Green Skills Class
Green skills are simply life skills that are needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society. They are about all of us having the knowledge, abilities, and values to live in, help develop, and support a sustainable society.
You will learn
Because we take our commitment to the natural world around us very seriously, we run several ‘green skills’ courses aimed at promoting sustainability. All our green skills courses are run in our fully sustainable wooden outdoor classroom facility and teach life skills, including:
- How to grow your own vegetables
- How to build sustainable green buildings
- How to maintain and manage Woodland areas
- Post and beam: building by hand
To find out more about our ‘green’ courses, please contact us via the form below and we’ll be happy to help.
Your Tutor
Jonathan Callaghan
Born and raised in Donegal and now living in West Cork I first stepped onto a site as a toddler. With my Dad having been a builder/carpenter I have worked with him over the years from a young age. Having developed a passion for carpentry and all kinds of woodwork I graduated with a diploma in Furniture Design from Colaiste Stiofain Naofa in 2004.
In 2004 and 2006 in between travels in Africa and Asia I worked with a local team in constructing a volunteer centre and a small hospital in Cape Mac Clear, Malawi whilst volunteering with the Billy Riordan Memorial trust. The volunteer centre was constructed using round pole post and beam and the hospital was built using a very innovative clay block design known as hydraform.
From 2006-2010 I worked on various timber structures and furniture projects while also spending some of my time working with a tree surgeon in Cork. I graduated with a BA Hons degree in horticulture from CIT in 2015. Whilst studying in 2013 I helped setup Silvabuild Design Ltd and when I graduated I became a director. While working with Silvabuild I was involved in the design and construction of a number of traditional post and beam structures and natural play areas (playscapes).
In 2015 my wife and I and 3 kids were fortunate to buy a small holding in west cork. Since getting planning permission in 2018 we have constructed a house, a workshop and an artist’s studio. In 2020 I decided to focus mainly on our own site and more local work. I work with traditional timber frame post and beam construction and modern stick frame, I use a lot of metal sheeting finishes and timber cladding including shou sugi ban.
I continue to divide my time between being a dad, surfing, and gardening while designing, consulting and building for small homes, cabins, studios and playscapes as well as teaching wood working skills to children and timber frame construction skills to adults, facilitated through workshop settings. It excites me to be able to facilitate and teach skills that empower people to take their modest dreams into their own hands. I do believe that timber construction is available for all to learn and if explained well can be quite easy to accomplish.
Check Instagram for images of my work @jonnycondy
