ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Urban Ashes, an urban wood recycling and market development company dedicated to maximizing the utilization of fallen urban trees, has contracted with Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) to help it implement more sustainable construction site tree management practices.

The partnership encompasses property where an existing alternative high school will be expanded. The new two-story building will replace one originally built in 1949 on the Pathways for Academic Success campus. The Pathways campus caters to students needing or preferring a smaller, intimate academic environment.

Urban Ashes is helping actively plan, coordinate, and manage the construction site trees, drawing from expertise and understanding of how to maximize the environmental benefits through effective tree management and utilization. Through the partnership, AAPS and Urban Ashes have salvaged walnut, hard maple and hackberry logs from the site that will be repurposed into wood products for the new school that would otherwise have been chipped. As a result of these recycling efforts, Urban Ashes said approximately 1,984 pounds of carbon will continue to be sequestered and about 7,283 pounds of CO2e will be prevented from being released into the atmosphere. This action, carbon and CO2e wise, would be equivalent to planting approximately 118 saplings and growing them for 10 years.

Besides the carbon footprint benefits, repurposing the wood back into the buildings and outdoor classrooms creates many biophilic benefits for students and staff, contributing to a more sustainable, resilient, and enriching learning environment that fosters connections between people, nature, and the local community, Urban Ashes added.

“Ann Arbor Public Schools is committed to creating healthy, high-performance 21st century learning environments for our students and staff,” said Jason Bing, director of capital programs for AAPS. “This partnership is another great step towards meeting the goals outlined in our Environmental Sustainability Framework.”