New! Learn about basic Chinese cooking tools, ingredients, seasonings, caring for woks and cleavers, and techniques you can adapt for everyday cooking. Bring your appetite, as a delicious dinner of handmade wonton soup, wok-roasted whole chicken, garlic and ginger seafood stir-fry with vegetables, and perfect steamed jasmine rice will be served. Part demo, part hands-on. Bring small container or baggie for possible leftovers. Chris is a Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School instructor who’s taught Asian cooking in Maine for 30 years. A retired teacher, principal, university instructor, and Maine Guide, he learned cooking from his parents; classes integrate his love of teaching and great food, highlighting a fusion of Far East foods with local Northeast offerings. See photo left.

Tues, 10/22/2019, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, $39 includes food, Limit: 10

Instructor: Chris Toy

This class fills fast! Transform conventional gardens and landscapes back into thriving ecosystems, attracting birds, pollinators and wildlife - by growing and reintroducing native Maine plants. Slide show on why natives are critical to declining biodiversity, learn how natives have surprisingly different needs from flowers and vegetable plants you know…such as why after the holidays/early winter is the preferred time to sow. Discuss ecologically-responsible seed collection, view demonstration and get hands-on sowing seeds. Go home with several pots of sown native seeds. Great way to welcome winter solstice, great gift giving for the nature lover. Wild Seed t-shirts, hats, aprons and signs available for purchase. Partial proceeds benefit the nonprofit Wild Seed Project. Heather is Founder and Executive Director of The Wild Seed Project; an educator with 30 years expertise in plant propagation, ecological design and conservation; head plant propagator at the New England Wildflower Society’s Garden in the Woods; has lectured nationally; and is widely published.

Tues, 12/03/2019

6:00 to 8:00 pm, $30     

Instructor: Heather McCargo, MA landscape design, BA plant ecology

Don’t’ throw away that old tool, sharpen and revive it! If you only had two survival tools to take with you into the woods, you might select a knife and an axe. Both are generally made of metal, which can be sharpened using a hard stone or factory-made sharpening-block. Learn how to sharpen tools with non-serrated blades such as pocket and kitchen knives, scissors, axes, pruners, and chisels. Cover basic theory behind sharpening edge tools, and practice with a variety of sharpening stones. Bring your own dull tools that need to be touched up, or practice sharpening some of our tools. Sharpening stones available for purchase, $25 each. Partial proceeds benefit the nonprofit Rewild Maine. See instructor bio pg. 10.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This class no longer meets Thurs, 11/21/2019 as noted in print catalog!

NEW DATE: This class now meets Thurs, 12/05/19

5:30 to 7:30 pm, $32  

Instructor: Zack Rouda

Learn about the gut-stress connection Stress can negatively affect your gut, brain and overall health.  Additionally, what you eat can either support or compromise your mood and brain activity. In this workshop learn about the gut-brain connection, how stress and depression or anxiety effect your gut health, and what foods or supplements are vital for optimal gut and brain health.  

Thurs, 11/14/2019

6:00 to 7:30 pm, $15

Instructor: Stephanie Walsh

New! Get an introduction to the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as Tapping. EFT helps people to create emotional stability, reduce stress and pain, reduce blocks, quiet fears and your inner critic. We’ll discuss the many uses, learn the technique, and practice in class with real issues students are having so they can experience the power of this tool first hand. No previous experience necessary. Leah owns Inner Wisdom Health & Wellness, is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Reiki Master, and EFT/Tapping Practitioner; she has over 20 years of  teaching experience; and is passionate about helping students create balance in their body’s energy system and reconnect with their inner wisdom.

Wed, 11/20/2019, 6:00 to 7:30 pm, $20

Instructor: Leah Wentworth