Posts

Gibson has made great guitars, dabbled with sustainability, fallen foul of environmental trade rules and was often poorly managed.

Redwoods were extensively logged for structural timber and remaining stands are precious but vulnerable. Recycled redwood has stories to tell and music to make.

Cheap Stella guitars from the 1920s-30s were made from local woods, were played by many well-known blues artists, and show the value of ordinary things.

The best violin bows come from Pernambuco, an endangered Brazilian tree, bringing together musicians, instrument makers and conservationists.

What makes classic violins made by Stradivari and others so good, and how is climate change relevant to this?

Guitars come in all shapes and forms, and enthusiastic obsession happens. This can be fun but can also result in too many guitars.

Non-native plants can cause big problems everywhere, but are not always bad and can be put to use – guitars made from problem weeds.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the issues facing humanity and the planet, but it’s important to find positive things that can be done.

I worked in the woodlands in Western Australia for over 30 years and grew to love them. Despite past losses, much remains, and there is hope!

Restoring things is fun and important. But deciding how – and how much – to restore is not always straightforward.