“Examine each question in terms of what is ethically and aesthetically right, as well as what is economically expedient. A thing is right when it tends to perserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”
Are you interested in learning some basic woodworking skills and walking away at the end of the day with a finished product or two? Then this workshop is for you!
This workshop is designed for beginners, although people with woodworking skills should also feel free to join.
Learn about the fundamentals of woodworking (yep, measure twice, cut once, as carpenters will tell you!) while making a bench inspired by the iconic bench created by Aldo Leopold, who scavenged materials from along the banks of the Wisconsin River. We will be using scrap lumber for the benches, along with some purchased wood to ensure there is enough for everyone.
We will be using simple tools (hand tools and a couple of battery operated tools) that are readily available. This decision is based on the principles of democratic woodworking—the idea being that woodworking should be accessible to everyone, not just the people with amazingly outfitted workshops!
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
| 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Arrival | |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM | Welcome and opening | |
| 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Basics of woodworking and bench cutting and assembly | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch |
| 1:00 PM – 3:45 PM | Continuing work on the bench (staining, stencilling) and/or small table project | |
| 3:45 PM – 4:00 PM | Wrap up and departure |
Bench under construction!
We’ll start the day with a brief introduction to the Aldo Leopold bench style and history around this form of “democratic woodworking.” What is democratic woodworking, you ask? The idea is to create objects with simple tools using skills that can be easily acquired by novices to create useful objects with a personal signature. Then we will spend the rest of the morning cutting the pieces and assembling the benches.
After a break for a delicious Wintergreen gourmet lunch, we’ll continue to complete the benches, including staining and/or stencilling as desired. There may be time to make a small table as well before wrapping up the day.
ABOUT THE FACILITATORS
RENA UPITIS is a self-taught carpenter. Her first major renovation project of an old stone school house was in 1984, and she has been learning ever since! She designed the lodge at Wintergreen and played a major role in its construction, including stuffing hundreds of straw bales into the walls. She studied with Rob Roy in 2006, where she first learned about cordwood construction and living roofs, techniques she has incorporated in many Wintergreen buildings.
Rena also likes to make simple and functional furniture, including willow benches and… wait for it… Leopold benches! Her creations are both whimsical and rooted to the earth. She loves teaching and treats the building process as a creative interaction of materials and function.
LUKE HOWIE has worked at the intersection of experiential education, nature connection, and ecology for the duration of his career. As a place-based educator, he loves to learn from the land and those who know it best.
Luke completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto and his BEd at Trent University. He has an AQ in Outdoor Experiential Education from Lakehead University and his Forest and Nature School Practitioner Certification from the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada.
Prior to joining Wintergreen Studios as Program Director in the Fall of 2023, Luke led outdoor education programming at the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto for nearly a decade. He now lives on an old farmstead in the Frontenac Arch with his family. On the farmstead, he has developed many skills, including carpentry skills. He looks forward to working along with the workshop participants as we all learn from one another.
COST & REGISTRATION
This workshop is limited to 12 participants. Payment in full is required upon registration.
OPTION 1 Build a Bench Workshop ONLY
$145 + HST includes instruction and use of tools, materials for a bench to take home, and a gourmet lunch.
If registering for more than one person, please enter the number of tickets as the “Quantity” and you will be charged accordingly.
HST is included in the checkout price.
OPTION 2 Build a Bench Workshop + overnight
$325 + HST includes instruction and use of tools, materials for a bench to take home, gourmet lunch and dinner, choice of overnight accommodation, and breakfast the next morning.
If registering for more than one person, please enter the number of tickets as the “Quantity” and you will be charged accordingly.
HST is included in the checkout price.