 We invite you to take a class in the one room school house every Saturday during the months of June and July! These fun, one hour classes will focus on traditional arts, regional history and local nature.1:00pm Saturday June 7: "Spining 101" Evelyn Lahman of Mill Creek Studios will teach you how to spin fiber into thread using a traditional foot powered spinning wheel! 1:00pm Saturday June 14th: "Buy Local" Tom Peterson of Appalachian Sustainable Development will talk about building a strong local food system based on organic and sustainable farming so that people in this area can once again be independent from foreign food sources while at the same time helping to support our neighbors and keeping healthy.
Tom and Denise Peterson have been farming organically together for the
past 18 years. They now operate Blue Door Garden, a one-acre market
garden in southwest Virginia. 1:00pm Saturday June 21st: "Salt Making" Dylan House, Director of the Settlers Museum will be demonstrating traditional salt making techniques as well as explaining the vital role salt played during the Civil War and the effects the war had on the local region. 1:00pm Saturday June 28th:"Knot Art" Wood Turning with Thomas Ilowiecki. Mr Ilowiecki has been turning wood for over 25 years and enjoy turning small projects such as wooden jewelry. All of his wooden jewelry is made from salvaged wood found in SWVA. His jewelry won first place in category at the Woodcarvers Woodturning symposim in Gray, Tn in March 2007. 1:00pm Saturday July 5th: "Native American Timeline For Smyth County" Mary Alice Hardin will explain the early Native Americans and the role the played in this area. Mrs.Hardin is a former elementary school teacher who has become
a naturalist. She has studied under Tom Brown, Jr. at the Tracker School,
Jon Young at the Wilderness Awareness School, and Charles Worsham at the
Nature and Vision School.
At present time, she is an interpreter at Hungry Mother State Park, working with home
schooled children and with the after school program at Marion Primary
School. 1:00pm Saturday July 12th:"Fiddling Around" Randal Eller began crafting high quality hand made mandolins and fiddles in 1980. Mr. Eller continues to make fiddles and mandolins at his home-workshop in Chilhowie, Virginia. 1:00pm Saturday July 19th"Hiking The Trail" Larry Wilhite, retired 20 year U.S. Forest Service employee, will give guided hikes on the Appalachian Trail. Mr Wilhite will guide folks through the short hike and explain the local fauna and what early settlers would have used from the forest. 10:00am Saturday July 26:"For The Birds" Join Smyth County Native Mike Evans of the U.S. Forest Service on this 10:00am morning look at the regions bird population. Mr. Evans has been an avid bird watcher for thirty years and has a wealth of knowledge to share.
The unique habitat around the Settlers Museum supports numerous warbler species, as well as other woodland and edge species. |
