In this hands-on workshop, we’ll discuss how to find pine needles suitable for baskets, learn about modern basketry techniques with thread for weaving pine needle baskets, and discuss the anthropology of basket weaving. We’ll also cover the different plants that can be used for making baskets and practice techniques to start a basket. Students will receive directions to complete their project at home.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Shane Alden Edwards, forager and botanist, The Wild Dryad
Age: 16 and older
Course number: A295
Instructor
Shane A. Edwards, forager and botanist, The Wild Dryad
Shane Aldan Edwards is a self-taught illustrator, botanist, and educator who has recently collaborated with the Conservation Foundation, the Chicago Mycology Club, and other Chicago environmental organizations as an instructor teaching about edible wild plants. He began exploring his interest in the outdoors in 2019, and since then has garnered a following through his passion for botany. He teaches online and in person about plants, taxonomy, and the way communities use them.
What to Know
This program meets indoors and outdoors. Check the forecast and dress for the weather.
Wear sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, and bring a water bottle and materials for taking notes outdoors.
Program Schedule
Saturday, November 15, 2025, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Thornhill Education Center (parking lot P-21), West Side
