Since 2007, New York’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been milled into lumber after the holidays; the wood has helped build Habitat homes from New York to Mississippi

Every year, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree becomes a holiday landmark in New York City. But since 2007, its story has continued after the decorations come down. Tishman Speyer donates the tree’s milled lumber to Habitat for Humanity, where it is used in homes and construction projects. The wood has helped families across several US…

In 1912, Alabama monk Brother Joseph Zoettl began recreating landmarks he had mostly never seen; 46 years later, at age 80, he finished the last of 125 miniatures

Over an impressive span of 46 years, Brother Joseph Zoettl created enchanting miniature religious sites, relying on postcards and donated jewelry for inspiration. Nestled in northern Alabama, the Ave Maria Grotto displays 125 intricate models on a beautiful four-acre property. Since being included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, this folk-art gem…