Horse-powered sustainable forestry
We do our own forestry here. And for me it’s incredibly hard to make the decision to cut down a tree. But that’s how it has be. It can’t be too easy – like placing an order to the sawmill or buying wood from some other source. It’s gotta “cost you.” Just like killing an animal – if you’re going to eat it, you need to be prepared to kill it. I mean to do it yourself. That’s how we can take our decisions more seriously and weigh our options with better awareness.
As much as possible I of course prefer using trees that are already fallen. So when I discover a fallen tree that’s been curing on the forest floor and is in good condition I become exhilarated. Last week we discovered a big pilon tree fallen in the jungle, deep in the forest on our land. Pilon is a very beautiful reddish wood that’s very hard and dense. Great for building. So we decided to cut it in pieces on the spot and use a horse and a mule to carry them to the building site where we’re building our communal kitchen/eating area.