This is from a follow up focus group that helped draw out key lessons.
- Everyone agreed that the ‘design a green village’ exercise was engaging, thought provoking and a good learning experience.
- Barry and Jim highlighted the field trips to a local small deciduous wood with a talk from Dr. Declan Little of Woodlands of Ireland as being of practical benefits to them in their own land.
- Pat, Deirdre, Jim, Helen and Eileen loved the natural woodworking trip and the opportunity it provided to use traditional tools and to make small objects.
- There was general agreement that building with cob and making a sally hedge were new, fun and worthwhile and Deirdre particularly liked weaving with sally rods.
- Pat, Mick and Jim agreed that the building elements of the course were good but would like more on the applied design elements of the course – water harvesting and retention, wind protection and using land contours