Nothing lives forever, but according to Clark Kayler, trees can.

He extends the life of trees by turning them into furniture. The trees go from decorating the streets to decorating various rooms.

Kayler, 41, is the owner and founder of New Helvetia Hardwoods.

They rescue trees that have been knocked down by storms, trees that are being chopped down for development purposes or dying trees that are all headed for the landfills.

“(I am) giving our city’s trees a second chance,” Kayler said.

In early 2005, Kayler noticed a tree being removed from his neighbor’s yard. It bothered him. He asked the neighbor for the redwood tree, and he created his first piece of furniture: a table.

As a property manager, he is experienced in restoring and remodeling older homes. Rescuing trees is a hobby he hopes to turn into a business someday, he said.

“I was always driving around fixing things,” Kayler said. “I would see the tree service companies taking down trees. I would grab my trailer (and) pull (up) next to them. It is more of an opportunistic thing, (and then) I see if I can get the tree.”

When a tree will fall is unpredictable, and sometimes people call him, or he finds them, Kayler noted.

The more people know about what New Helvetia Hardwoods does, the more it grows and the more trees are saved, Kayler said.

“Trees get to bless us. They have a long life, their beauty doesn’t die and their contribution to us doesn’t go away … We encounter them every day – they don’t have to disappear,” Kayler said.

His son, Mattias Kayler, 15, helps him and shares the same passion for trees.

Trees are taken for granted. Whether it is acknowledged or not, trees have a presence – they shade, they provide the beautification, smell – they play a role in you wanting to sit there and enjoy the area or relax, Mattias Kayler said.

In turning trees into furniture, it is like giving them a proper burial, Clark Kayler added.

“My favorite tool to use is the axe. I like the rhythm involved in using it – the motion, the swing of back and forth. When you come in contact with the wood, you feel the impact – you feel connected,” Mattias Kayler added.

“When you cut a tree down the middle, you get to see the entire life of the tree. It’s like a biography of the tree,” Clark Kayler said.

He has used around 50 trees so far, and most of them are from Midtown and West Sacramento.

Some of the trees he works with are walnut, elm, figured redwood, big leaf daple and Deodora cedar.

He uses an Alaskan chain saw mill. It is a huge chainsaw to cut trees that can be 6 feet wide and 40 feet long.

Another tool is a skid loader. Like a forklift, it is a common basic contractor’s tool used for moving heavy things. A trailer and a truck are used for transporting the logs.

He has a little yard in West Sacramento, and at times he uses his own garage for the finishing.

The first step is acquiring, then milling, storing and finishing. The process requires a lot of patience, Clark Kalyer said.

He has supplied woods for a number of places in San Francisco for remodeling. Locally, the Azul Mexican Food and Tequila bar restaurant on 20th Street also carries his work.

He said he is concerned that the planting of trees is no longer supported or protected, especially canopy trees.

According to him, it will save money, and the environment, to turn these trees into furniture.

“There is an enormous carbon footprint generated in the throwing away of the trees,” Clark Kayler noted. “It also takes heavy equipment, manpower and expensive equipment.”

Architect and designer Michael Hargis, 38, has worked with Clark Kayler before.

“Clark is very responsive. He is honest, (and) he delivered everything he said he would. I am looking at doing more business together,” Hargis said.

Clark Kayler has found something he is passionate about, and he is on the verge of turning it into a business, Hargis said.

“The fact that he is recycling the trees and things are not going to waste is cool,” Hargis noted.

For more information contact Clark Kayler: clark@newhelvetiahardwoods.com or 548 4007.