Lawrence and Paulownia

I planted a number of seedling Empress (Paulownia tomentosa) trees, which I propagated from the large specimens located in Vancouver's Thornton Park in front of the city's railway and bus terminal. These trees are very fast growing and very useful as their wood can be made into a range of products including, carvings, furniture and musical instruments. The man in the picture is Lawrence, who was another one of the original Cottonwood pioneers. He was an inveterate recycler and set up a 'free table' so he could give away the many useful things he found discarded in Vancouver's wealthier neighborhoods.