Woodland Crafts & Arts

 

is basically what it says it is...

So, here we go... our interpretation of sustainable ...

It's working with, essentially, native woodlands and an endeavour to bring woodland crafts into the 21st century. We use traditional and contemporary crafts in conjunction with an artistic element to inspire ideas on how to help sustain ourselves and our woodlands in a healthy way.
We grow trees, plant them and use them. Hopefully our work will encourage appropriate respect to prosper.

Here's some of the things we've been doing over the past years...

Coppicing with standards, a sympathetic form of woodland management, yields a variety of timber for various crafts and arts. The woodland workshop focuses on the use of simple handtools. The use of the pole-lathe for woodturning, hazel and willow to make hurdles for fencing and pathways, and baskets. Ash is fashioned into gates and toolhandles....

Charcoal making - another coppice craft. With charcoal you can forge iron, filter water, draw or have a BBQ! Extract tar and make turpentine. We know the basics of making it, with use of an earthclamp or recycled oildrums.

Woodland Orchestra - initially started as an idea to enhance the collective celebration of our native woodlands. The first steps were taken by carving out drums, making a 'marimba' and other percussion-instruments. Playing them for and with other people, to explore rhythmic paths...

Have a look in the gallery for a visual tour around some of the activities and skills mentioned above...

 Where we'll be over the next couple of months:

  • every Tuesday at Milton Community Woodland, you can come along and find out what's needing doing through the day - lots of woodland activity, green woodworking and more...

  • every first Tuesday evening of the month, MUSICAL jam at the log-building in Milton Community Woodland

(find out how to get to and more about Milton Community Woodland!)

 Where we've been recently:

  • Introduction to Green Woodworking (training course) at Milton Community Woodland: 13th & 14th October 2006

  • Pole-lathe turning and Leaf printing at the Forest Fayre in Milton Community Woodland: 30th September 2006

  • Woodland Orchestra with Martin Stephenson at the Luppaloo Festival, Ullapool: 22nd & 23rd September 2006

  • Charcoal making course at Milton Community Woodland: 21st & 22nd September

Some of the places we've been busy over the past years...

  • Chopwell Forest Festival 2006

  • Belladrum, Tartan Hearts Festival 2005 & 06

  • Dunnet Forest Open Day, 2004 & 2006

  • Ross & Cromarty Heritage Fayre - March 2005

    •

  • Treefest Edinburgh (4 winds inspiration centre) - 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006

  • Community Woodland Conference, Bettyhill - 2002, Borders Forest Trust - 2003, Gal Gael 2005, Anagagh 2005

  • Forest Fayre, Milton Community Woodland - 2002 & 2003

    •  & 2006

  • Woodfair, Pollok Park, Glasgow - 2004, 2005 & 2006

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  • Tree in the Park, Hamilton - 2002, Strathclyde Country Park - 2003, Pollok Park & Chatelherault Country Park, Glasgow 2005

  • Dalbeattie Forest Festival - 2001

  • 'Wild Wood Days' - Milton, Highland Council - 2000

  • 'The Big Shop' - Nairn - 1999

  • Woodland Activities - Glenmore - 1998

  • 'Breaking the silence', Pictish music project - 1997

  • Hurdle-making for Yarrows Archaeological Trail - 1996

  • 'Living in the Wilds' - Black Hill, Ross and Cromarty district Council - 1995