Success StoryCampus Wood Program Continues to Give New Life to Old Trees (Managing and Upcycling Trees Removed From Our Campus Urban Forest



Campus Wood Program Continues to Give New Life to Old Trees (Managing and Upcycling Trees Removed From Our Campus Urban Forest

Author: Chad Niman

Planning Unit: Forestry

Major Program: Forest Education: Health, Management, and Utilization

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

There is an abundance of urban wood in any city that ends up in a landfill or is underutilized. With our large and very mature canopy on UK campus trees are needing to be removed for many reasons, but life/health/safety take priority. 

The cross-campus collaboration between Forestry, Architecture, Fine Arts, campus Arborists, the Office of Sustainability and others continues to make strides in utilizing trees that must be removed for public safety and construction purposes. The Campus Wood Program features a Lucas slabber and swing-blade sawmill under a pavilion constructed from campus wood and wood inventory storage within Vaughn warehouse #5. 

The collaboration has been featured multiple times for the educational and novel wood use outcomes and deliverables over the last 7 years. Recent funding allowed for the purchase of a vacuum drying kiln on campus to improve sustainability of the system and allow wood from campus trees to be dried on campus for use in the classroom by students, faculty and staff. 

The Campus Sawmill now has its own sign and address. The living laboratory and student experiences from this program have been immense, but the real benefit and cost savings is at the operational level for the University. In addition to saving the University money, we are upcycling wood material into functional long-lived wood products, storing carbon, reducing the University's carbon footprint and greatly improving efficiency.






Stories by Chad Niman


UK Campus Celebrates National Forest Products Week / “Forest Products and Stewardship Week”, National Forest Products Week

about 3 years ago by Chad Niman

In 2020, 3 individual remote wood products programs were held highlighting and celebrating “Forest P... Read More


Kentucky Master Logger WebTV Virtual Program Delivered Live Stream to 30 County Extension Offices Reaches 376 Loggers for Training Masked and Distanced During Covid-19

about 3 years ago by Chad Niman

The Kentucky Master Logger WebTV Program was hosted in 30 Kentucky County Offices spread out through... Read More


Stories by Forestry


From the Woods

From the Woods

about 3 years ago by William Thomas

The University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources launched the live From the W... Read More


Virtual Woodland Owners Short Course

Virtual Woodland Owners Short Course

about 3 years ago by William Thomas

Families own over 75% of the 12.3 million acres of woodlands in Kentucky. Unfortunately, these famil... Read More