Willow Basket Weaving Course with Rourke McDermott

Woven containers can be adaptive and versatile. Humans have made and used woven containers for centuries. It’s easy to go to the store and buy a basket. However, by doing so we may end up supporting questionable and unethical industry. We miss out on the opportunity to explore the creative process by making a basket with our own hands. We miss out on the opportunity to build a relation and purposeful connection with nature and in particular willows and we miss a chance to test our inherent resourcefulness, ingenuity and empowerment.
In this workshop, we will begin by discussing the role of willows in the broader ecosystem context and their more local functions within a rural situation. We will discuss sustainable harvesting techniques, the spiritual symbolism and wisdom of willow and explore the concepts of containers and our relationship with them. We will explore and develop our inherent creative power and the roles we play in the process of creating woven containers.
Then we will head out to harvest willows and began our hands-on relationship with this amazing plant. Once we have respectfully gathered our willows we will learn to weave a simple warp and weft or spoke and weavers style basket. We may also start on a melon style basket.

Course Schedule
9:00am – 10:30am lecture
10:30am – 11:00am travel to harvesting place
11:00am – 12:00pm harvest willows
12:00pm – 12:30pm lunch
12:30pm – 5:00pm weave baskets

$75 for the day

Things to bring:
- sack lunch
- garden snips or pruners
- small knife
- note book and pin or pencil
- camera
- water
- a small biodegradable organic offering of thanks to give to the willows


Rourke McDermott is an instructor and practitioner of earth living skills and is the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit called Earth Living Skills School (ELSS) - an outdoor based, nature immersion, multi-sensory, hands-on interactive, primitive arts, self-discovery and self-awareness school. Rourke has been drawn to the primitive arts since he was 14. He has spent the last 26 years learning about nature, primitive practices and ancient arts. He has formally taught earth living skills courses, workshops, lectures and demonstrations to over a 1000 students in the last 8 years in various States. He has lived with and amongst many Southwestern tribes and while doing so has been blessed to learn many traditional wisdoms, methods, and techniques. Rourke has a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning and is currently the Public Services Manager for the Mt. Baker Ranger District. ELSS is currently involved in and leads many projects for more information about ELSS projects or to donate please visit our websitewww.earthlivingskillsschool.com