"What Happens When Our Urban Trees Die?"

Imagine if every tree in our city eventually died—because they will. It’s inevitable. Now imagine there’s no plan for them, other than turning them into mulch.

That wouldn’t work.
Mulching means a 100% release of carbon, and that’s just wasteful.

We all know wood is valuable—it’s where benches, playgrounds, tables, and even art come from. But who’s making those things from our local trees?

Have you admired those custom benches made from local species?
Or the playground logs, step-ups, and large-scale timbers that tell stories of their origins?
What about high-end veneers, custom furniture, or stacks of cutting boards made right here in San Diego?

All these beautiful things come from local wood.

But here’s the truth:
San Diego doesn’t have a plan for reusing fallen trees. No city policy, no comprehensive programs, no accessible mills.

There’s only San Diego Urban Timber.

What We Do

Since 2007, we’ve been a boutique sawmill and micro woodworking business, using only local species. For nearly 20 years, we’ve turned discarded trees into meaningful creations:

Benches, playgrounds, and step-ups
Custom furniture and commercial builds
Art pieces, picture frames, cat trees, and more

We’ve shown how much local trees can give back to the community.

But here’s the problem:
We’re still the only local sawmill in San Diego County offering these services to the public. We thought we’d have competition by now. Municipal policies haven’t caught up, and most trees are still destined for mulch or landfill.

Why We Founded Our Non-Profit

In 2023, we launched the San Diego Urban Timber Foundation, a non-profit that supports and expands the mission of our small business. We aim to:

Preserve local trees
Reduce waste
Educate the community
Create sustainable practices for future generations

We’re ready to build an institute to teach what we’ve learned over two decades of passion, progress, and reinvestment.

How You Can Help

This mission isn’t just ours—it’s yours too. Together, we can ensure our urban trees have a future beyond mulch. Here’s how you can support:

Shop: Purchase handmade products crafted from local wood.
Donate: Support our non-profit to expand our work.
Endorse: Advocate for sustainable urban timber practices in San Diego.
Share: Spread the word about the importance of urban tree reuse.

Join Us

There’s direct work to be done—things to build, preserve, and share.
Let’s ensure San Diego’s trees live on, in art, furniture, and community spaces.

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From Tree to Table: Help Us Sustain San Diego's Urban Timber.

Ensure San Diego Exotic Trees Live On

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