Workshops

Workshops for 2024 SCNPS Symposium

Nancy Basket

Workshop: Basket Making Workshop
Date & Time: Friday, October 18, 9:30 AM
Total Attendees: 20

Experience sewing Broomsedge into a coiled basket using raffia as the binder. A small center will already be started for you in this exciting workshop. You’ll be looking for material to finish your basket on roadsides everywhere. Harvesting techniques will be discussed, Cherokee stories will be told, and you’ll be hooked on weeds.

About Nancy Basket:

Nancy Basket is a master basket weaver, storyteller, and educator with over four decades of experience in traditional and contemporary basketry. She began her journey in 1981, learning pine needle basketry and expanding her skills by forming basketry guilds and experimenting with various natural materials. Relocating to South Carolina in 1989, Nancy became a juried artist with the SC Arts Commission, where she adapted her craft to incorporate locally available resources like kudzu. Her work has been featured in museums, films, and educational programs, and she continues to share her expertise through workshops, museums, and cultural events across the Southeast.

Ryan Merck

Workshop: Ethical Seed Saving: The Importance of Collecting Seeds Responsibly
Date & Time: Saturday, October 19, 10:00 AM
Total Attendees: 15

Ryan Merck from Blue Oak Horticulture will lead a workshop on ethical seed saving and the importance of collecting your seeds responsibly. Learn from an experienced horticulturist the best practices to ensure your seed-saving efforts support local biodiversity.

About Ryan Merck:

Ryan Merck is the owner of Blue Oak Horticulture, LLC, in Taylors, SC, serving the Blue Ridge community of northern Greenville County. With over 20 years of experience in horticulture, Ryan’s passion was sparked by early memories of his grandmother’s vegetable garden and his grandfather’s azalea collection. Blue Oak Horticulture offers a wide range of services, including vegetable transplants, native perennials, custom propagation, and horticultural consulting. A Clemson University graduate with a BS in Horticulture, Ryan is dedicated to pesticide-free practices that support local wildlife and biodiversity.