Project Updates!
- Echoes of the Forest
- Sep 5
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 6
Echoes of the Forest has been busy behind the scenes, building partnerships and promoting our woodworkers and the overall project. And, thanks to all of you, our supporters, things are happening!
Here’s a roundup of current projects in the works:
1. Something is brewing! Burial Beer and Echoes of the Forest have partnered up on a project soon to be announced. The first step is creating 6 barrels out of Helene's salvaged white oak. Appalachian Cooperage in Marion, NC, has taken on the task of creating these barrels. They got the salvaged wood from Matt Christie at Green River Woods, and we’re hoping the barrels will be completed by the end of October. We’ll let you know what comes next soon!
2. We’re getting warmed up! The Town of Biltmore Forest has commissioned Echoes of the Forest to create a mantlepiece for their town hall fireplace – it’s made from salvaged walnut wood and is being crafted by our Kwadwo Som-Pimpong of Crafted Glory. We’ll be sure to showcase photos of this beautiful masterpiece once it’s completed – sometime in December.
3. Echoes in Ecosystems: The NC Arboretum is working with Echoes of the Forest to add installations to its Winter Lights Exhibit. It will involve installations in river and forest floor ecosystems.
4. Slow, but sure. It’s time to play! There will be an unveiling of a playful box turtle created by Mike Ayers of Mountain Mike’s Whetstone Woodworks on Sept 20 at the Playing Woods at the NC Arboretum at 11 am. Come meet “Shelly” and Mike’s kids as they unveil this fun addition to one of Asheville’s treasured destinations. Two other installations will follow in October and February.
5. Celebrating Vets. The VA Hospital has reached out to Echoes of the Forest about creating an Echo for its campus walking trail. We’re still working out the details, but we hope to announce the specifics of this project soon.
6. Something to howl about. We’ve met with the Town of Saluda’s town council about a fun project. We’re still solidifying the next steps and working to find funds, but spoiler alert - a coon dog may be involved.
7. The sponsorship program has been rolled out. We’ve launched a sponsorship program for businesses and individuals to get involved in helping Echoes of the Forest keep its mission moving forward.
8. Festival fun! We like to get out and about and continue to promote Echoes of the Forest through various events and festivals. Here’s what’s in the works:
Sept 8: The organization’s founder will be on the panel at Explore AVL’s Tourism and Hospitality Event.
Sept 13: We’ll have a booth at RAD Resilience. Come support your local artists!
Sept 26: We’ll have a booth at the Annual Plant Sale at the NC Arboretum. It’s a local favorite!
Sept 27: We’ll have a booth at the Cradle of Forestry for National Public Lands Day.
Oct 4: We’ll have a booth at the Cradle of Forestry for Forest Festival Day.
That’s it for now, folks! And, we think it's quite a lot. Hope to see you at one of these events soon. And if you have questions, want to volunteer, donate, partner up, or have an Echo of your own, just give us a shout. We’re here to help.
Echoes of the Forest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Asheville, NC, dedicated to transforming trees lost to Hurricane Helene into meaningful art installations. Founded by Liisa Andreassen, the organization promotes community revitalization, environmental restoration, and economic support for local woodworkers and artists. Through the "Echo" project, it creates educational memorials and plans an "Echo Trail" to inspire hope and resilience in Western North Carolina. Learn more at echoesoftheforest.org or contact info@echoesoftheforest.org.
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