140 - Camp Small

140 - Camp Small

Author: Shannon Rogers January 14, 2025 Duration: 53:46
Today I have Shaun Preston, the Director of Camp Small, Baltimore Urban wood recycling center and saw mill. Baltimore leads the nation in its treatment of their urban canopy as a resource and Camp Small's ability to be an intake yard for EVERY city tree that comes down. Then they repurpose the entire tree from fire wood to mulch, to furniture, lumber, and even zoo animal playgrounds. Shaun and his team have built an amazing set up and I was luck enough to get some of his time. This interview occured just a bit before the devastating fire that burned the entire log yard in early December of 2024 but nothing has changed with their mission and the work they will continue to do for the urban canopy of the City of Baltimore. Find out more at: https://www.treebaltimore.org/camp-small or follow them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/campsmall.baltimorecity/ I hope to get Shaun back in the coming months as they regain their footing after the fire and I wish them luck in restarting the great work they are doing.

Shannon Rogers hosts Shannon's Lumber Industry Update, a podcast that feels like a conversation with a knowledgeable friend in a well-stocked workshop. Forget dry industry reports; this is an accessible, engaging dive into the world of wood, framed around the questions real people have. Each episode tackles the practical and the curious, from selecting the right board for a project to unraveling the history and science behind how trees become timber. The goal is to cut through common misconceptions and foster a deeper appreciation for the material that has shaped human civilization. You'll come away not just with answers, but with a sharper, more nuanced understanding of lumber's journey from forest to finished piece. It’s a space where beginners and seasoned woodworkers alike can develop a more intuitive sense for their craft, becoming, as Shannon puts it, a little more wood savvy. Tune in for a consistently informative and surprisingly relaxing listen that makes the complexities of an ancient industry feel relevant and fascinating. This podcast naturally finds its home in the Leisure category, perfect for anyone who enjoys working with their hands or simply wants to understand the stories hidden in the grain.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Shannon's Lumber Industry Update
Podcast Episodes
LU158 Ponderosa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:19
Today I feature the mighty Ponderosa Pine. I was marveling at these trees on a recent trip out west and knew I had to feature the species. A mainstay of the construction lumber industry often labelled as PP/LP on lumber…
157 - Roots of Terror [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:33
Happy Halloween! Let's explore some lumber and tree lore from around the world and some spooky tales that may make you think twice before you cut down that tree or plane that board for your next project.
156 - Catalpa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:36
The featured lumber species today is Catalpa. A very oak like tree but with a really soft workability. High quality, clear lumber that is easy to work and comes in decent widths and lengths. Why doesn't this wood more po…
155 Composite Lumber [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:17
Today I fight my strong wood bias and take time to talk about composite lumber. All the various plastic boards you will find on the market from wood flour and plastic slurry to polyethylene capped boards and fully plasti…
154 - Buckeye [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:14
My featured species this episode is Buckeye. Its a non commercial species but not terribly hard to find and has some unique color and high propensity to form burls. But the real meat of this show is a look at how a fores…
153  Hard to Source Woods [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:52
How do you find unusual and typically non commercial wood species? In this episode I give some tips to help the listener build a network of wood sources.
152 Monkeypod [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:20
Monkeypod is a great timber coming out of Costa Rica that is almost entirely FSC. It is often sold as wider slabs due to the lighter weight and the way it is sawn in the jungle. A great alternative to many of the tropica…
151 - Plantation vs Natural Forests [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:47
Let's define plantations and natural forests and talk about what we can expects from the lumber coming from plantations. Also how plantations can evolve into natural forests. Ultimately why do we need plantations and why…
150 - Hickory [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:36
It could be said that Hickory built America. Hickory's properties made the American felling axe possible with its extremely high MOR and MOE values. Today we discuss this great American wood and why you need to add it to…
149 Douglas Fir [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:59
Douglas Fir is a species we find everywhere. So much so that we may not even know we are looking at it. It has two distinctly different markets: construction lumber and fine (very fine) lumber for cladding, decking, soff…