Partner shares Hand-Crafted Bounty from Forest with Endowment

When the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) moved into its newly renovated offices just over a year ago, it did so with help from a number of friends. One of the Endowment’s partner organizations, City Bench of Higganum, Connecticut presented another gift to help make the complex even more user friendly. Just in time for fall, City Bench owners, Ted and Zeb Esselstyn, provided a hand-crafted bench to serve as a useful addition to the Endowment’s entry way. “The Endowment’s bench is made from a reclaimed black locust that came down in New Haven, Connecticut. Locust is one of the few regional woods that lasts really well outdoors and we are currently developing a small line of simple outdoor furniture around black locust and white oak, which we reclaim from the city,” said Zeb Esselstyn. Downed trees or those planned for removal provide City Bench’s raw material from which they create one-of-a-kind usable works of art.

“We turned a former restaurant abandoned for two decades into very cost-effective and enjoyable space,” said Endowment President Carlton Owen. “Our objective was to obtain functional space that showcased our commitment to working forests and community development but also that exhibited our strong belief in careful stewardship of the organization’s finances. We couldn’t have accomplished all of that without the generosity of a broad range of friends who donated materials, services, and even cash.”

“America is truly a special place where many people find great joy in helping others,” Owen continued. In early 2011 the Endowment, through the branded ShadeFund initiative with The Conservation Fund, provided a needed loan to aid the City Bench team in growing their business. City Bench is giving back by sharing the beauty of forests with the Endowment.