Trees: Ozark White Oak Baskets Virtual Program March 27

Weaving white oak baskets is a craft dating to pioneer times that required nimble fingers and a knowledge of the trees around your log cabin.

People wanting to learn more about this traditional craft and how it fit into forest management should register for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) virtual program “Trees: Ozark White Oak Baskets” March 27. This online program will be from 1-2 p.m. People can register at:

https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/207122

At the March 27 program, MDC Southeast Region Education Supervisor AJ Hendershott will discuss the type of white oak trees that were harvested to make these baskets. Program participants will also learn the process through which white oak strips were transformed into pliable pieces that could be woven together to form a basket.

It should be noted this program is not a start-to-finish “how-to-weave-a-basket” class. Rather, it will cover the vital functions these baskets had in the day-to-day lives of the families who settled the Ozarks. The program will also cover the connection the craft of white oak basket-making had with a pioneer version of forestry management in early Missouri.