Carolina Tree Heritage program salvages historic wood

Earlier this academic year, Carolina celebrated the life of Zijie Yan, an associate professor of applied physical sciences, who died two years ago in a shooting at Caudill Labs. The celebration included a lecture and the dedication of a memorial site with a bench and plaque.

Colleagues placed flowers on the bench during the dedication ceremony. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill.)

The bench was built using lumber from a 250-year-old post oak tree that once stood behind Old West on the edge of McCorkle Place. The diseased tree was cut down in 2018 when it became a safety risk.

The Carolina Tree Heritage Program, a collaboration between the UNC Institute for the Environment and UNC Facilities, salvaged the source tree in 2018 and provided the lumber to Rich Superfine, the former chair of the UNC College of Arts and Sciences’ applied physical sciences department who hired Yan in 2019.

Superfine is also a woodworker, and he and his colleagues crafted the bench that now sits in a courtyard outside of Caudill Labs. Two more benches are being made from the salvaged tree, one for Yan’s family in Chapel Hill and one for his parents in China.

When a campus tree becomes hazardous or falls during a storm, CTH salvages the usable portions and allows the wood to air-dry outdoors. The wood is then kiln-dried and milled into various cuts, making it suitable for furniture, sculptures and other wooden creations.

“The CTH program is thrilled to have so many groups on campus using this wood,” said Susan Cohen, associate director of the Institute for the Environment and director of CTH. “It is the most special when these heritage trees get made into something that lives on campus, being used every day by the UNC community.”

Chancellor’s residence at Quail Hill art gallery

Artist and woodworker Karl Stauber ’73 hand-turned two bowls on display at the Quail Hill residence of Carolina’s Chancellor Lee H. Roberts and his wife, Liza. A large bowl from a pecan tree that came down near the Carolina Inn adorns the dining table, and another bowl made from a honey locust is on display in the home, among other pieces of loaned art from around the state. See more photos in this Flickr gallery.

A new bench in New East

The College’s city and regional planning department installed a bench built by Michael Everhart ’13 ’19 (MCRP), woodworker and founding member of the Carolina Tree Heritage program. Read more about Everhart.

Alumnus and Carolina Tree Heritage co-founder Michael Everhart created this bench for the entry of New East, the home of the Department of City and Regional Planning. (Emily Williams/UNC-Chapel Hill)

A warm welcome in Bell Hall

When the Kenan-Flagler Business School opened its new building, Steven D. Bell Hall, for classes Jan. 5, students were greeted at the reception desk with a slab of post oak — the same post oak that yielded the benches for Yan’s memorial space and in New East. The new building incorporates sustainable design and building practices that leverage the natural environment to reduce energy use, prioritize green space and light and incorporate nature. Learn more about Bell Hall’s wellness and sustainability features. Take a tour of Bell Hall.

A slab of a 250 year-old-post oak has been transformed into a reception desk in Bell Hall. (Emily Williams/UNC-Chapel Hill)

South Building “cookie” table

A table created for the South Building by Everhart transformed the wood from a raw tree section, known as a cookie. The table was made from the same 250-year-old post oak described above. After the 5-foot wide, 400-pound table cracked, Everhart repaired it so it could return to South Building in 2025. Read more about the table.

This table was made for a seating area in South Building. The 250-year-old tree has seen a lot of Carolina’s history. The rings tell the story, including the white speck near the center of the table. It is believed to be shot from early squirrel hunters in Chapel Hill. They also found a telegraph insulator inside the tree from the 1860s. The insulator is now in Wilson Library’s museum. (Emily Williams/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Collaboratory’s home in Carolina Square

The North Carolina Collaboratory recently relocated to Carolina Square, transforming its new offices with lumber milled from two heritage trees: the 250-year-old post oak tree described above and a 100-year-old red oak that once stood in front of the Carolina Inn. In addition to a bench in the entrance of the suite, the Collaboratory’s conference room features white oak frames around historic Carolina prints and a white oak chair rail. Red oak slats flank the artwork, creating a unique feature wall.

Other creations have been made and sold with proceeds benefiting student scholarships. Learn more in the podcast episode by Sustainable Carolina’s Abigail Brewer featuring Cohen and Tom Bythell, University arborist and forest manager.