Education
Our educational offerings range from hour long lectures to multi-week intensives. We've hosted courses on dozens of topics over the years and can tailor these experiences to hands-on one-on-one trainings to groups of 50 or more. Below you'll find our calendar of upcoming events followed by a list of some of our past workshop topics. Don't see something you're interested in? Drop us a line and we'll let you know if it's something we can offer.
Upcoming Events in 2021
May 1 - Fundamentals of Coppicing and Pollarding
Learn how to manage trees and shrubs to resprout after harvest, yielding fuelwood, fenceposts, building poles, craft and weaving material, livestock fodder, decorative stems for the floral industry, biomass, and much more. Sliding scale tuition $75-100.
Coming Soon in 2021
Agroforestry and Keyline Patterning
Examine a range of different agroforestry systems on our small working farm, learn about some of the most promising species for this region, and see how keyline patterning couples ecological water management with symmetrical row spacing. Sliding scale tuition $75-100
Earthen Building Techniques and Natural Plasters
Discover the beauty, strength, and simplicity of earthen building techniques and the ways they can add character, mass, and warmth to our homes, outbuildings and more. Learn to source materials, mix and build with cob, adobe, wattle and daub and earthbags. Sliding scale tuition $150-200
First Annual Homestead Tour
Explore an 8 year old homestead and small farm and learn about the successes, challenges, and design processes involved in siting key infrastructure, building several healthy, locally-sourced, high performance structures, developing water systems, managing home scale flocks of poultry and sheep, and developing intensive agroforestry systems. $25 suggested donation
Green Woodworking - Build a Ladderback Footstool from a Tree
Build your own lightweight, elegant, durable ladderback footstool using basic hand tools and centuries-old techniques. Starting with a raw oak log, we’ll craft remarkably strong parts, connected using precision joinery, and finished with a woven seat. You’ll never look at wood the same again. Sliding scale tuition $250-300, plus additional $30-50 materials fee
Additional Workshops, Courses and Presentations We Offer
Introduction to Permaculture Design
This intensive workshop covers the ethics and principles of permaculture design and provides a solid introduction to the permaculture design process. Permaculture is the study and practice of the ways human beings, as individuals and societies, can participate in creating ethical and ecological support systems. It is a design science that integrates a wealth of complementary disciplines including agriculture, forestry, energy production and management, economics, transportation, architecture and community development with the intention of creating permanent, truly sustainable human settlements through appropriate, protracted design.
The Art of Traditional Woodworking
Traditional or 'green' woodworking is the process of shaping raw unseasoned wood using simple hand tools. Historically craftspeople split out materials for products from freshly cut, straight-grained logs using wedges. These rough pieces were then shaped by hand using a drawknife and foot-powered spring-pole lathe. After seasoning, these 'riven' or split parts can be properly sized and assembled. Green woodwork demands the craftsperson follow the wood's grain - thus it is inherently stronger and more durable than wood that has been sawn. All sorts of products can be made from green wood including chairs, spoons, bowls, cabinetry, tool handles, etc. During this intensive day-long workshop, students will explore the art and science of working green wood through lecture, slides and most importantly, hands-on experience. Course topics include - an overview of green woodworking tools and techniques; native wood qualities and uses; wood science; tool selection and sharpening skills; and plenty of hands-on experience riving (splitting) and shaping wood using hand tools. Each student will leave the course with a data CD full of articles, plans, tools lists and more - a wealth of information to help one start their own workshop. We'll also explore the potential of coppice forestry on the islands - a highly productive, renewable and truly sustainable form of ancient forest management.
Winter Tree Identification
This afternoon event, led by permaculture designer Mark Krawczyk, will focus on the winter identification characteristics of trees and shrubs. Starting at City Hall park, we'll explore the species diversity that surrounds us in Burlington, learning how to distinguish woody plants based on their foliage, branching patterns, buds, twigs, leaf scars, bark, growth form and habitat and how to use a field guide and dichotomous key to help guide us. This event will be held outdoors, so dress appropriately please bring an eastern tree field guide if you have on.
Forest Gardening
Learn about the concepts, design and maintenance of forest gardens - integrated gardens modeled on the structure of natural forests that incorporate fruiting tress, shrubs, and vegetables, fertility providing plants, medicinals, beneficial insect habitat and more. Forest gardens can be as simple or complex as you like and are well suited to compact urban lots.
Lawn to Garden Conversions
In this evening workshop led by Mark Krawczyk, we will discuss simple, chemical-free strategies to eliminate lawn, build healthy soil and establish beautiful, productive gardens. Additionally, we'll examine the design, installation and maintenance of perennial, edible forest gardens, providing a dynamic, productive alternative to conventional landscaping.
Coppice Forestry Presentation
Mark Krawczyk shares the history, process and management of coppice woodland in Britain and explores its application to forest management in New England. Coppicing is a traditional forestry system in which broadleaf trees are cut during the dormant season and allowed to re-grow as several stems from the still-living stump. When planted densely and managed regularly coppiced woodlands yield a remarkable amount of biomass due to the fact that new poles re-sprout from already vigorous and well-established root system. Coppiced woodlands sustained the growth and development of Britain for centuries after having virtually decimated their native forests by the year 1000. As our culture rapidly approaches a period of energy descent, coppicing could help to provide a steady source of poles and biomass for fuel, fencing materials, building and craft. It is a model for sustainable forestry that only grows more productive with each passing generation.
This intensive workshop covers the ethics and principles of permaculture design and provides a solid introduction to the permaculture design process. Permaculture is the study and practice of the ways human beings, as individuals and societies, can participate in creating ethical and ecological support systems. It is a design science that integrates a wealth of complementary disciplines including agriculture, forestry, energy production and management, economics, transportation, architecture and community development with the intention of creating permanent, truly sustainable human settlements through appropriate, protracted design.
The Art of Traditional Woodworking
Traditional or 'green' woodworking is the process of shaping raw unseasoned wood using simple hand tools. Historically craftspeople split out materials for products from freshly cut, straight-grained logs using wedges. These rough pieces were then shaped by hand using a drawknife and foot-powered spring-pole lathe. After seasoning, these 'riven' or split parts can be properly sized and assembled. Green woodwork demands the craftsperson follow the wood's grain - thus it is inherently stronger and more durable than wood that has been sawn. All sorts of products can be made from green wood including chairs, spoons, bowls, cabinetry, tool handles, etc. During this intensive day-long workshop, students will explore the art and science of working green wood through lecture, slides and most importantly, hands-on experience. Course topics include - an overview of green woodworking tools and techniques; native wood qualities and uses; wood science; tool selection and sharpening skills; and plenty of hands-on experience riving (splitting) and shaping wood using hand tools. Each student will leave the course with a data CD full of articles, plans, tools lists and more - a wealth of information to help one start their own workshop. We'll also explore the potential of coppice forestry on the islands - a highly productive, renewable and truly sustainable form of ancient forest management.
Winter Tree Identification
This afternoon event, led by permaculture designer Mark Krawczyk, will focus on the winter identification characteristics of trees and shrubs. Starting at City Hall park, we'll explore the species diversity that surrounds us in Burlington, learning how to distinguish woody plants based on their foliage, branching patterns, buds, twigs, leaf scars, bark, growth form and habitat and how to use a field guide and dichotomous key to help guide us. This event will be held outdoors, so dress appropriately please bring an eastern tree field guide if you have on.
Forest Gardening
Learn about the concepts, design and maintenance of forest gardens - integrated gardens modeled on the structure of natural forests that incorporate fruiting tress, shrubs, and vegetables, fertility providing plants, medicinals, beneficial insect habitat and more. Forest gardens can be as simple or complex as you like and are well suited to compact urban lots.
Lawn to Garden Conversions
In this evening workshop led by Mark Krawczyk, we will discuss simple, chemical-free strategies to eliminate lawn, build healthy soil and establish beautiful, productive gardens. Additionally, we'll examine the design, installation and maintenance of perennial, edible forest gardens, providing a dynamic, productive alternative to conventional landscaping.
Coppice Forestry Presentation
Mark Krawczyk shares the history, process and management of coppice woodland in Britain and explores its application to forest management in New England. Coppicing is a traditional forestry system in which broadleaf trees are cut during the dormant season and allowed to re-grow as several stems from the still-living stump. When planted densely and managed regularly coppiced woodlands yield a remarkable amount of biomass due to the fact that new poles re-sprout from already vigorous and well-established root system. Coppiced woodlands sustained the growth and development of Britain for centuries after having virtually decimated their native forests by the year 1000. As our culture rapidly approaches a period of energy descent, coppicing could help to provide a steady source of poles and biomass for fuel, fencing materials, building and craft. It is a model for sustainable forestry that only grows more productive with each passing generation.