Joao Almeida wasn’t born in Bermuda but he was determined to preserve a special part of the Island’s history.

The carpenter transformed a dead cedar tree at Coral Beach Club into a beautiful railing.

As the tree had likely been on the property for more than 100 years, Coral Beach decided it was important to preserve it in some form.

• How did you manage to cut down the tree?

Well, back in my homeland in the Azores we have cedars, but not the same type found here, so it was my first time seeing one this big when I came to the hotel many years ago.

We had to take it down because the tree had died and at first the most important thing was making sure the trunk was solid on the inside because a lot of the cedar trunks are hollow. Just to have an idea how much lumber we got out of that tree ... we created 16 posts and had over 200 feet of wood. We also had over 200 spokes and still have some more lumber down there [in the carpentry shop].

• How long did it take?

I worked on it for some full days, but sometimes I had to do other things on the hotel property. From beginning to the end it took a couple of weeks. We had to replicate the posts to the style of the roof and then after that I started doing it section by section, like fitting pieces into a puzzle. It probably took a month including installing and finishing it. I used a saw for most of the cutting and had to straighten up the edges and make sure it had the right thickness.

• How do you feel about the result?

I’m feeling very proud and happy because everyone says it was an amazing job.

• I understand you got into some difficulty climbing the tree years ago. What happened?

When I came to Bermuda the cedar tree was there and that was in 1987, shortly after Hurricane Emily hit. We brought in two guys who went down there with me to trim back some casuarinas. The cedar tree didn’t suffer any damage so with my curiosity I decided to climb up. When I reached close to the top these two crows attacked me. There was a crow’s nest with two chicks in it, so it could have been a close call.

• How did you end up in Bermuda?

I found work here. At first I didn’t like it in Bermuda, but after I went back to the Azores and got married on July 16, 1988, I brought my wife back here and things started getting better. After that I loved the Island. I don’t like big countries. It’s too much traffic and too many people. I’m an island person.

• How did you become a carpenter?

When I started carpentry back home in the Azores I was 14 and working in a shop with a craftsman. I used to go down there as a boy and would play with some tools and as I grew up I got involved with playing with other stuff. Then when I was 16, almost 17, I went to school to get my diploma and then once I got that I went back to work with the same carpenter because he was very good.

We used to complete bedroom furniture sets each week. Some people were asking for pieces inspired by the 16th century and we would do it. We made beds, dresser drawers, everything.

• What attracted you to the trade?

Carpentry for me is what I like to do. I love working with wood and making new furniture. That’s my favourite work and my favourite part is working to make something look new again. I started working down here at Coral Beach many years ago. I started building all sorts of stuff like doors, windows and box frames. I made a boat made out of plywood that sits down at the beach.

• What’s the biggest challenge?

Building new things and trying to keep up on my skills. If you ask me to do something my job is to transform what you want into something real. That’s why I always try my best.

•What was so important to you about preserving a part of the tree?

It’s important to the heritage of Bermuda. It was grown at Coral Beach and used here as well. If you take care of that railing it will be there for another 100 years.

I estimate the tree was over 100 years old already because I plant a lot of cedar trees and those ones are 25 years old and a lot smaller. It could be one of the oldest ones on the Island.