Cantilever timber pergola kit over a round patio with wicker seating and a cozy outdoor fire feature. — A cantilever pergola extends the comfort of home to the outdoors, creating a natural, shaded retreat for conversation and connection.

Natural timber pergola with curved radius beams shading a backyard patio with lounge furniture and hanging lantern. — A radius beam pergola adds rustic elegance and restful shade to this charming backyard patio, inviting family and friends to linger longer together.

One of the greatest actions we can take to positively impact the environment is simple yet powerful: plant a tree. Trees are living assets — they make the land fertile, build habitats, restore ecosystems, and improve life for generations to come.

That’s why, for every average-sized Western Timber Frame™ Pergola, we plant 50 trees!

(And for our larger-than-average ShadeScape® shelters, even more trees are planted!)

Fifty illustrated evergreen trees arranged in rows symbolizing reforestation efforts.

The everyday blessings trees give us are beyond measure — but here are just a few examples that show why we’re so committed to planting an abundance of trees for every exposed timber, shade shelter, or commercial timber frame we craft.

As we’ve seen, trees bless us with an oxygen-rich atmosphere. Timber carries that gift forward — it naturally moderates temperatures, which is why it’s such an excellent material for shade shelters. And that cooling shade is more than comfort; it helps protect us from dehydration too.

Cold Weather and Indoor Heat Can Cause Dehydration

When people feel chilly, they often feel less inclined to drink water. Unfortunately, this can easily contribute to dehydration, especially indoors during the colder seasons. Dehydration can be sneaky — and dangerous. It can lead to dryness, confusion, dizziness, fainting, rapid heartbeat, shock, and in severe cases, even death.

Man drinking bottled water while standing on dry, cracked ground in intense sunlight. — Without shade, dehydration can strike quickly — staying hydrated is vital in dry, sun-baked conditions.

Why Indoor Air Dries Us Out

On cold days, we heat our homes to stay warm—but that warm indoor air is often extremely dry. Dry air speeds up the loss of body fluids, making it easier to become dehydrated without even noticing. This is why people often experience dry, cracked skin and reach for moisturizers more frequently in the winter. At the same time, layering up in heavy clothing can lead to sweating, which further increases fluid loss.

Trees & Timber Act as a Natural Air Conditioner

Trees have an intricate root system that acts like a filter, removing pollutants and slowing the absorption of water into the soil. This process reduces the risk of over-saturation, erosion, and flooding — and it even helps clean our water!

Timber pergola with cantilevered roof providing shade over a raised backyard deck with lounge chairs. — A cantilevered timber pergola extends comfort and style to a backyard deck, adding restful shade and outdoor living space.

However, roots can be problematic if you want to plant a tree close to a home, a foundation, or a septic system. That’s why a timber frame shade shelter — made from trees — is a practical solution for adding comforting shade where a tree isn’t an option. And there’s another bonus: you’ll never need to water it.

Trees Help Clear the Air — Even Around a Fire

Trees are nature’s air purifiers. They don’t just produce oxygen; they also combat unwanted odors and absorb pollutant gases, filtering particulates out of the air.

If you love gathering around an outdoor fireplace or fire pit, you’ll appreciate this hidden gift: the trees around your space help whisk away lingering smoky scents, keeping the air fresher and more inviting. Whether you’re poolside, fireside, or relaxing beneath a timber frame pergola, trees work quietly in the background to make your outdoor living space feel clean and welcoming.

Trees Conserve Water and Enrich the Land

Looking up at towering redwood trees with sunlight streaming through the canopy. — Standing beneath towering redwoods, sunlight pouring through their canopy, you feel connected to something bigger — a living reminder of how trees protect, shelter, and inspire us every day.

Trees do more than stand tall — they work every day to keep the earth healthy and vibrant.

Their shade slows down water evaporation, helping thirsty lawns and plants stay hydrated longer.
Trees act as a natural windbreak, protecting gardens and structures from harsh gusts.
Over time, fallen leaves and branches replenish tired soil with rich, fresh nutrients.
Countless everyday products come from trees — from paper and timber beams to fruits and natural medicines.
Trees create shelter not just for wildlife but for people too, offering places to gather, rest, and reconnect with nature.
For generations, trees have also provided a sustainable source of fuel, keeping homes warm and communities thriving.

From the canopy to the roots, trees give back far more than they take — making every landscape healthier, greener, and more resilient.

Trees Make You Happier

Time spent around trees is one of the most well-researched ways to boost human well-being. Studies show that simply being near trees can help reduce stress, lower anxiety, and ease the mind from constant rumination.

Spaces designed with biophilic elements — natural materials like wood, plants, fresh air, water, and sunlight — help people feel calmer, more focused, and physically healthier. Trees bring all these elements together in one living, growing source of comfort. They are the largest plants on earth and some of the most powerful mood-lifters we have.

This is why it’s so meaningful when we bring timber and trees into our backyard shade structures, gathering spaces, and even commercial courtyards. And it’s also why we’re dedicated to planting 50 new trees for every average-sized pergola we build — giving back far more than we use and spreading the gift of nature’s happiness to people and communities for generations to come.

Trees Are a Living Document

Close-up of tree trunk rings showing natural age lines in a wooden cross-section. — Every ring in a tree tells a story. These growth lines hold the history of seasons, storms, and time — a living record etched into timber.

Rings That Record History

Trees are like a living document, containing a trove of data about natural climate changes, ecosystems, major events, and even entire civilizations. Archaeologists use dendrochronology — the study of the cross-section of tree rings — to reveal facts about history that would otherwise be lost.

Each ring marks a complete cycle of seasons. The patterns and widths of these rings record year-to-year fluctuations in weather, wet or dry years, and the true age of the tree.

These giant recording devices are a fingerprint of the past. Tree rings have helped estimate the construction dates of ancient cliff dwellings, the age of some of the world’s oldest buildings, the timing of burial chambers, and even the age of wooden picture frames used in historic portraits.

Building With Timber: Smarter and Sustainable

Long ago, people built with wood because it was abundant and reliable. Only in recent years have scientists begun to fully recognize the potential of sustainably managed wood compared to steel. Many people don’t realize that heavy timber can actually perform better than steel in fire conditions.

The truth is, building with wood is not only beautiful — it’s sustainable. Timber construction has a lighter carbon footprint than steel or concrete because wood is natural and renewable. Trees and wood products absorb and store carbon, and the dry weight of wood is roughly 50% carbon.

The Remarkable Intelligence of Trees

Trees have also proven to be remarkably intelligent. One European study showed that when trees were attacked by caterpillars, they sent out a chemical signal to attract caterpillar-eating birds.

Incredibly, trees also exchange nutrients and help each other. For example, birch trees will shade Douglas fir seedlings and share photosynthetic sugars through their root networks. They also help inhibit harmful fungi underground. In turn, Douglas fir trees reciprocate by sending sugars back to the birch trees in spring and fall when the birches have lost their leaves.

Doesn’t that inspire admiration?