Starting to Harvest Building Materials For Natural Building

This is the first thing you want to do when gathering materials for your natural building project. Whether you are building a cabin in the woods or shelter for animals, using trees off your own land is very cost-effective.

Start slowly when developing your raw land. There are many resources you can gather from the land before you clear it, or make it ready for farming. Understanding this process helps you get move value from your land.

The edges of your hiking or hunting trails make access easy. I'm using a method called girdling which kills trees where they are standing. This helps dries out the wood.

This method works great for harvesting firewood, securing building materials, or improving access. Besides girdling, another sustainable forestry method is coppicing trees. When you coppice trees you allow them to regrow at a stump for the fast growth of smaller trees in one spot.

WARNING: If the top of a tree is dead, then you have a risk of it falling when being cut down. Be aware of overhead risks and use safety when operating equipment.

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