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in The Farms: An Allerton Folk School
Learn to Spin Yarn - May 20th
with Stephanie Block
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn the basic mechanics of using a spinning wheel to make your own yarn at Learn to Spin Yarn on Tuesday, May 20th from 5 to 8 p.m. in The Studio.
After a brief introduction from instructor Stephanie Block, students will have time for hands-on spinning practice and the opportunity to spin alpaca fiber into yarn using Ashford scotch tension Traditional or Traveler wheels. Discussion of fiber production and preparation methods will also be included.
$130/person. Register by May 16. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Stephanie Block is the co-owner of Sundrop Alpacas near Bement. She has been producing popular yarn from her own alpacas for more than eight years. Stephanie’s spinning style is self-taught, and she is continuously learning so that she can share that knowledge with others.
Rats, Bats, and Mice of Illinois
with Fran Harty
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn the difference between a shrew and a mole; a mole from a vole; a rat from a mouse; and a weasel from a mink — and more — at Rats, Bats, & Mice of Illinois on Saturday May 31 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. or 10:30 to 12 p.m. in The Studio. (Each class covers the same material.)
Instructor Frant Harty of the Land Conservation Foundation will bring a collection of study skins and skulls to help students learn how to identify wild mammals in Illinois by their appearance, skulls, furs and habitats. All students will receive a hand lens and a copy of a field guide to mammals.
$45/person. Register by May 19. All sales are final.
Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the instructor
Fran Harty has taught dendrology at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and similar classes for Allerton Park Corps of Discovery in 2009 and the Illinois Audubon Society in 2015. Fran currently works with the Land Conservation Foundation.
Rats, Bats, and Mice of Illinois
with Fran Harty
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn the difference between a shrew and a mole; a mole from a vole; a rat from a mouse; and a weasel from a mink — and more — at Rats, Bats, & Mice of Illinois on Saturday May 31 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. or 10:30 to 12 p.m. in The Studio. (Each class covers the same material.)
Instructor Frant Harty of the Land Conservation Foundation will bring a collection of study skins and skulls to help students learn how to identify wild mammals in Illinois by their appearance, skulls, furs and habitats. All students will receive a hand lens and a copy of a field guide to mammals.
$45/person. Register by May 19. All sales are final.
Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the instructor
Fran Harty has taught dendrology at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and similar classes for Allerton Park Corps of Discovery in 2009 and the Illinois Audubon Society in 2015. Fran currently works with the Land Conservation Foundation.
Wet Felt Rose
with Stephanie Block
Experience Level: Beginner
Combine felting and appreciation for the celebrated Peony Garden at Wet Felted Peony from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 4 in the Greenhouse Auditorium. With the help of instructor Stephanie Block, participants will use locally grown alpaca fiber to create a peony that will resemble those growing at the Park. Each peony can be finished as a single stem or as a peony broach. If time permits, students may craft additional peonies to create a lovely bouquet!
$65/person. Register by May 31. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
About The Instructor
Stephanie Block is the co-owner of Sundrop Alpacas near Bement, where she focuses on creating unique handmade items from alpaca fiber. Through the alpaca farm she collaborates with other local farms to share knowledge, resources and how to enjoy rural life.
Learn to Spin Yarn - June 10th
with Stephanie Block
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn the basic mechanics of using a spinning wheel to make your own yarn at Learn to Spin Yarn on Tuesday, June 10th in The Studio.
After a brief introduction from instructor Stephanie Block, students will have time for hands-on spinning practice and the opportunity to spin alpaca fiber into yarn using Ashford scotch tension Traditional or Traveler wheels. Discussion of fiber production and preparation methods will also be included.
$130/person. Register by June 6th. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Stephanie Block is the co-owner of Sundrop Alpacas near Bement. She has been producing popular yarn from her own alpacas for more than eight years. Stephanie’s spinning style is self-taught, and she is continuously learning so that she can share that knowledge with others.
Needlefelt Painted Turtle
with Stephanie Block
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn the art of needlefelting at Needlefelt Bumblebee on Tuesday, July 1st from 1 to 4 p.m. in The Studio.
Instructor Stephanie Block will teach students how to make an a needlefelt bumblebee to honor the efforts of this very important pollinator. Participants will work through the step-by-step process and leave with a completed needlefelt bumblebee.
$75/person. Register by June 27. All sales are final.
If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.
About the Instructor
Stephanie Block is the co-owner of Sundrop Alpacas near Bement. She has been producing popular yarn from her own alpacas for more than eight years. Stephanie’s spinning style is self-taught, and she is continuously learning so that she can share that knowledge with others.
Beginning Mushroom Foraging (Full Series)
with Lee Schuler
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn all about the magical world of mushrooms at Mushroom Identification for Beginners from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sundays, July 6, 13, and 20 in The Studio and outdoors. Participants will learn about mushroom anatomy, toxicity, edibility, and common uses. Instructor Lee Schuler will also share information on safety and sustainability.
Classes will begin with a short lecture and slide presentation, then move into the woods for identification practice outside. Question and answer periods will also be included.
$100 for the entire series or $45/class. Register by July 4 or one day prior to subsequent classes*. All sales are final.
*Individual class links:
— July 6
— July 13
— July 20
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Lee Schuler recently moved from Illinois from Pennsylvania, where she taught fungal identification and edibility at environmental education centers for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and for private land owners. She is certified as a wild edible mushroom expert and licensed to harvest and sell to restaurants and markets in the State of Pennsylvania. Schuler is also a contributing culinary author for a wild mushroom trade journal.
A graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Lee has worked as a field biologist and environmental educator, and currently works in public health. She is an artist and cook and enjoys acquiring new and useful skills as much as she loves sharing them.
Beginning Mushroom Foraging (July 6)
with Lee Schuler
Experience Level: Beginner
Learn all about the magical world of mushrooms at Mushroom Identification for Beginners from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sundays, July 6, 13, and 20 in The Studio and outdoors. Participants will learn about mushroom anatomy, toxicity, edibility, and common uses. Instructor Lee Schuler will also share information on safety and sustainability.
Classes will begin with a short lecture and slide presentation, then move into the woods for identification practice outside. Question and answer periods will also be included.
$100 for the entire series or $45/class. Register by July 4 or one day prior to subsequent classes*. All sales are final.
*Individual class links:
— July 6
— July 13
— July 20
— Full Series
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.
About the instructor
Lee Schuler recently moved from Illinois from Pennsylvania, where she taught fungal identification and edibility at environmental education centers for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and for private land owners. She is certified as a wild edible mushroom expert and licensed to harvest and sell to restaurants and markets in the State of Pennsylvania. Schuler is also a contributing culinary author for a wild mushroom trade journal.
A graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Lee has worked as a field biologist and environmental educator, and currently works in public health. She is an artist and cook and enjoys acquiring new and useful skills as much as she loves sharing them.