“Celebrating Wood on the World Wood Day” By Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, Canadian Wood

On World Wood Day, Mr. Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, Canadian Wood talks about the contributions of the product in the Indian wooden industry and marketing community.

“Wood is universally beautiful to man. It is the most humanly intimate of all materials”

Says Frank Lloyd Wright, American Architect, Writer & Educator

Most of us do not recognize the value wood brings to the world and into our lives. It is an extremely vital resource that has numerous environmental and health benefits including renewability and lower carbon footprint.

So, on the occasion of World Wood Day, celebrated globally, let us, deep-dive, into why we should treasure this marvelous natural resource.

Sustainability

 In context, wood means that forests should still be there for our future generations, much beyond our great-grandchildren, and be able to soak up carbon emissions and keep our air clean for times to come, as well as being a haven for wildlife. Sustainable wood comes from sustainably managed forests. Also, it’s renewable because the forest stewards manage the landscape to prevent damage to eco-systems, watersheds, wildlife, and the trees themselves, taking a long term rather than short term view of the resource.

Wellness

The feelings of natural warmth and comfort that the product elicits in people have the effect of lowering blood pressure and heart rates, reducing stress and anxiety, and increasing positive social interactions. Wood products within a room have also been shown to improve indoor air quality by moderating humidity. The studies examining the effects of wooden rooms and furnishings clearly demonstrate that its presence has positive physiological and psychological benefits that mimic the effect of spending time outside in nature.

Aesthetic Appeal

The product effortlessly combines elegance and comfort with interior spaces. Also, applying it to wall finishes and surfaces adds character and textures, which is essential to enhancing depth and dimension. The beauty of the product is that it engages all our senses, warm, rich, and affectionate. Its surface has a tactile and sensuous strength, while the range of timber hues and the depth of individual grains, delight the eye. Its appeal in design and construction is a natural one, as of course, all of these sensual elements are present when we build with wood. It helps create spaces of optimal look, feel and function for structures in residential and commercial sectors alike.

Consumers’ world over is getting increasingly conscious of preserving the environment through mitigation of global warming and carbon footprint. Also, it is demanding wood products made from certified wood from sustainably managed forests. Organizations too have begun to demonstrate a commitment towards conserving the environment while building, manufacturing, and selling wood products. Indian wooden industry also of late has started shifting towards the use of materials from sustainable sources.

Canadian Wood, actively promotes legally harvested and certified wood from sustainably managed forests of B.C. Canada in the off-shore markets including India. It does so by creating awareness. Also, it educates the woodworking industry about its five distinct species, their properties, and possible applications. Technical support, hand-holding, and sharing of best practices by Canadian Wood are what draws the Indian wooden industry to it. We thus celebrate WORLD WOOD DAY every day and not just once a year. Nature remains vital for the coexistence of the human race along with other living beings in harmony with nature!

By Mr. Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, Canadian Wood