"Trees of Remembrance” watches offer those grieving a meaningful way to remember and honor their loved one. Your timepiece will be crafted from a limb of a majestic Douglas-fir tree, a species known for its longevity and resilience. The watch crafted from the tree’s branch will have at least 70 annual rings. The timepiece and associated Tree become a living tribute, symbolizing the enduring spirit of the departed individual.
Removing the lower limbs of western Douglas-fir trees increases their resilience against fire. Douglas-fir can live for hundreds of years, though forest fire is increasingly catastrophic to these trees.

In addition to the timepiece that serves as a consistent reminder of your loved one, there is a connection to a majestic tree that is expected to live for centuries. The Tree Dedication Map and unique Tree ID# that you receive allows for a virtual journey to explore and visit your loved one's tree. A maximum of 10 watches will be made from each tree, thus keeping the connection intimate.

Forest Restoration

The Tree Ring pens and watches are made from the product of restoration harvests, which restore species composition and structure to a more natural and fire resilient state.  The photos, below, are of an old-growth stand in Lolo National Forest, Montana with 300 plus year-old trees that was restored from an unnaturally dense forest (left) to a more natural and resilient condition (right).  


The thinning necessary to restore some old-growth forests to a more resilient condition is often economically unviable because of their remote locations, difficult access, and/or small diameter and low value trees. To help overcome these barriers, Tree Ring Pens utilize low value/younger trees, raise awareness about, and help fund the restoration of old-growth forests.  5 percent of the sale price of each pen is donated to organizations working to restore North America's old growth forests.

Portions of the last remaining old-growth forests across western North America are at risk due to unnaturally dense understory conditions that exacerbate catastrophic fire and insect and disease related mortality. A 10-year review of the Northwest Forest Plan (covering Washington and Oregon) warned that without restoration treatments, old-growth forests in these dry provinces are at considerable risk from catastrophic fire and insect and disease mortality- http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/publications/pnw_gtr646/

The forest composition and structure of many western forests have changed over the last 100 years because of fire suppression, grazing, and overharvesting of ponderosa pine and western larch.  These forests are now unnaturally dense with an over abundance of Douglas-fir trees. Due to the increased density and structure (e.g., understory ladder fuels), these forests are now more susceptible to stand replacing fire.

As stated in congressional testimony (June 4, 2010) by renowned ecologists Dr. Jerry F. Franklin and Dr. K. Norman Johnson:

"Restoration programs must begin with efforts to restore and maintain historic populations of the old pine trees. Old-growth trees – primarily ponderosa pine but sometimes of other species, such as western larch, Douglas-fir, and sugar pine – are the keystone ecological structures in the dry forests. In stands of appropriate density these old trees dominate, provide critical habitat, offer the greatest resistance to fire and drought (and climate change), and are the source of the large persistent snags and logs (again, critical habitat for the majority of the vertebrates). Stewardship needs to focus on retaining and nurturing the existing population of old trees – and, again, they are at as great a risk from excessive stand density (competition) as they are from fire."

More on Forest Restoration.....

forest restoration - iprogrammer.com
The forces shaping a tree's life are complex and inter-related. Periods of drought along with increased competition will weaken a tree's ability to withstand insect and disease attacks. Restoration thinning projects can improve a forest's ability to resist insect and disease mortality. However, dead and dying trees are also essential to ecosystem health because they provide habitat for many species. It is important that restoration projects find an appropriate balance between tree health and habitat. The dead tree (right) was retained from logging during a forest restoration project, and is now being used by a variety of woodpeckers and other birds.

 

In fire suppressed forests, the tree rings are very narrow compared with faster growing trees in more open stands. Non-lethal low intensity fires occurred every 5-20 years in many western forests prior to European settlement. With a low intensity fire, the more susceptible trees are killed and forests become dominated by larger diameter (2-4 feet wide) fire resistant trees in a "park like" setting. In today's altered forests, small diameter Douglas-fir trees, which are more susceptible to fire than pine and larch, are more abundant and grow slowly in the crowded, low moisture, and low light conditions. Restoration forestry can be used to mimic the effects of fire .
SaveSaveSave
Memorial Tree Watch with Urn for Ashes
Personalized Cremation Urn Watch for Ashes Memorial Engraving Custom Handmade Gift Loss of Dog Gift Jewelry for Human or Dog Pets Ashes
Personalized Cremation Urn Watch for Ashes Memorial Engraving Custom Handmade Gift Loss of Dog Gift Jewelry for Human or Dog Pets Ashes
Memorial Tree Watch with Urn for Ashes
Personalized Cremation Urn Watch for Ashes Memorial Engraving Custom Handmade Gift Loss of Dog Gift Jewelry for Human or Dog Pets Ashes
Personalized Cremation Urn Watch for Ashes Memorial Engraving Custom Handmade Gift Loss of Dog Gift Jewelry for Human or Dog Pets Ashes
Personalized Cremation Urn Watch for Ashes Memorial Engraving Custom Handmade Gift Loss of Dog Gift Jewelry for Human or Dog Pets Ashes
Personalized Cremation Urn Watch for Ashes Memorial Engraving Custom Handmade Gift Loss of Dog Gift Jewelry for Human or Dog Pets Ashes
Personalized Cremation Urn Watch for Ashes Memorial Engraving Custom Handmade Gift Loss of Dog Gift Jewelry for Human or Dog Pets Ashes
Personalized Cremation Urn Watch for Ashes Memorial Engraving Custom Handmade Gift Loss of Dog Gift Jewelry for Human or Dog Pets Ashes
Memorial Tree Watch with Urn for Ashes

Memorial Tree Watch with Urn for Ashes

Regular price$355.00
/

Front Engraving
Back Engraving

The Tree Ring Memorial watches offer those grieving a meaningful way to remember and honor their loved one. Engrave the initials and/or years of your loved one or keep it as a minimalist, unengraved face with tree rings that symbolize all of the wonderful years. The back of the watch has a compartment that can hold a small amount of cremation ash. The water tight cremation remains compartment is easily opened and closed with a US penny or screwdriver.
Your timepiece will be crafted from a limb of a mature living Douglas-fir tree, known for its longevity and resilience. The timepiece and associated tree become a living tribute, symbolizing the enduring spirit of the departed individual.
Removing lower branches of Montana Douglas-fir trees increases their resilience against fire. Douglas-fir can live for hundreds of years, though forest fire is increasingly catastrophic to these trees.

In addition to the timepiece that serves as a consistent reminder of your loved one, there is a connection to a majestic tree that is expected to live for decades or even centuries longer.  The Tree Dedication Map and unique Tree ID# that you receive allows for a virtual journey to explore and visit your loved one's tree. A maximum of 10 watches will be made from each tree, thus keeping the connection intimate.

In the words of Herman Hesse "one can read its whole history in the luminous inscribed disk of its trunk: in the rings of its years, its scars, all the struggle, all the suffering, all the sickness, all the happiness and prosperity stand truly written, the narrow years and the luxurious years, the attacks withstood, the storms endured."

The wood dials are hand selected for their beauty and unique annual tree ring history. Underneath each wood dial sits a Swiss made quartz movement. The watch is enclosed by a high quality stainless steel case and a sapphire crystal. A slice of a tree is a snapshot of its life history. Hand crafted in the Big Sky Country of Montana.

Case Type: Stainless Steel with Sapphire Crystal; 43 mm Diameter

Wood type: Douglas-fir
Movement: Harley Ronda (Swiss-made)
Band Width: 22 mm
Band Type: Leather
Batter type: 364/363 SR621SW
Water Resistance:50 M
Warranty: 5 Years for mechanical failure (excluding battery and strap)