How to be More Sustainable when Collecting Wood

It is important that firewood collection is sustainable and does not impact on fauna which may use hollow logs or dead wood as habitat.  Animals may live in hollow logs or use fallen timber as shelter.  Many insects consume dead wood, and animals are attracted to the wood to feed on the insects.  Hollow logs and timber are important for our native wildlife.

A few simple changes can make firewood collection more sustainable:

  • Leave any established hollow logs;
  • Don’t remove all the wood from an area – leave some behind to remain as habitat;
  • Look for smaller pieces of timber which are less likely to be used by native animals in the future;
  • Plant trees on your property to replace wood removed; and
  • If you purchase from a supplier, ask them about the sustainability of their firewood.

 

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