Formerly a Parking Lot, Manayunk Timber is Turning into an Indigenous Forest

A year ago, Manayunk Timber owner Steve Ebner decided he wanted to transform the nearby parking lot and it will soon be transformed into an indigenous forest, writes Nick Jaramillo for Billy Penn at WHYY.

Manayunk Timber is Philadelphia’s only sustainable sawmill.

Currently, the plot is about 3,500 square feet with about 250 plants. 

Ebner hopes to start adding small trees and low-lying plants to enrich the soil and provide food and shelter for small animals by the wintertime. 

The new forest features benches where the public can sit and appreciate the surroundings. It will also feature a new gate entrance with sculptures from the internationally renowned wood artist, Roger Wing.

“The forest that they planted is a poetic metaphor for what’s going on here. So much of what happens in the forest is unseen to our eyes. It’s the microbes, the animals that come out at night, the seeds, the germination in the soil, and the changing of the seasons,” said Wing. 

His goal is to help make the forest a hub for landscapers, designers, and developers who share Manayunk Timber’s commitment to sustainability. 

“What I do is help amplify their mission by making art,” Wing noted.

Read more about Manayunk Timber’s transformation in Billy Penn at WHYY.

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