When I heard the news thatDavid Moses Bridges , a traditional birch tree bark canoe detergent builder from the Passamaquoddy clan , had passed away at the age of 54 , my essence sank . He was the type of person you ’d never block if you met him once . Few multitude can build a canoe with their own two hired man , and many less know about sustainably harvesting the woodwind to make it .
Birch-Made Handicrafts
When I interviewed Bridges for a short video I made atAcadia National Park , one of the things that impress me the most were his watchword about finding the right materials to make the canoe .
“ You have to have an intimate knowledge of what type of woodland you ’re in , ” he say . “ You have to have a relation back with the trees to understand what the ripe stuff is hold up to be . ”
The terrain he traveled to find the right tree was duncish forestland interspersed with flowing weewee . The Edwin Herbert Land shaped his ancestors ’ need for the canoes they made .
likewise , the Shakers — know for their unsubdivided and meticulous handwork — crafted oval birch bark nesting boxes . These are still some of the most pop product sold at places likeShaker Village of Pleasant Hill , in Harrodsburg , Kentucky , where local craftsmanDavid Kramer piss them by hand . Long before the invention of Tupperware and refrigeration , birch containers were used for food storage .
Why Birch?
Birch barque itself is a marvel of nature ’s ingenuity . It is waterproof , solid , flexible , waxy and comes from potentially renewable imagination if they are get by befittingly . The naturally come about fungicide betulin is prevalent in the bark and presumably slows down rotting in food .
Many DIYers today still want to make trade with birch bark and wonder if harvest home it hurts the Tree . Girdling a tree will kill it , but fortunately , you ’re able-bodied touse the peeled bark that natural cast off off . You do n’t have to pull anything off a living tree diagram to make something like a cunning birch - bark vase .
If you are considering a big birch bark project , consult these guidelines from the U.S. Forest Service for harvest home bark from a living tree diagram .
1. Harvest Only The Outer Bark
Remove only the out bark from birch , acquire forethought not to damage the inner barque . The interior bark , aka the bast , is where refined sugar and other materials made in the leaves are transported to other parts of the tree to aid in increase and respiration . remotion of the inner bark , aka girdling , interrupt this flow and kills the tree by crave the root word .
2. Make A Small Test Cut
This is vulgar to find out if the bark is suitable for a particular project . Make a good angle section into the stunned bark at a place that will not affect the larger piece of bark . Each side of the trial flap should be long enough that the flap can be peeled back far enough to check for the calibre you ’re looking for : flexibility , thickness and inclination to separate into layer .
3. Remove Outer Bark Only When It Comes Off Easily
This ordinarily takes place in the first part of the growing season , when the barque literally jumps off the tree when the perpendicular incision is made . When the outer bark uncase readily , all that is required is a vertical incision through the outer bark , which is usually less than 1/4 in slurred . Bark incisions horizontal to the fore of the tree diagram are not necessary if the bark is removed at the right time of the twelvemonth . It is sometimes recommended that the slit be made at an slant less than 90 degrees to the tree .
An Important Connection
bridge share this intimate connexion with the land with his ancestors — and hopefully his descendent will carry on the tradition . Other folks are prepare each other on these practices , as well . It ’s one thing to want to mime autochthonal trade for the sake of role and beauty , but it can become so much plentiful and more rewarding to connect the workmanship to its environment and the people who developed it through extended and complex relationships .
