Ready for your next adventure? Create your own 21” expedition pack basket, the largest and most versatile basket in our collection! Whether you’re planning a backcountry trek, a day of foraging, or simply want a functional and stylish pack for everyday use, this class is for you.

Using premium reed, your basket will feature a sturdy ash or oak handle, a durable base with protective feet, and comfortable pack straps in a variety of colors. To make your basket truly unique, we’ll also have colorful reeds available for decorative accents.

What to Expect

• Step-by-step guidance on weaving a large, durable pack basket.
• Learn techniques for shaping, securing, and finishing your basket.
• Tips for incorporating decorative accents using colored reeds.
• Insights into the craft and tradition of basket weaving.
• Each student will leave with a 21” expedition pack basket, completed and ready for use.

This class is designed for all skill levels, including beginners. No prior basket weaving experience is necessary!

Accessibility Information

We aim to make this class as inclusive as possible.

• Location: The venue is wheelchair acccessible, with accessible restrooms
• Seating and Workspace: Tables and chairs are provided
• Physical Effort: Participants will use their hands for weaving and light cutting. If you have mobility or dexterity concerns, please reach out to discuss more details.
• Visual Guidance: Instructions will be given verbally and demonstrated visually. Please let us know if additional support is needed.

About the Instructor

Wood Thrush Wilderness is an outdoor guiding and educational business that helps people connect more deeply with themselves and the natural world. As Licensed Recreation Maine Guides, we offer guided canoe expeditions throughout the state of Maine. We also offer classes and training in outdoor education, wilderness medicine, and traditional crafts such as basketry.

Website: https://www.woodthrushwilderness.com/

Discover engaging opportunities to explore seasonal recreational activities, learn about the historical connections to winter in the Kennebec region, develop new skills, and embrace the joy of the season. With interactive experiences for all ages, this celebration invites everyone to uncover new hobbies and enjoy the beauty of winter.

Winterfest comes to life through the creativity and enthusiasm of our community partners! Your engaging displays and demonstrations, hands-on activities or workshops make this event truly special for our community. By sharing your time and talents, you help create lasting memories and inspire visitors of all ages.

Join us in making Winterfest an unforgettable celebration of the season:

Engagement Station: Interactive stations can offer activities, games, or hands-on experiences for attendees, creating meaningful connections and opportunities to share expertise.

Demonstration: Demonstrations of skills, crafts, or techniques can inspire and educate attendees in a dynamic and memorable way.: Demonstrations of skills, crafts, or techniques can inspire and educate attendees in a dynamic and memorable way.

Entertainment: Live entertainment, such as music, storytelling, or performances, can add energy and excitement to the event atmosphere.

Host a Workshop or Class: Workshops or interactive classes create opportunities for attendees to engage deeply with topics or skills in an interactive setting.

Exhibit: Exhibits focused on art, nature, or conservation can enrich the event by promoting awareness, education, and appreciation for the natural world.

Outreach: Engaging in outreach allows organizations and groups to connect with attendees, share their mission, and foster meaningful community relationships.

Our goal is to make this event as accessible to every partipant as possible. Your participation in on a volunteer basis. If you will require registration or a fee, please provide those details when you sign up and a member of our team will connect with you.

Winterfest comes to life through the incredible dedication of our volunteers! Your time and effort make this event—and many others throughout the year—truly unforgettable. Join us in creating lasting memories and bringing our community together by volunteering today!

This basket will be the perfect addition to your basket collection or a great gift. Just add the bottle of wine and it will make the perfect gift for the holidays, birthday, wedding, or any occasion.

Even if you have never weaved before, fear not, as we will provide detailed step-by-step directions to guide you through the process. Crafted from quality reed both flat and half round, this basket displays durability and charm. Additionally, if desired, we can incorporate color reed into the design, offering a vibrant range of hues to choose from including blue, purple, red, green, and brown. Let your creativity soar as you infuse delightful pops of color into your very own one-of-a-kind basket.

Have you admired the enchanting willow tunnel at Viles Arboretum and thought, I’d love to create something like that? Now’s your chance! Join us for one—or both—of our willow weaving sessions, where you’ll help weave last year’s growth back into the tunnel. It’s a hands-on way to learn the art of creating and maintaining a willow tunnel while supporting the Arboretum in preserving this unique feature.

What to Expect

This activity involves a variety of physical tasks, including:

• Being outside, in the cold, for extended periods
• Standing for extended periods
• Climbing on a ladder to reach higher sections of the tunnel
• Using pruners to cut branches, on a ladder and at ground level
• Weaving long branches into the structure, holding them, and tying them with rubber ties
• Reaching above the head

If you have any questions about accessibility, feel free to reach out! We're happy to provide more details and work with you to make this event as accessible as possible.

How to be prepared:

• Experience: No prior experience with willow weaving is required - all skill levels are welcome! This project is suitable for ages 12 and up, when accompanied by an adult.
• Tools: Bring pruners and stepladders if you have them (a limited number will be available to borrow).
• Clothing: Dress for outdoor work, wear sturdy footwear, and gloves.
• Location: We'll meet at the Willow Tunnel, located just behind the barn.
• Weather: This project takes place outdoors, so dress accordingly. In the event of rain or snow, we will reschedule to the next day.

Learn to create your own creel basket in this hands-on workshop.

While this beautifully crafted basket is designed for fishing enthusiasts, it’s equally perfect for picnics, gathering fresh vegetables from the garden, or collecting treasures while foraging in the woods.

Each basket is approximately 13"W x 8"H x 8"D and features a thoughtfully designed lid, custom-cut to fit securely. The lid is attached with a durable piano hinge for smooth and reliable functionality. Whether you’re an angler, a nature lover, or someone who appreciates fine craftsmanship, this basket is a delightful and functional addition to your collection.

What to Expect in Class

• This is an 8-hour, hands-on workshop suitable for beginners and those with weaving experience
• You'll learn basket weaving techniques and create your own creel basket by the end of the session.
• All materials and tools are provided.

Accessibility Information

We aim to make this class as inclusive as possible:

• Location: The venue is wheelchair accessible, with accessible restrooms
• Seating and Workspace: Tables and chairs are provided
• Physical Effort: Participants will use their hands for weaving and light cutting. If you have mobility or dexterity concerns, please reach out to discuss more details.
• Visual Guidance: Instructions will be given verbally and demonstrated visually. Please let us know if additional support is needed.

About the Instructor

Wood Thrush Wilderness is an outdoor guiding and educational business that helps people connect more deeply with themselves and the natural world. As Licensed Recreation Maine Guides, we offer guided canoe expeditions throughout the state of Maine. We also offer classes and training in outdoor education, wilderness medicine, and traditional crafts such as basketry. 

Website: https://www.woodthrushwilderness.com/

This is a four-session workshop held on Tuesdays from 6:30-8pm. Session dates are April 1, 8, 15, and 22. Registration includes all four weeks.

Join us for a creative and inspiring workshop that combines birdwatching, writing, and art to deepen your connection to nature. In this four-session workshop, we’ll read and discuss select passages from The Backyard Bird Chronicles and use these as inspiration to create illustrated journals of our own bird observations.

Amy Tan’s delightful book The Backyard Bird Chronicles demonstrates how careful observation and recording of the activities of the feathered visitors to our yards and feeders can turn these mysterious wild creatures into familiar friends, each with its own story to tell.

Through in-class lessons and take-home exercises, participants will:

• Learn the basics of nature drawing and writing.
• Develop skills in observing and recording bird behavior.
• Cultivate a creative practice that fosters a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Each participant will receive a blank book for their backyard bird journal, and art supplies will be available for use during class. This workshop welcomes participants of all experience levels—no prior writing, art, or birdwatching skills are required.

To fully enjoy the workshop, participants should have access to:

• A place to observe wild birds outside of class.
• A copy of The Backyard Bird Chronicles.
• A field guide to birds.
• Basic art supplies (pencil, pen, and colored pencils) for at-home exercises.

Accessibility Information

We aim to make this class as inclusive as possible. Please reach out if you have accessibility concerns to see how we can accommodate.

• Location: The venue is wheelchair accessible, with accessible restrooms
• Seating and Workspace: Tables and chairs are provided

About the Instructor

​Andrea Lani is the author of Uphill Both Ways: Hiking toward Happiness on the Colorado Trail (Bison Books 2022). Her writing has recently appeared in Still Point Arts Quarterly, Northern Woodlands, and Labor of Love: A Literary Mama Staff Anthology, among other publications, and she's a regular contributor to Green & Healthy Maine Magazine. She's been honored with two Hewnoaks Artist Residencies, has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and was a finalist in the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance 2024 CrimeFlash fiction contest. Andrea has degrees in human ecology and creative writing from College of The Atlantic and the Stonecoast MFA Program and was an editor at Literary Mama for nine years. ​As an Author Accelerator certified book coach, Andrea guides emerging writers in developing and revising novels and memoirs, and as a Maine Master Naturalist, she teaches nature writing and nature journaling workshops around the state. She lives in central Maine.​​​

Website: www.andrealani.com