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Archived Arts & Entertainment

Storyteller/naturalist to lead basket-weaving workshop, lecture

The Highlands Biological Foundation will host a basket-weaving workshop and nature lecture on June 14.

Doug Elliott, a local storyteller and naturalist, will lead the Poplar Bark Basket Workshop from 1 to 4 p.m.

Bark baskets have long been a part of traditional Appalachian culture. Attendees are asked to a sharp knife, a pruning saw, a rotary leather punch and pruning shears if they have them. The workshop is open to all ages, but there will be some knife use so an adult should accompany children. Please register in advance; the $35 registration fee includes all materials.  

Then, at 7 p.m., Elliott will give a lecture on “Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom: Stories, Songs, and Lore Celebrating the Natural World” at the amphitheatre behind the Highlands Nature Center.

Elliott has performed in front of crowds from Canada to the Caribbean and has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee. He was named harmonica champion at Fiddler’s Grove Festival in Union Grove. He has authored five books, produced award-winning recordings of stories and songs, and is occasionally seen on PBS-TV and the History Channel.

The Highlands Biological Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization.

www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.