What This Lumber Company Did Will Make You Smile!

When a lumber company or paper mill harvests a forest, they begin the process of replanting trees. This is called reforestation - and it's what makes lumber such a renewable resource. In Alabama, for example, pine trees are one of the most renewable resources in the state. This story is about a lumber company in Oregon....and what they did during reforestation will make you smile!

Giant smiley face planted in OregonPhoto byUnknown (posted to 20minutos.es)

Every fall, drivers along Hwy. 18 in Oregon between Willamina and Grand Ronde have something to smile about. That's where this giant smiley face greets them. It was the brainchild of David Hampton, the owner of Hampton Lumber. During a reforestation project, he came up with a plan that would make people smile!

The big smiley face on the side of the mountain was made by planting a mixture of Douglas fir trees and Larch. Larch trees are conifers with needles that turn a vibrant yellowish-orange in the fall. They make up the body of the smiley face. When the Larch needles change color, they really stand out against the dark green color of the Douglas fir trees. This makes the big smiley face visible for miles. Brilliant!

Oregon's Smiley Face seen from Hwy 18Photo byPosted to r/portlandoregon on Reddit by RobotTomPeterson

The Larch conifers that make up the 300 ft. wide smiley face were planted during reforestation in 2011. According to Hampton Lumber, the big smiley face will remain there for at least 30 to 50 years until it's time to harvest the trees. Now, that's a lot of smiles! I wonder if we could do this in Alabama? Leave a comment!

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