Course Programme 2023
Gift vouchers available.
To book a course online please click here.
January
30 Jan – 17 March Permaculture: Design for Sustainable and Healthy Living.
Bookings close on 17th January
In-Person course – 10 Mondays 7-10 pm with Thomas Riedmuller in collaboration with University College Cork. Cost: € 310
More details and bookings: https://ace.open.ucc.ie/courses/ace2336-permaculture-design-for-sustainable-and-healthy-living
28 (Sat) – Mucky Boots Outdoor Fun
February
4 (Sat) – Make your own Herbal Medicine – from the contents of your kitchen press
Household remedies for common ailments.
Cost: € 70, Lunch included
In this winter course we will focus on preparations made from herbs, spices and foods that are commonly found in a household .
We will explore how they can help us to get through winter colds, digestive upsets, cystitis, aches and pains, minor injuries and more.
We will also head out for a foraging walk to see what medicinal plants are available even in winter.
From cold- bannishing teas to flu-fighting soup, spice-infused oils and ointments for chilblains, sore muscles and joints, honey preparations for sore throats and other infections, remedies for indigestion and more.
Herbs have been used for promoting health since the dawn of humanity. Our modern society seems to have lost much of the knowledge about those remedies and is pushing us to hand over the responsibility for our health to the professionals. This course could be a beginning for you in taking care of your and your family’s’ health – while still getting professional help for more serious issues.
5 (Sun) – Walking to your Centre – Imbolc
A series of events at The Hollies Centre for Sustainability to help you tune into the healing power of nature by walking our extensive labyrinth – a meditation.
5th Sunday. 5-7.30 pm Imbolc
These days carry a particular energy in the natural rhythm of the year and offer specific opportunities for feeling connected.
Cost: voluntary donation
More opportunities for walking our labyrinth will be offered for special events that can be booked by e-mailing us
info (at) thehollies.ie
or by phone 023 8847001
Pony Tribe. For dates click here
Horse assisted activities for children. Come, play and interact with horses to learn about yourself and others in a fun way. Time: 4 Saturday Mornings, 10 am-12 pmDates: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th of February Children, aged 9 -13 yearsGroups of 4 children max.Cost: 100 euro per child All 4 days must be booked together.Cost €100Booking and more info directly with Selvi, selvinina@gmail.com
Facilitator: Selvi Iyilikci (Qualified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator)
12 (Sun) – Family Constellations
Please book directly with Kathy Kennedy
19 (Sun) – Family Communication
10 – 4 pm
Venue: The Hollies Centre
Tutor: Thomas Riedmuller
This full day course offers you practical exercises and time for
reflection to help you learn new ways of communicating, de-escalating conflicts and creating more harmonious relationships.
It will include skills such as Non-Violent Communication (Rosenberg) and family conference (Gordon). It is helpful for negotiating boundaries, organising home life, and increasing lightness and fun in spite of problems. You can attend on your own or bring your partner and/or teenagers along.
Thomas Riedmuller facilitates learning from the experiences of other course participants as well as from himself.
Exclusive workshops for your family alone can be arranged outside of these dates.
Cost: € 70 pp (lunch, tea/coffee included) discounts available if you bring your family
To book a place click here
25 (Sat) – Mucky Boots Outdoor Fun
Please book directly through humanatureireland@gmail.com
Email: niamh@humanature.ie
Toggle Title
Toggle Content
March
Pony tribe. For dates click here
Horse assisted activities for children. Come, play and interact with horses to learn about yourself and others in a fun way. Time: 4 Saturday Mornings, 10 am-12 pmDates: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th of March Children, aged 9 -13 yearsGroups of 4 children max.Cost: 100 euro per child All 4 days must be booked together.Cost €100Booking and more info directly with Selvi, selvinina@gmail.com
Facilitator: Selvi Iyilikci (Qualified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator)
18 (Sat) – Make your own Herbal Medicine – spring clean
Cost: € 70, Lunch included
Going for a walk through the weeds we will identify and gather common, easy to find plants that are beneficial to our health and safe to use. We will then use what we’ve found for our medicine making.
In this spring course we focus on herbs and preparations that will help us to get going and renew our energy after the winter. We will make spring tonics and food medicines as well as preparing other medicines like teas, compresses, poultices and ointments.
This will enable you to start filling your kitchen and home medicine cabinet with home made natural products to promote general health as well as remedies for coughs, colds, digestive problems, skin disorders, fatigue and first aid.
The workshops later in the year will focus on some different preparations.
Herbs have been used for promoting health since the dawn of humanity. Our modern society seems to have lost much of the knowledge about those remedies and is pushing us to hand over the responsibility for our health to the professionals. This course could be a beginning for you in taking care of your and your family’s’ health – while still getting professional help for more serious issues.
19 (Sun) – Family Communication
10 – 4 pm
Venue: The Hollies Centre
Tutor: Thomas Riedmuller
This full day course offers you practical exercises and time for reflection to help you learn new ways of communicating, de-escalating conflicts and creating more harmonious relationships.
It will include skills such as Non-Violent Communication (Rosenberg) and family conference (Gordon). It is helpful for negotiating boundaries, organising home life, and increasing lightness and fun in spite of problems. You can attend on your own or bring your partner and/or teenagers along.
Thomas Riedmuller facilitates learning from the experiences of other course participants as well as from himself.
Exclusive workshops for your family alone can be arranged outside of these dates.
Cost: € 70 pp (lunch, tea/coffee included) discounts available if you bring your family
25 (Sat)- Mucky Boots Outdoor Fun
Please book directly through www. humanature.ie
Email: niamh@humanature.ie
26 (Sun) – Start a Vegetable Garden from Scratch – FULLY BOOKED
Hands-on ‘ know-how- to’ workshop to get started growing your own veg.
Dates: Sunday, 26. March
Time: 10 – 16.30 Cost: 70 euro, lunch included Facilitators: Selvi Iyilikci & John Conway
This practical workshop will get you started on transforming some of your garden into a productive vegetable growing space. We start with exploring different methods of making beds, using mulching techniques or lazy beds with an emphasis on no-dig.
Permaculture perspectives and techniques will be demonstrated and discussed throughout the day with an emphasis on creating a wildlife friendly space. Skills such as growing plants from start to finish such as seed sowing in trays, transplanting, maintaining and harvesting a variety of easy to grow vegetables will be demonstrated. Other topics include garden design, soil fertility, planting times and pest & disease control.
April
Pony tribe ( for dates click here)
Horse assisted activities for children. Come, play and interact with horses to learn about yourself and others in a fun way. Time: 4 Saturday Mornings, 10 am-12 pmDates: 1st, 15th, 22th, 29th of April Children, aged 9 -13 yearsGroups of 4 children max.Cost: 100 euro per child All 4 days must be booked together.Cost €100Booking and more info directly with Selvi, selvinina@gmail.com
Facilitator: Selvi Iyilikci (Qualified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator)
2 (Sun) – Regenerative Organic Gardening complete
Day 1: Living Soil
4 Sunday mornings, once a month
- Living Soil 2. April
- Seed Sowing and Plant Propagation 7. May
- Plant Care & Garden Maintenance 4. June
- Plant Care, Wildlife and Biodiversity 2. July
Each course can be booked individually, however we recommend all four as part of gaining a deeper understanding of sustainable/regenerative gardening.
This series of workshops will offer you new perspectives on growing plants holistically. The focus of the workshops will be on top soil regeneration, increasing biodiversity and creating a resilient garden space and ecosystem.
Time: 10 – 2 Cost: 170 euro for all 4 workshops or 50 euro for individual workshops. Refreshments provided Facilitators: Selvi Iyilikci & John Conway Day 1: Living Soil – Creating ,supporting and enhancing soil health and ecology. Exploring the soil food web, and learning about the magic of soil bacteria, mycorrhiza and their regenerative functions for the soil. This includes many practical examples of how we can feed and support the living soil long term.Day 2 : Seed Sowing and Plant Propagation – Following on from soil care is plant propagation. We will look into different methods of starting vegetables, flowers and herbs from seeds, cuttings and other methods, including the use of composts and growing media as well as protected cropping. We will explore suitable and low maintenance plant groups, with a focus on creating habitat for a range of species.Day 3: Plant Care and Garden Maintenance – In this workshop, we learn about plants in the context of where they grow, how they grow and how best to support and maintain them. We investigate methods of succession planting, weed control, tool use and planting techniques and crop rotation.Day 4: Plant Care, Wildlife & Biodiversity – The aim of this final day is to ensure and to develop beneficial relationships such as providing habitat and sustenance for species such as insects and birds. We will make safe insecticide out of natural ingredients, and we will explore species of flowers, shrubs and trees that are particularly beneficial to essential pollinators such as bees and butterflies. This final day will include a tour around The Hollies looking at examples of regenerative land management.
15 (Sat) – Family Communication
10 – 4 pm
Venue: The Hollies Centre
Tutor: Thomas Riedmuller
This full day course offers you practical exercises and time for reflection to help you learn new ways of communicating, de-escalating conflicts and creating more harmonious relationships.
It will include skills such as Non-Violent Communication (Rosenberg) and family conference (Gordon). It is helpful for negotiating boundaries, organising home life, and increasing lightness and fun in spite of problems. You can attend on your own or bring your partner and/or teenagers along.
Thomas Riedmuller facilitates learning from the experiences of other course participants as well as from himself.
Exclusive workshops for your family alone can be arranged outside of these dates.
Cost: € 70 pp (lunch, tea/coffee included) discounts available if you bring your family
10.00 am- 4.30 pm
Cost: €70, includes a wild food lunch.
Food foraging is a way to re-awaken your senses, to re-connect with nature in a powerful way, giving us a deep appreciation of the land and our place in the natural cycles and rhythms of life.
From seaweeds and coastal plants to fields, hedgerow and gardens -you’ll be learning to recognise the right plants and experiencing tasty ways to prepare and eat them.
We will be picking prime ingredients full of interesting flavours, packed with natural goodness.
We’ll also show you how to use specific plant identification books in order to deepen your learning and point out which plants are poisonous. You’ll also learn about some medicinal uses.
This course is mainly outdoors. If the weather forecast is particularly wet for the day we’ll postpone it and arrange an alternative day. To collect seaweed we’ll be walking between rocks at low tide.
Booking is essential, as we need to give you directions.
This course will inspire you to continue your path of food foraging.
To book a place click here
22 (Sat) – Mucky Boots Ourdoor Fun
Please book directly through humanatureireland@gmail.com
Email: niamh@humanature.ie
23 (Sun) – Starting a Vegetable Garden from Scratch – fully booked!
Dates: Sunday, 23. April Time: 10 – 16.30 Cost: 70 euro, lunch included Facilitators: Selvi Iyilikci & John Conway
This practical workshop will get you started on transforming some of your garden into a productive vegetable growing space. We start with exploring different methods of making beds, using mulching techniques or lazy beds with an emphasis on no-dig.
Permaculture perspectives and techniques will be demonstrated and discussed throughout the day with an emphasis on creating a wildlife friendly space. Skills such as growing plants from start to finish such as seed sowing in trays, transplanting, maintaining and harvesting a variety of easy to grow vegetables will be demonstrated. Other topics include garden design, soil fertility, planting times and pest & disease control.
To book a place click here
29 ( Sat) – Intro to Cob Building – fully booked
Cost: €70 (Lunch included) 
This course is a hands-on introduction to cob-building. If you’ve heard about cob and want to find out whether cob is something you’d like to build your house (or other structures) with, this course will give you a clear idea of what’s involved, an enjoyable first experience and loads of valuable information.
You will learn about the specific properties of cob, how to find suitable materials, mix cob and build walls and sculptural details with the material you’ve produced. You will also be able to see and experience the wide range of cob structures here at the Hollies.
To book a place click here
10.00
May
Pony Tribe – click here for dates
Horse assisted activities for children. Come, play and interact with horses to learn about yourself and others in a fun way. Time: 4 Saturday Mornings, 10 am-12 pmDates: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th of MayGroups of 4 children max.Cost: 100 euro per child All 4 days must be booked together.Cost €100Booking and more info directly with Selvi, selvinina@gmail.com
Facilitator: Selvi Iyilikci (Qualified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator)
6 (Sat) – Walking to your Centre – Bealtaine
- A series of events at The Hollies Centre for Sustainability to help you tune into the healing power of nature.
6th May (Saturday) 7:30-10 pm Bealtaine
These days carry a particular energy in the natural rhythm of the year and offer specific opportunities for feeling connected.
Cost: voluntary donation
More opportunities for walking our labyrinth will be offered for special events that can be booked by e-mailing us
info (at) thehollies.ie
or by phone 023 8847001
7 (Sun) – Regenerative Organic Gardening Complete
Day 2: Seed Sowing and Propagation
4 Sunday mornings, once a month
- Living Soil 2. April
- Seed Sowing and Plant Propagation 7. May
- Plant Care & Garden Maintenance 4. June
- Plant Care, Wildlife and Biodiversity 2. July
Each course can be booked individually, however we recommend all four as part of gaining a deeper understanding of sustainable/regenerative gardening.
This series of workshops will offer you new perspectives on growing plants holistically. The focus of the workshops will be on top soil regeneration, increasing biodiversity and creating a resilient garden space and ecosystem.
Time: 10 – 2 Cost: 170 euro for all 4 workshops or 50 euro for individual workshops. Refreshments provided Facilitators: Selvi Iyilikci & John Conway Day 1: Living Soil – Creating ,supporting and enhancing soil health and ecology. Exploring the soil food web, and learning about the magic of soil bacteria, mycorrhiza and their regenerative functions for the soil. This includes many practical examples of how we can feed and support the living soil long term.Day 2 : Seed Sowing and Plant Propagation – Following on from soil care is plant propagation. We will look into different methods of starting vegetables, flowers and herbs from seeds, cuttings and other methods, including the use of composts and growing media as well as protected cropping. We will explore suitable and low maintenance plant groups, with a focus on creating habitat for a range of species.Day 3: Plant Care and Garden Maintenance – In this workshop, we learn about plants in the context of where they grow, how they grow and how best to support and maintain them. We investigate methods of succession planting, weed control, tool use and planting techniques and crop rotation.Day 4: Plant Care, Wildlife & Biodiversity – The aim of this final day is to ensure and to develop beneficial relationships such as providing habitat and sustenance for species such as insects and birds. We will make safe insecticide out of natural ingredients, and we will explore species of flowers, shrubs and trees that are particularly beneficial to essential pollinators such as bees and butterflies. This final day will include a tour around The Hollies looking at examples of regenerative land management.
A 2 day course
Sat/Sun 13th and 14th May ;
Time: 10am- 5pm
Cost: € 130
For great outdoor fun and the real Italian taste these wood fired Bread and Pizza Ovens built with Cob are hard to beat. Learn how to build your own in just 2 days from firebricks, clay, sand, earth and straw. After this course you’ll be equipped with enough skill to go home and build your own in the garden and cook in it.
These ovens weigh several tons and can usually not be moved. It is, however, possible to build similar ovens on car trailers and make them movable. Generally, an oven like this needs a stone plinth (to keep the clay off the splash water) and a roof. During the 2-day workshop we’ll concentrate on the oven itself. The plinth is built before the workshop. The roof can be built before or after it.
To book a place click here
10.00 am- 4.30 pm
Cost: €70, includes a wild food lunch.
Food foraging is a powerful way to re-awaken your senses, to re-connect with nature in a powerful way, giving us a deep appreciation of the land and our place in the natural cycles and rhythms of life.
From seaweeds and coastal plants to fields, hedgerow and gardens -you’ll be learning to recognise the right plants and experiencing tasty ways to prepare and eat them.
We will be picking prime ingredients full of interesting flavours, packed with natural goodness.
We’ll also show you how to use specific plant identification books in order to deepen your learning and point out which plants are poisonous. You’ll also learn about some medicinal uses.
This course is mainly outdoors. If the weather forecast is particularly wet for the day we’ll postpone it and arrange an alternative day. To collect seaweed we’ll be walking between rocks at low tide.
Booking is essential, as we need to give you directions.
This course will inspire you to continue your path of food foraging.
To book a place click here
Testimonial:
Had a really lovely day today on a wild food foraging course at @The Hollies! Started with foraging for seaweed at low tide at Simon’s Cove stopping off at Ring, Gaggin and Enniskeane foraging for wild garlic, ground elder, three corner leek, sorrel and other wild delights before heading back to The Hollies centre for lunch prepared with these and other lovely things foraged – soups, quiches, fritters and salads and then heading out for a final walk through the lands of The Hollies digging for Pig Nuts and generally eating our way around the woods and gardens! Learned loads – there really is a world of free food out there! Thanks for a great day!
Kate Ryan, Clonakilty
21 (Sun) – Get to know your Garden
– a morning spent learning about the Ins and Outs of organic gardening
Time: 10am-2pm
Cost: €50, refreshments provided
Facilitators: Selvi Iyilikci & John Conway
An exploration of food and biodiversity plants, design ideas and how-to-get-started information. We will immerse ourselves into the different garden spaces at The Hollies, picking up practical skills whilst familiarising ourselves with a range of organic gardening techniques.
27 (Sat) – Mucky Boots outdoor Fun
Please book directly through www. humanature.ie
Email: niamh@humanature.ie
28 (Sun) – The Hollies Horse Sense
Introduction to Equine Assisted Learning -for all who are curious.
Time: 10- 4 pm
Cost: 70 euro, lunch included
Facilitator: Selvi Iyilikci (Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator)
Have you heard of Equine Assisted Learning?
It is a recognised and innovative approach that promotes the development of life skills for educational, professional and personal goals through equine-assisted activities. Through interactions with the horses, participants learn a heightened self-awareness. It is a process where people work with horses to develop their emotional growth, personal awareness, relationships, and trust, e.g. boundary setting, team work, communication and problem solving.
This is an introduction/taster workshop in which participants will experience first hand the positive effects of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL). We will cover areas such as:
• Some of the principles and theoretical foundations of EAL as an evidence based practice
• Who can benefit and how?
• The horse as co facilitator: Horse behavior, horse handling and horse use ethics
• What activities can we engage in?
• The importance of observation and feedback
This method does NOT involve horse riding and does not require any experience in horsemanship.
June
10.00 am- 4.30 pm
Cost: €70, includes a wild food lunch.
Food foraging is a powerful way to re-awaken your senses, to re-connect with nature in a powerful way, giving us a deep appreciation of the land and our place in the natural cycles and rhythms of life.
From seaweeds and coastal plants to fields,hedgerow and gardens -you’ll be learning to recognise the right plants and experiencing tasty ways to prepare and eat them.
We will be picking prime ingredients full of interesting flavours, packed with natural goodness.
We’ll also show you how to use specific plant identification books in order to deepen your learning and point out which plants are poisonous. You’ll also learn about some medicinal uses.
This course is mainly outdoors. If the weather forecast is particularly wet for the day we’ll postpone it and arrange an alternative day. To collect seaweed we’ll be walking between rocks at low tide.
Booking is essential, as we need to give you directions.
This course will inspire you to continue your path of food foraging.
To book a place click here
Testimonial:
Had a really lovely day today on a wild food foraging course at @The Hollies! Started with foraging for seaweed at low tide at Simon’s Cove stopping off at Ring, Gaggin and Enniskeane foraging for wild garlic, ground elder, three corner leek, sorrel and other wild delights before heading back to The Hollies centre for lunch prepared with these and other lovely things foraged – soups, quiches, fritters and salads and then heading out for a final walk through the lands of The Hollies digging for Pig Nuts and generally eating our way around the woods and gardens! Learned loads – there really is a world of free food out there! Thanks for a great day!
Kate Ryan, Clonakilty
4 (Sun) – Regenerative Organic Gardening Complete
Day 4: Plant Care & Garden Maintenance
4 Sunday mornings, once a month
- Living Soil 2. April
- Seed Sowing and Plant Propagation 7. May
- Plant Care & Garden Maintenance 4. June
- Plant Care, Wildlife and Biodiversity 2. July
Each course can be booked individually, however we recommend all four as part of gaining a deeper understanding of sustainable/regenerative gardening.
This series of workshops will offer you new perspectives on growing plants holistically. The focus of the workshops will be on top soil regeneration, increasing biodiversity and creating a resilient garden space and ecosystem.
Time: 10 – 2 Cost: 170 euro for all 4 workshops or 50 euro for individual workshops. Refreshments provided Facilitators: Selvi Iyilikci & John Conway Day 1: Living Soil – Creating ,supporting and enhancing soil health and ecology. Exploring the soil food web, and learning about the magic of soil bacteria, mycorrhiza and their regenerative functions for the soil. This includes many practical examples of how we can feed and support the living soil long term.Day 2 : Seed Sowing and Plant Propagation – Following on from soil care is plant propagation. We will look into different methods of starting vegetables, flowers and herbs from seeds, cuttings and other methods, including the use of composts and growing media as well as protected cropping. We will explore suitable and low maintenance plant groups, with a focus on creating habitat for a range of species.Day 3: Plant Care and Garden Maintenance – In this workshop, we learn about plants in the context of where they grow, how they grow and how best to support and maintain them. We investigate methods of succession planting, weed control, tool use and planting techniques and crop rotation.Day 4: Plant Care, Wildlife & Biodiversity – The aim of this final day is to ensure and to develop beneficial relationships such as providing habitat and sustenance for species such as insects and birds. We will make safe insecticide out of natural ingredients, and we will explore species of flowers, shrubs and trees that are particularly beneficial to essential pollinators such as bees and butterflies. This final day will include a tour around The Hollies looking at examples of regenerative land management.
(Sat) – Mucky Boots Outdoor Fun
Please book directly through www. humanature.ie
Email: niamh@humanature.ie
18 (Sun) – The Hollies Horse Sense
Connecting with Nature, Yourself and Others
Time: 10 – 4pm
Cost: 70 euro, lunch included
Facilitator: Selvi Iyilikci ( Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator)
During this workshop, participants have the opportunity to experience the deepening of their relationship with their natural environment with the help of our equine team. Exploring our sensory connections to nature, we will explore the deeper meanings of summer coming to an end, by reflection on maturity, growth, abundance and idleness.
Horses can help us greatly to slow down, clear our minds, be in the moment and ground ourselves. By working together in a group setting or alone with their equine partners, participants will gain personal insights while receiving feedback from the horses in a non verbal, authentic and non judgemental manner. This process creates a safe setting for touching base with yourself, your feelings and needs.. The human horse connection has the potential to release empowering, healing and inspirational energies. We will also explore aspects of creative expression and we will be using grounding methods such as body scans and basic breathing techniques.
Have you heard of Equine Assisted Learning?
It is a recognised and innovative approach that promotes the development of life skills for educational, professional and personal goals through equine-assisted activities. It is a process where people work with horses to develop their emotional growth, personal awareness, relationships, and trust, e.g. boundary setting, team work, communication and problem solving.
This method does NOT involve horse riding and does not require any experience in horsemanship.
24 (Sat) – Make your own Herbal Medicine – Summer Flowers
Cost: € 70, Lunch included
Going for a walk through the weeds we will identify and gather common, easy to find plants that are beneficial to our health and safe to use. We will then use what we’ve found for our medicine making.
In this summer course we will focus on herbs and preparations using the abundance of summer flowers and some other plants. We will make creams and tinctures as well as teas, compresses, poultices and ointments.
This will enable you to start filling your home medicine cabinet with home made natural products for coughs, colds, digestive problems, skin disorders, fatigue, first aid or simply promoting general health.
The workshops later in the year will focus on some different preparations.
Herbs have been used for promoting health since the dawn of humanity. Our modern society seems to have lost much of the knowledge about those remedies and is pushing us to hand over the responsibility for our health to the professionals. This course could be a beginning for you in taking care of your and your family’s’ health – while still getting professional help for more serious issues.
July
2 (Sun) – Regenerative Organic Gardening Complete
Day 4: Plant care, Wildlife & Biodiversity
Sunday mornings, once a month
- Living Soil 2. April
- Seed Sowing and Plant Propagation 7. May
- Plant Care & Garden Maintenance 4. June
- Plant Care, Wildlife and Biodiversity 2. July
Each course can be booked individually, however we recommend all four as part of gaining a deeper understanding of sustainable/regenerative gardening.
This series of workshops will offer you new perspectives on growing plants holistically. The focus of the workshops will be on top soil regeneration, increasing biodiversity and creating a resilient garden space and ecosystem.
Time: 10 – 2 Cost: 170 euro for all 4 workshops or 50 euro for individual workshops. Refreshments provided Facilitators: Selvi Iyilikci & John Conway Day 1: Living Soil – Creating ,supporting and enhancing soil health and ecology. Exploring the soil food web, and learning about the magic of soil bacteria, mycorrhiza and their regenerative functions for the soil. This includes many practical examples of how we can feed and support the living soil long term.Day 2 : Seed Sowing and Plant Propagation – Following on from soil care is plant propagation. We will look into different methods of starting vegetables, flowers and herbs from seeds, cuttings and other methods, including the use of composts and growing media as well as protected cropping. We will explore suitable and low maintenance plant groups, with a focus on creating habitat for a range of species.Day 3: Plant Care and Garden Maintenance – In this workshop, we learn about plants in the context of where they grow, how they grow and how best to support and maintain them. We investigate methods of succession planting, weed control, tool use and planting techniques and crop rotation.Day 4: Plant Care, Wildlife & Biodiversity – The aim of this final day is to ensure and to develop beneficial relationships such as providing habitat and sustenance for species such as insects and birds. We will make safe insecticide out of natural ingredients, and we will explore species of flowers, shrubs and trees that are particularly beneficial to essential pollinators such as bees and butterflies. This final day will include a tour around The Hollies looking at examples of regenerative land management.
8-14 – The Handsculpted House course – fully booked
Full week programme
Cost: € 750
At the end of the 7 days you will know all you need to be able to go off and build a cob cottage. This intensive course will be hands-on, and you will learn every aspect of the construction of a cob building. From locating and testing the right kinds of soils for cob, to different ways of mixing it, wall building techniques and all the sculptural details. Get practical experience with windows, doors, arches, niches and roofs. Lectures and practical exercises will cover siting, passive solar design, drainage, heating, plumbing and wiring, basic carpentry, natural roofing, and flooring.
Through the length and intensity of this course it tends to create a real sense of community between the participants and team, so if you are interested in building a house, and want a life-changing inspirational immersion into the world of natural building this really is a course not to be missed.
Concessions for group bookings are possible.
The Hollies team have built several family homes and other buildings with Cob and have been teaching Natural Building with The Cob Cottage Company for many years.
To book a place click here
more info on humanature.ie
9 ( Sun) – Get to know your Garden
– a morning spent learning about the Ins and Outs of organic gardening
Time: 10am-2pm
Cost: €50, refreshments provided
Facilitators: Selvi Iyilikci & John Conway
An exploration of food and biodiversity plants, design ideas and how-to-get-started information. We will immerse ourselves into the different garden spaces at The Hollies, picking up practical skills whilst familiarising ourselves with a range of organic gardening techniques.
August
5./6. – Build your own Baking Oven
A 2 day course
Time: 9:30am- 5pm
Cost: € 130
For great outdoor fun and the real Italian taste these wood fired Bread and Pizza Ovens built with Cob are hard to beat. Learn how to build your own in just 2 days from firebricks, clay, sand, earth and straw. After this course you’ll be equipped with enough skill to go home and build your own in the garden and cook in it.
These ovens weigh several tons and can usually not be moved. It is, however, possible to build similar ovens on car trailers and make them movable. Generally, an oven like this needs a stone plinth (to keep the clay off the splash water) and a roof. During the 2-day workshop we’ll concentrate on the oven itself. The plinth is built before the workshop. The roof can be built before or after it.
To book a place click here
September
(Sat) – Mucky Boots Ourdoor Fun
Please book directly through www. humanature.ie
Email: niamh@humanature.ie
17 (Sun) – Intro to Cob Building – Course Fully Booked!
Time: 10am – 5pm
Cost: €70 (Lunch included)
This course is a hands-on introduction to cob-building. If you’ve heard about cob and want to find out whether cob is something you’d like to build your house (or other structures) with, this course will give you a clear idea of what’s involved, an enjoyable first experience and loads of valuable information.
You will learn about the specific properties of cob, how to find suitable materials, mix cob and build walls and sculptural details with the material you’ve produced. You will also be able to see and experience the wide range of cob structures here at the Hollies.
To book a place click here
24 (Sun) – Make your own Herbal Medicine- Ready for Winter!
Cost: € 70, Lunch included
In this autumn course we will focus on herbs and preparations that will help to get us prepare for the winter by boosting our immune function and filling our store cupboard with preparations that will help us get through the winter colds. We will make fermented foods, oximels and syrups, as well as tinctures and teas.
Going for a walk through the weeds we will identify and gather common, easy to find plants that are beneficial to our health and safe to use. We will then use what we’ve found for our medicine making.
This will enable you to start filling your home medicine cabinet with home made natural products for coughs, colds, digestive problems, skin disorders, fatigue, first aid or simply promoting general health.
The workshops later in the year will focus on some different preparations.
Herbs have been used for promoting health since the dawn of humanity. Our modern society seems to have lost much of the knowledge about those remedies and is pushing us to hand over the responsibility for our health to the professionals. This course could be a beginning for you in taking care of your and your family’s’ health – while still getting professional help for more serious issues.
October
Please book directly through www. humanature.ie
Email: niamh@humanature.ie
14 (Sat) – Family Communication
10 – 4 pm
Cost: € 70 Venue: The Hollies Centre
Tutor: Thomas Riedmuller
Learn how to create and maintain harmony in your family and other close relationships. This course will include skills such as Non-Violent Communication and Non-Defensive Communication. It is helpful for negotiating boundaries, organising home life, and increasing lightness and fun in spite of perceived problems.
This full day course offers you practical exercises and time for reflection to help you learn new ways of communicating, de-escalating conflicts and creating more harmonious relationships.
Thomas will facilitate learning from the experiences of other course participants as well as from himself. There will be also be opportunities for deepening the learning through role play as a way of practising these skills in every day life.
15 (Sun) Human Horse Connection
November
4 (Sat) – Walking to your Centre – Samhain
A series of events at The Hollies Centre for Sustainability to help you tune into the healing power of nature.
These days carry a particular energy in the natural rhythm of the year and offer specific opportunities for feeling connected.
Cost: voluntary donation
More opportunities for walking our labyrinth will be offered for special events that can be booked by e-mailing us
info (at) thehollies.ie
or by phone 023 8847001
18 (Sat) – Make your own herbal medicine- from the contents of your kitchen press
Household remedies for common ailments.
Cost: € 70, Lunch included
In this winter course we will focus on preparations made from herbs, spices and foods that are commonly found in a household .
We will explore how they can help us to get through winter colds, digestive upsets, cystitis, aches and pains, minor injuries and more.
We will also head out for a foraging walk to see what medicinal plants are available even in winter.
From cold- bannishing teas to flu-fighting soup, spice-infused oils and ointments for chilblains, sore muscles and joints, honey preparations for sore throats and other infections, remedies for indigestion and more.
Herbs have been used for promoting health since the dawn of humanity. Our modern society seems to have lost much of the knowledge about those remedies and is pushing us to hand over the responsibility for our health to the professionals. This course could be a beginning for you in taking care of your and your family’s’ health – while still getting professional help for more serious issues.
26 (Sun) – Family Communication
10 – 4 pm
Venue: The Hollies Centre
Tutor: Thomas Riedmuller
This full day course offers you practical exercises and time for reflection to help you learn new ways of communicating, de-escalating conflicts and creating more harmonious relationships.
It will include skills such as Non-Violent Communication (Rosenberg) and family conference (Gordon). It is helpful for negotiating boundaries, organising home life, and increasing lightness and fun in spite of problems. You can attend on your own or bring your partner and/or teenagers along.
Thomas Riedmuller facilitates learning from the experiences of other course participants as well as from himself.
Exclusive workshops for your family alone can be arranged outside of these dates.
Interested teenagers can come along on the adult workshops. For families with younger children we recommend to plan this ahead of time for a fine tuned workshop design.
Cost: € 70 pp (lunch, tea/coffee included) discounts available if you bring your family
