Wood from invasive alien trees put to creative use

Part of TRAC’s environmental responsibility is to clear the roadside of plants and trees that have been declared invasive aliens. And although it is always with a tinge of sadness that one sees an old tree felled, it is good to know the wood is granted a second, creative “life”.

This was the case with five jacaranda trees felled in September in Schoemanskloof close to Nelspruit. In accordance with an agreement between TRAC and Khumbulani Craft, the wood gained from the felling was donated for use by local crafters to create décor products as part of a large retail order.

Khumbulani Craft is a section 21 not-for-gain company established in 1999 with the purpose of contributing towards poverty alleviation through the design, production, marketing and sale of traditional and contemporary craft.

A team comprising TRAC’s maintenance team for the section that includes Schoemanskloof as well as crafters from Khumbulani felled the trees and measured and sawed the stumps in the required sizes. The wood was then taken to the crafters' homesteads, some of which were as far afield as Welverdiend Township near Orpen Gate just outside the Kruger National Park.

According to Mandla Nkoane, coordinator at Khumbulani Craft, jacaranda wood is popular in the décor industry at the moment because of its light colour. The crafters also prefer it because it is easy to work with, has a fine grain with no knots in the wood and dries out relatively fast.

"We are grateful to TRAC for donating the wood because it fits in well with our vision of producing crafts from an environmentally sustainable source,” said Nkoane.