Invasive Bittersweet Basket Making Workshop

Bittersweet is an invasive vine that spreads quickly, strangling stems of other plants and collapsing trees with its weight. Frustrating to gardeners and arborists alike, bittersweet is considered a largely useless bane on wildland. We can use ancient harvesting techniques to tend invasive bittersweet in the wild, simultaneously gathering material for baskets while managing future harmful growth.

Learn from Zack Rouda of Rewild Maine how to weave your very own bittersweet basket! We'll employ several different weaving techniques in order to create a strong and beautiful basket that you can use for foraging, or in the kitchen and garden. We'll plan to make a basket about 8 inches wide and 6 inches deep. Basket size and shape may vary according to your desire and proficiency. This is a beginner class, but some hand strength and dexterity are required.

About the Presenter

Zack Rouda is the director and lead instructor at Rewild Maine, an educational nonprofit based in Portland. He is a teacher, writer, and basketmaker who has studied extensively at the Maine Local Living School and ROOTS School in Vermont.