SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Wade Smith, of the Mill Hollow Craft School of Keene, N.H., will present the next OLLI – Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program, “Traditional Hand Tool Crafts, Wood Types and Local Forest History,” on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. at the Nolin Murray Center next to St. Mary’s Church on Pleasant St. in Springfield, Vt.
To many people today, traditional hand tools are objects screwed to the wall of a museum, or decorating a rustic coffee table – used to tell young people how hard life was in the old days. But these tools – broadaxes, adzes, drawknives, handsaws, etc. – were at the technologically-advanced end of thousands of years of development, and made this little corner of the United States famous around the world. Smith will discuss the types of wood used for products, with a little history about the types of forest in our region. He’ll demonstrate the use of some of these original tools, and attendees will even have the chance to try the tools that they may remember their grandparents using.
Sponsored by the University of Vermont, OLLI is run by local volunteer members and is geared mainly towards seniors who are 50 years of age and over who enjoy learning for the fun of it. Anyone who would be interested in this type of program, regardless of their age, is welcome.
You may view the entire semester programs by going to the website www.learn.uvm.edu/olli/springfield. You may also register over the phone by calling 1-802-656-5817 during regular office hours Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The final program of this fall semester, on Nov. 29, will be presented by the popular presenter, Mark Breen, Planetarium Director at the Fairbanks Museum, returning for his 11th year. He will talk about the Beauty and Poetry of the Heavens, tying in his scientific knowledge of astronomy with the ancient Greek poet Aratus and what he wrote in 280 B.C.E.