Protecting biodiversity in our forests
Cover photo credit: Maximiliano Caal
Music in the Woods draws sound from one of the world’s most coveted wood species for acoustic use: Honduran Rosewood (Dalbergia stevensonii). You may be aware that this species is under international protection as an endangered species. It is with awareness and humility that we craft these boards to bring forth their music. We share with our wood sources a love for these trees and desire to do our part in avoiding harm to biodiversity in their native forests.
Music in the Woods enabled the planting of 2,000 trees to support reforestation efforts in Honduras with local oversight over conservation efforts. We strive to make complete use of our Rosewood boards, using small scrap for mallets and as gifts to other wood artists with smaller craft.
You can read more about regulatory protection of rosewood below!
In 1973, the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of wild flora and fauna or “CITES” received international agreement among 80 countries; enforcement began in 1975. Species regulated by CITES are split into three categories called Appendices:
- Appendix I: species threatened with extinction - trade permitted only under exceptional circumstances.
- Appendix II: trade must be controlled to avoid utilization that is incompatible with survival of the species.
- Appendix III: protected in at least one country which has requested support from CITES parties for assistance in controlling trade.
Honduran Rosewood was added to Appendix III in 2008 and to Appendix II in 2017 alongside all Dalbergia genus, which includes all rosewoods. Importantly, this means that new importation of the species has been controlled since 2017.
Our Honduran Rosewood soundboards were sourced from Rico Franklin, who has been one of the foremost U.S. suppliers of the material for use in instrument creation (read more about Rico in our blog post here). The wood was all harvested and imported to the United States several decades ago, long before CITES protection came into effect.
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