Basket Weaving with Invasives

Learn to make a simple basket with invasive plant species in this workshop for beginner weavers. Invasive plant species disrupt native ecosystems and contribute to habitat loss for many of our unique native species. Finding uses for these plants is a advantageous for both creativity and biodiversity! In this workshop, we will work with English Ivy (Hedera helix) which is an accessible and forgiving material abundantly available in our bioregion. Participants will learn to create a melon or egg-shaped basket. This simple form can be made in many sizes and shapes and is a great foundational technique.

Rhia Ironside - I happily and gratefully live and work on the territory of the Lekwungen Speaking Nations. I work in restoration and invasive species removal and am always looking for uses for the plants I remove. Like them, I am a newcomer to these lands and I have a responsibility to repair the harms of colonization in what small ways I can. I've been weaving baskets and hats for a few years now I love to share this passion with others and hold space for creativity!

How to Register for this Event

This workshop is happening in person only. Please dress appropriately for all types of weather, the workshop may be outside or in our heated strawbale building.

Only current members in good standing are eligible to use the free ticket option as a part of their member benefits package.

There are a limited number of Pay What You Can tickets available for folks who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), and people who are facing significant financial barriers to their involvement in our programming. The Compost Education Centre is continually in the process of examining the ways in which our program accessibility can be improved for all members of our community. This ticket gesture is by no means a fulsome examination of the systems of oppression that exist for people inside and outside of our community. We welcome your ideas and feedback.

You must pre-register for this event. You can purchase a ticket through Eventbrite. You can also register for the event by calling our office at 250 386 9676 or via email by contacting [email protected]

Customers can request a refund within 30 days of ticket purchase. After 30 days refunds and workshop exchanges are not permitted due to administrative staffing capacity.

VERY IMPORTANT: Please be in touch if you are no longer able to attend but hold a ticket so we can make your space available to someone else.

Accessibility

The Compost Education Centre site has flat paths made of woodchips. The strawbale learning classroom is accessed via a wooden ramp and has a wide double door and a ramp leading up to it. Once inside everything is flat.

There is a single-stall gender neutral washroom on site. The washroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is a steep ramp from the wood chip pathway onto the washroom boardwalk, and a 2-inch step up from the washroom boardwalk into the washroom.

About the organization

The Compost Education Centre is located on unceded and occupied Indigenous territories, the land of the Lekwungen people— specifically the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. These nations are two of many, made up of individuals who have lived within the porous boundaries of what is considered Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwakwa'wakw Territory (Vancouver Island) since time immemorial. At the CEC we seek to respect, honour and continually grow our own understandings of Indigenous rights and history, and to fulfill our responsibilities as settlers, who live and work directly with the land and its complex, vital ecologies and our diverse, evolving communities.

Compost Education Centre memberships get you free workshops, discounts at garden centres around town and more great perks! Sign up or learn more on our website.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Compost Education Centre, 1216 N Park St, Victoria, Canada