes. The lumber will be available for free or at a discount to help with recovery and rebuilding after a natural disaster. UNC Asheville students will have the opportunity to participate in this project to help the community recover.

“As we progress with the project, we hope students will be involved in designing and building solar kilns to pre-dry lumber,” Sanders said. “This will be a fantastic hands-on design and fabrication experience. I am confident that more student engagement opportunities will emerge as more faculty members learn about the project and identify points of intersection with their curriculum.”