Free Sheffield talk to explore forest gardening and willow crafts
More than 30 years of experience in low-impact living will be explored during a free illustrated talk in Sheffield.
Andy Alder, of Woodscapes Consultancy, will speak about his passions for forest gardening and for willow growing and willow crafts. at Lees Hall Golf Club, Hemsworth Road at 7pm on Monday, October 26.
The illustrated talk draws on themes from his recent book, ‘Small Projects in a Big World’, which looks at ways in which a low-impact lifestyle can not only generate food for the table and save energy but also generate an income from micro-businesses. The former includes forest gardening and the latter, willow cultivation and crafts.
Andy’s aim is not to be totally self-sufficient but to use less resources overall and manage the ones the family does use in a much more environmentally friendly way. He, together with wife Bev, have been developing their low-impact lifestyle for over 30 years.
In a richly illustrated presentation, Andy will talk about his experience of using the forest gardening approach to grow food crops occupying the different layers, and like those found in woodlands and forests. These are ground cover, low-growing herbs, shrubs, and trees.
In the second part of the talk, he looks at green woodworking, setting up and running a willow- (osier-)growing small business. The coppiced stems from the willows grown on marginal areas of wet fields are sold to makers of traditional hurdles and other craft products.
There is much to learn from Andy and Bev’s approach to an alternative lifestyle which mixes ‘off grid’ independence, with passion and pleasure, but blended with the need for sharp business acumen.
For those with long memories Andy used to be the Moss Valley Countryside Project Ranger – back in the day, has been a lecturer at Nottingham Trent University for many years, and is a regular participant and chair of the regular South Yorkshire Biodiversity Research Group / Landscape Conservation Forum seminars and conferences.
South Yorkshire Biodiversity Research Group Graves Park Biodiversity Project Events run a programme of indoor events and outdoor fieldtrips with support from a local sponsor and from Lees Hall Golf Club. Field trips generally need to be booked but the evening programmes of events are available simply to turn up and enjoy, and they are totally free. Doors open around 6.15pm and talks start at 7pm.
