Meet our facilitators

Liz

As well as a co-owner of Among The Trees, Liz spends her spare time working on recycled timber instruments and other projects..

Liz teaches: Build a 3 legged stool, Hand Planed Chopping Board course, Carve a timber paddle course, Carve a timber spatula course, Recycled timber picture framing, Make an Australian timber rolling pin, Introduction to Tool Restoration

Ingrid

Ingrid has been noodling around with pieces of old wood since she was little, when her mum handed her an egg-beater drill to play with. But her passion for making simple furniture from recycled timber using simple tools really kicked in during uni, when a housemate moved out with most of the furniture and at the same time someone dumped a few wall studs in a nearby creek. The solution to both problems was clear: Make!

These days, Ingrid is also an accomplished green-wood spoon carver. You can find her on instagram here: _thingrid To her, it’s the ideal sister craft to more conventional types of woodworking because one really comes to understand what it means that timber was a tree before it was sliced into pieces. There's no better way to learn about the strengths and limitations of wood as a material than using hand tools on a branch.

Ingrid’s passion for trees, timber and craft are just some of the reasons we love having her as part of the Among the Trees team. .

Ingrid teaches: Green wood spoon carving, Make a wooden step stool, Recycled timber picture framing

Sara

Marrickville-based artist and designer, Sara Buchner, is a printmaker, ceramicist and woodworker.

After taking both art and woodworking in school, Sara went on to study and work as an interior architect. This work, which has become largely computer based, quickly led to a practice of pottery and printmaking after hours.

Having spent many years creating prints with reclaimed linoleum flooring offcuts, since co-founding Among the Trees, Sara primarily creates wood-block prints using reclaimed plywood and softwoods. .

Sara teaches: Introduction to Printmaking

Luke

Luke discovered woodwork after leaving the landscaping industry over a decade ago and started out making things from timber and other items found in the alleyways of the Inner West. This led him to a job at the Bower Reuse and Repair Centre where he ran their workshop further developed his love of reclaimed timber and discovered a love of teaching. He still works with them to deliver The Bower’s Tiny House building Workshop.

He is passionate about using second hand materials and tools to lessen his impact on the environment and sharing that passion with others. He has taught many woodworking courses, worked in furniture conservation and is a guest presenter on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia’s ‘Mr Fix It’ segment. .

Luke teaches: Hand tool woodwork fundamentals, Furniture Restoration and Repair, Carve a wooden bangle course, Carve a timber spatula course, Recycled timber picture framing, Introduction to Hand Tool Sharpening, Make a reclaimed timber Mallet

Annette

Equally at ease with a sewing machine or a circular saw, Annette has been creating, repairing and restoring since her early teenage years. She can’t stand waste and gets excited finding kerbside treasures from furniture to fabric, household items to potted plants. Annette has been teaching upholstery since 2015 and founded the Parramatta Women’s Shed in 2019..

Annette teaches: Introduction to upholstery

Shane

Shane Orion Wiechnik first fell in love with wooden objects when he was young and wandering around a warehouse of salvaged objects in rural Vermont. Each item, saved from a demolished building somewhere in the region, had it's own unique story written across it's surface. His love for this character has followed him around the world.

His wealth of enthusiasm and research is with the sole intention of learning more about the world of wooden objects, and how to share that knowledge with whoever may be interested here in Australia. It is this enthusiasm that has led him to Among The Trees in Marrickville..

Shane teaches: Furniture Restoration and Repair, Furniture Finishing workshop

Mark

Mark is a retired cabinet maker with a passion to share his skills with others. Originally from Canada he has been making unique furniture for over 40 years. .

Mark teaches: Introduction to Furniture Building

Nick

Nick has been interested in whittling since he was a young boy and a keen woodworker since he was introduced to the craft in highschool.

Since 2022 Nick made the leap from corporate roles to following his passion for woodworking focusing on making small reclaimed timber furniture, such as stools, house plant stands, and side tables. He has shifted more recently from working on small reclaimed timber furniture to working on even smaller reclaimed timber animal figurines which have proved to be particularly popular at the markets he attends around Sydney. .

Nick teaches: Introduction to Whittling