Trees – Nature’s weapon against Climate Change

For those determined to fight global warming, there is little doubt that trees are our allies. Forests help mitigate climate change by sucking out carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, locking it away in their trunks and soil, far more efficiently than any machine yet invented.

At LyZadie Design Studio, we are passionate believers in the importance of making assertive steps towards protecting the precious planet we call home. It’s why we’ve made concrete commitments to ensure our company keeps pursuing sustainability goals, and why we work with recycled, reclaimed, upcycled and sustainable materials in all our collections.

In this blog we take the opportunity to share with you a bit more about one of the sustainable material we use in our collections.

The most important of these is timber: found, reclaimed, historic, native timber. Brought back to life by magnificent local makers, the rescued river Matai and Rimu we use in our work is a love letter to what the planet provides. The team at Treology source this timber directly from the deep, lonely stretches of New Zealand’s southern riverways. As snows melt from the towering mountains above, fresh water streams down into the plains, and as it flows, it moves ancient giants with it, trees that have fallen throughout the years. You can watch their journey here and find a location marker, showing the exact place the timber was sourced from, under each product in our FLOW, TUI and BLACKTREEFERN Collections.

In collaboration with the team at Treology, we chose rescued river Rimu for our FLOW Collection, the first of our work to be created. The warm glow of molten brass twists and turns like a living river through the timber base and serves to only heighten the glorious tones of the rescued river Rimu used in each piece. For the TUI Collection we wanted a timber that could sing like the namesake of each piece, and Matai does just that. Rich in tone and with legendary durability, the timber compliments the handcrafted feathers on each piece, making it seem to fly even while the weight of the timber holds it fast to the earth. And finally, our BLACKTREEFERN Collection has Matai too at its core. The Black Tree Fern of the New Zealand bush, or Mamaku, grows throughout the forest canopy with ancient grace and giant splendour. With a bruised black trunk that seems covered in fish scales and limbs thicker than a human arm, the ferns seem truly to have come from mythical times, and their magical, drooping canopy was the genesis for these dark, visceral pieces. Matai is perfect to hold these magical, tonal qualities and to showcase the rich beauty of the New Zealand bush.

While we take every opportunity to use reclaimed and recycled timbers, we are also aware that this resource is not infinite. So to ensure the sustainability of our practice, we have included Trees That Count as one of the recipients of our Giving Back program. Raising funds for this replanting program not only allows us to offset the carbon use that often comes with being part of a global brand, but more importantly, it focuses on planting more trees. We believe in working towards a circular economy to ensure sustainability, and by actively helping more trees are planted every day, we ensure there is a way to use timber sustainably in the future.

 The future of our planet is in our hands. Planting, maintaining, and treasuring her precious resources, is one of the best things we can do to ensure she is here long after we have gone.