Manzanita bird perches and aquarium terrain accents- but why? what makes manzanita wood so ideal for bird and animal habitats?
Having worked with manzanita for over three years now, and having never made a bird perch until recently, I thought about this question in great depth for the first time last week...
and eventually came to the conclusion that it is a variety of factors which makes manzanita branches the prefect medium for bird perch construction.
Let's start with the obvious- manzanita is a type of hardwood, sandblasted or not it is a natural, durable, non-toxic and safe material to use around animals. (My brother's dog steals burls out of our wood pile and chews on them for hours and shes fine, really) Manzanita is the 7th Hardest Wood in the world, earning it the title, "the seventh wood wonder of the world", o.k. I made the title part up, but it is the 7th hardest known hardwood making for a resillient and sturdy platform for your bird to perch upon.
Manzanita has a beautiful red bark and grain, adding natural color to your cage or aquarium Sandblasted Manzanita Branches have a light creamy color interspursed with red streaks of grain. When blasted they often take on a worn or aged appearance. This same quality is what earned manzanita burlwood the slang title "mountain driftwood".
You may or may not be wondering why I haven't mentioned this yet- The shape!, perhaps the most distinct quality of manzanita branches and burls is the strange and wonderful shapes in which they grow. It never ceases to amaze me how a manzanita tree will serve as a mirror or reflection of it's immediate environment, with the branches growing in accordance with the predominent wind direction, or reaching for sunlight or dwarved and curled upon themselves for lack of adequate water or sustinence. Somehow by natures design the branches twist and fork in a smooth and stylized manner graduating from one level of magnitude down to the next.
Let us not forget a big part of every bird owners life- Manzanita Branches are easy to clean! e-a-s-y 2 c-l-e-a-n!!!=) Artisans Manzanita can make the exact sort of perch or stand you are looking for. If your looking for a finished look we can finish your stand with natural waxes or oils.
So as you can see, there are any number of reasons why manzanita bird perches are clearly an excellent option to enhance and decorate your cage.
One of my favorite things to make are the manzanita floor lamps that we started with back in 06' and the same basic principle applies to a standing bird perch tree, - sturdy base, interesting arrangement of branches, and a beautiful finish all contribute to a one of a kind natural and artistic addition to your pets home or habitat.
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