Walking with my dog, Rex.
I find a lot of crap, and I pick it up and take it home!!! At least my wife thinks it is crap. On walks with my dog Rex, we like to do the trails around the area where we live. Most of the ones we use are old rail lines that have been converted for recreational use. At times the trails need maintenance to clear trees and branches that have fallen and block the trail. Some of the pieces that have been cut up are suitable for carving. This, we bring home. Don’t do this in provincial parks or conservation areas because it is illegal to remove anything. Tree maintenance by the municipality including their parks sometimes yields good material. Pine galls and walnuts are often found on our walks. The walnuts can be carved and the walnut husks can be used to make a natural stain. Wear gloves!! Often I see trees being cut down and ask for pieces that look suitable. Once, I visited a municipal park after some trees were removed, and found a large amount of bark that was good enough to carve. Furniture and wood left on the road has occasionally yielded useful wood as well. I stay observant, because I never know what I may find.