Cashiers residents gathered at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library last week to take part in the “Wildcraft Wreath Workshop,” hosted by Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, which showcased a fun and sustainable way to embrace the holiday spirit.
The overall objective of the activity was for attendees and making Christmas wreaths by utilizing natural resources provided by the organization, which according to Hope Corbin, education outreach coordinator for Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, has existed throughout human history.
“Wild crafting is when you collect foliage and different materials from the wild to use in a craft. It’s a pretty ancient thing that we’ve been doing for a real long time, as in humanity,” she said.
Corbin said that the event utilized materials provided by HCLT’s 4,300 acres that’s preserved for perpetuity, which in turn were used to demonstrate to attendees that they can create their own holiday decorations from resources within their own backyards.
“I believe very strongly in connecting people with the land and I think that learning how to use materials from the land is extremely important and showing people that it’s really fun,” she said. “It’s in a fun and creative way to use their brains and to use their hands, but also being able to connect with the beautiful foliage in nature that we are using today.”
Speaking on renewable resources, AmeriCorps Service Member Jessica Blackburn said the event helps show people that sustainability doesn’t always have to be serious, and that fun can be found while trying to educate the public on important topics.
“We’re inviting people to come use this natural material from our properties, from our public access properties. So, we’re passing on knowledge for free. And I feel like that’s that is one of the big intentions of ours to teach people to be independent and use sustainable resources,” she said.
While developing a wreath can sometimes come with its fair share of challenges, Blackburn expressed hope that the big takeaway for those who attend the event is to embrace the imperfections within craft making.
“I also hope that they learn that it’s OK if things aren’t perfect whenever it starts out. You know how Bob Ross says, there’s only the happy mistakes. If you see something that doesn’t quote look right, you don’t have to erase it or get rid of it.”
The event was previously set to occur last year, before being cancelled due to weather conditions. However, this year, with the event now taking place indoors at the library’s community center, the flow of the activity went more smoothly.
Corbin said that with the positive reception that attendees have given, she hopes to bring back the activity in the future.
“I think we’ll do it again,” she said. “I think that people are becoming more increasingly excited about wild crafting. And I think that that is extremely important to connect, especially up here in this beautiful area that we that we get to live in.”