Learn about medicine of willow and get your hands-on weaving with natural fibres in this fun, crafty workshop!

Willow & Mixed Natural Fibres Workshop

Join us in person for a fun and hands-on Willow & Mixed Natural Fibres Workshop! Dive into the world of natural materials and create your own unique frame basket using willow and a mix of beautiful fibers. Perfect for all skill levels, this workshop is a great way to get crafty, relax, and connect with nature. Bring your creativity and leave with something special made by your own hands!

During this hands-on workshop, you’ll discover how willow can be combined with materials such as cane, yarn and raffia to create unique basket forms. You’ll also have the opportunity to look at examples of baskets made from naturally dyed fibres and explore different techniques and textures.

As part of the workshop, we’ll also learn From Juolia Behrens Medical herbalist about the medicinal qualities and traditional uses of willow and sweet birch, connecting the practical craft of working with natural materials to the plants themselves.

This workshop is unusal fusing ancient plant knowedege with basket making -making fun—learning, creating, and weaving old traditions into something new. This will be enjoyed as part of the Tree in Translation programme or as a stand-alone workshop. No previous basket-making experience is required. WIth specialist gust Basket weaver Katy Young.

Katy young is one of the main founders of Wyld Service this is an outdoor community cooperative focused on traditional nature-based crafts and eco-therapy. They operate from a dedicated permaculture plot tucked inside Stanmer Organics in Stanmer Park, Brighton she has many ancestral skills from natural plant dying to weaving baskets and building sandals and holding kind nurturing healing space for people to just be .

Willow has a particularly interesting story. Willow bark contains naturally occurring salicylates, including salicin and related glycosides, as well as flavonoids, tannins and other phenolic compounds. Salicin can be metabolised by the body into salicylic acid and related salicylates. The amount present can vary considerably between different Salix species and preparations. We’ll explore this history and the traditional knowledge surrounding willow, while considering how our ancestors understood and used these remarkable trees.

Willow has a particularly interesting story. Willow bark contains naturally occurring salicylates, including salicin and related glycosides, as well as flavonoids, tannins and other phenolic compounds. Salicin can be metabolised by the body into salicylic acid and related salicylates. The amount present can vary considerably between different Salix species and preparations. We’ll explore this history and the traditional knowledge surrounding willow, while considering how our ancestors understood and used these remarkable trees.

We’ll also look at silver birch, a tree with its own long history of traditional uses. From bark and sap to the many ways birch has been used in everyday life, craft and folk traditions, we’ll discover some of the fascinating qualities that have made this tree so valued.

This is an opportunity to slow down, work with your hands, learn about local natural materials and discover the stories held within the trees around us.

Birch and willow aren't just useful materials for traditional crafts. Both have long histories of medicinal use. Willow bark contains salicin, which is related to the chemistry behind aspirin, while birch has traditionally been used in herbal preparations for its anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. Come fin dout more and enyoy the day at the wonderful One garden at Stanmer Park ,Brighton,

What the students say on the Tree in transaltion "“Brilliant and friendly. It takes you away from the normal day-to-day and gives you fascinating information. Rachel and Julia are absolutely captivating!”

This was eveything i wanted a great mis of listing and engagement practicel task and getting to know the park"

Description supplied by the event organiser.