'The jet-black heartwood of the Central African forest ebony, Diospyros crassiflora (a relative of the Persimmon, Diospyros kaki) used to fashion piano keys, guitars, door knobs and pool cues, is threatened by illegal logging and conversion of forests into grazing land or palm oil and rubber plantations.
'An initiative to transform the growth and harvesting of ebony in Cameroon is led by Taylor Guitars, supplier to – yes – Taylor Swift.
'In 2011, Taylor Guitars' co-founder Bob Taylor bought a dilapidated ebony mill in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé and refurbished it to supply wood for his instruments. Five years later, the company partnered with the Congo Basin Institute in Yaoundé to develop ebony tree nurseries and a community-based planting programme. The company also replants ebony and fruit trees that buffer Cameroon’s Dja reserve, a Unesco world heritage site.'
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