'Rooted in Willow' - A Practical Living Heritage Skills Project
'Rooted in Willow' - A Practical Living Heritage Skills Project
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Growing Wild and Erin's Green are delighted to run a 2 day 'Rooted in Willow' course, part funded with kind support through the Kildare County Council Community Heritage Grant Scheme.
This 2 day course will be an immersion in Willow, our beautiful native tree, which has so many qualities and uses.
Over the duration of the two days you will learn all about the willow tree species, its history, uses and heritage, how to set up a willow coppice, how to create your own living willow fence for use in your own garden, community space or school, you will learn how to create a garden obelisk for growing your peas and beans up and creating a live border or hurdle. This course is for both beginners and those with some experience too.
Living Heritage Willow Project - ‘Rooted in Willow’
This will be a 2 day programme, in Heritage Week 2026 and concluding in September 2026. We would love if people were up for the full 2 day immersion, but there wil also be 1 day options!
Here is what we have on offer:
Training Day 1:
Dates: Sunday 16th August – National Heritage Week 2026
Time: (Full day workshop): 10.30-4.00pm
Session content: Willow Coppice Installation and Management & Living Willow Fence.
Breakdown:
- Willow Coppice Installation & Management – Site preparation, planting native willow cuttings, and teaching sustainable coppice techniques for renewable material production.
- Living Willow Fence – Planting and weaving living stakes to create a functional fence that enhances biodiversity and soil stability.
Training Day 2:
Date: Sunday 13th September 2026
Time: (Full day workshop): 10.30-4.00pm
Session content: Garden Obelisk Construction and Willow Hurdles & Live (In Situ) Edging.
Breakdown:
- Garden Obelisk Construction – Hands-on training in traditional structural weaving for heritage garden features.
- Willow Hurdles & Live Edging – Crafting practical and decorative garden hurdles and edging while demonstrating use of renewable, locally sourced materials.
Price:
1 day: €50
2 days: €80
This price is being kept low due to the support from the Kildare County Council Community Heritage Grant Scheme.
Price includes light lunch provided. All group tuition. Handouts provided.
Please come prepared to be outside for the day, bring wet gear, work boots and work gloves.
More information about the course:
“Rooted in Willow” is a two-part, hands-on workshop series in County Kildare that integrates biodiversity enhancement, renewable resource education, and the safeguarding of traditional willow-working skills.
The project enhances natural heritage by establishing native willow (Salix spp.) coppice and a living fence, creating habitats for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and invertebrates - improving local ecological resilience. It safeguards cultural heritage by teaching traditional willow-working skills, including weaving and coppice management, ensuring these practices are passed on to the local community.
Participants will engage directly in heritage conservation and sustainable land management, learning traditional weaving techniques, coppice maintenance, and the use of locally grown, renewable materials as alternatives to imported timber and plastics.
Using this integrated and practical approach, the programme strengthens heritage management, raises community awareness of both natural and cultural heritage, and leaves a permanent demonstration site that empowers the community with climate-responsive skills and generates measurable ecological, cultural, and educational benefits for County Kildare.
