Passion for wood saves ecosystems, environment

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

There is something so meaningful about turning reusable materials into pieces of art. But, when old wood is recycled it creates a bigger impact on the environment.

That’s what Lenard Kensey and Sean Kostelnik — who met early 2022 at the Melbourne Makerspace and were immediately intrigued by each other’s vision — are doing at Wood River Studio. Their partnership has turned into an organic venture.

“Wood River came about after many discussions of two guys connecting and having the same goal, which is way bigger than creating a piece of furniture,” said Kensey, who is originally from rural Pennsylvania. “With everyone turning to recyclable materials, the greater picture for us is the impact we can have on preserving ecosystems with sustainability even on a small scale.”

Kensey has been called a serial entrepreneur, master craftsman and Einstein inventor throughout his career. Most of all, he has an artist’s eye to create unusual and craft beautiful things.

“I’m more like Alfred the butler in Batman, jack-of-all-trades, and I let Sean be the spokesperson.”

Their materials are dredged from intracoastal waterways, the Indian River and from landfills, thus avoiding the depletion of natural resources. Wood River also acquires materials from Costa Rica, which is one of the hardest countries to obtain export permits for salvaged woods.

“I’ve always been passionate about environmental issues and how it affects our communities, which is symbiotic with the wellbeing of humanity,” said Kostelnik, a transplant from Ohio. “Even though we’re small, our goal is to create public awareness as a whole.” only cut down if it’s dead or needs to be relocated to prevent an impact on farming fields or forestation,” Kostelnik said.

Kostelnik’s inherent love of nature was nurtured due to a childhood spent in Ohio’s Forest Hill. He also comes from a long line of wood mastercraftsmen, where his great-grandfather, grandfather and father passed their skills down to him.

“During my childhood, my dad and granddad taught me how to make things with my hands, but above all they showed me to respect nature. I would spend hours deep in the forest surrounded by giant oak trees, thinking and reflecting,” Kostelnik said.

Both Kensey and Kostelnik are also involved in philanthropy, wanting to give back to the community. Kostelnik is board chairman at the Brevard Family Partnership Foundation, where a percentage of Wood River proceeds assist the organization.

Acquiring materials from Costa Rica is quite challenging as it’s the strictest country for tree exportation, where extreme ecological consideration and sustainability are given to reforestation, according to reports. In the 1940s, almost 75% of trees were cut down.

“We’ve partnered with tree extraction facilities which abide by the strict laws of Costa Rica, as every part of a tree is reused, even the sawdust. Every tree has government tags and it’s

As part of Wood River’s vision, they’re working to create woodworking and apprenticeship programs to provide internships for graduating students so they learn how to create pieces from recycled materials.

“Change has to start at grass roots levels to shift the paradigm for everyone to be more mindful. We all have to lead by example and engagement —we owe that much to our planet and society,” Kostelnik said.

For more information, go to woodriverstudio.com SL