Fall 2016 Certification Day
Stonework by Jo Hodgson
Women's Dry Stone Walling Workshop
Stonework by Jared Flynn
Photo by Ron Kantor
Irish Fedien Wall Workshop in Progress
Stonework by Jared Grant
Dry Stone Walling Workshop
Stonework by Brian Fairfield
Built with assistance from several certified wallers
Dry Stone Walling Workshop
Welcome to The Stone Trust
Established in southern Vermont in 2010, The Stone Trust’s mission is to preserve and advance the art and craft of dry stone walling. We do this through an expanding program of educational events and outreach projects. The Stone Trust is a multifaceted resource engaged in preserving the natural use of plentiful stone in simple, gratifying ways.
The Stone Trust Center is the only facility in North America that provides year round educational and DSWA certification opportunities for all levels and abilities. The Stone Trust is a 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization. It relies on contributions from people like you to keep it’s programs going. Help us continue to preserve and advance the art and craft of Dry Stone Walling!
Quick Links
- Looking for hands-on training to build dry stone walls? Click Upcoming Workshops
- Want to become a Certified Dry Stone Waller? Click Upcoming Certifications
- Looking for a contractor to build a wall? Click Certified Wallers
- Want to read up on the basics of dry stone walling? Click How to Build Walls
- Looking for amazing photos of dry stone walls and features? Click Photo Gallery
- Are you an Architect, Landscape Architect, Engineer or Designer looking for specifications for dry stone walls? Click Design Information
Support The Stone Trust
Your support makes our work possible. Please consider helping us preserve and advance the craft of dry stone walling by making a donation today. Thank you.
From the Blog
We have just launched this new version of our website on 7/1/17. We hope you like it! If you do find anything that is not working properly please notify us at brian.post@thestonetrust.org so we can correct the problem. There are a few things we are currently correcting like the photos in the recent blog posts.
EVENT DETAILS
On Saturday, July 15th, The Cultural Landscape Foundation will sponsor a garden dialogue with Robin Key of RKLA Studio in conversation with artist, Dan Snow.
July 15th from 2 – 4 PM
Borderline Farm
2455 Spring Hill Road
South Londonderry, VT 05155
Tickets for Garden Dialogues are tax deductible and proceeds benefit the educational programs of The Cultural Landscape Foundation.
2.0 LA CES™ Professional development hours will be available to attendees.
We have had a few questions about what the stone will be like at our Eureka Rd. Training Site in Springfield VT. Workshop preparation work started yesterday, so now that we have done some clearing you can get a sense of the stone in the photos and video available here.
The stone tends to be a mix of tumbled granite glacial till, along with some pieces of the local ledge which is a mix angular shapes with occasional flat ones. Most of the stone is reasonably shape-able, so will will have some hammers out at the workshops.
“How much should I charge?” and “How much do you charge?” I’m frequently asked these questions by people thinking about starting a new business or getting into a new product line or service. Prices are a common topic of conversation for those of us already in business, and we frequently compare our prices to those of others.
Financial success in business amounts to bringing in more money than goes out. If pricing isn’t realistic, it doesn’t matter how hard you work: the business won’t last long. Remember, it’s not how much money that goes through your business that is important, it’s how much money sticks!
The Stone Trust’s 1st ever hard copy member newsletter has just been sent out today! If your a member it should be arriving soon. If not sign up as a member and we will sent it right out to you!
This 16 page newsletter contains exclusive content that dry stone wallers and wall enthusiasts will find informative and interesting.
Daniel Peterson (Minnesota), featured in The Stone Trust’s 2017 Calendar, says of his work “HabAdapt, my business, was born the day I realized my design work focused on adapting home landscapes to meet the habitat requirements for native life. The wildlife supported includes plants, arthropods, and birds. These thriving entities then sustained the earth by enhancing soil. The functional components are aimed at utilization of sustaining and sustainable materials. The materials molded together beautifully. All of my designs and projects incorporate permaculture design principles to work with nature rather than against nature. I have a passion for traditional construction techniques including dry stone walling and Japanese garden design. www.habadapt.com
If you are in Scotland This July, be sure to check out Northstone 58˚ The Dry Stone Walling Festival in Scotland July 7-9, 2017.
The second Northstone 58° Stonefest is the UK’s only Dry Stone Festival and also the world’s most Northerly, up here just above a Latitude of 58 degrees It is based in Thurso, Caithness, Northern Scotland and being held on the 7th to 9th July 2017. Itinerary for 2017 Festival.
In the last edition of Stonechat the basic principles of building foundations out of reasonably regular shaped stone were dealt with. Here we take a look at what to do with essentially triangular shaped stones.
In part 1 the need for adjacent stones to butt up against each other with as much of their internal edges touching as possible was dealt with. This reduces the chance of stones being forced out of the wall. Triangular stones can present a problem in achieving this.
The diagram left, taken from a photograph of some foundations constructed out of oolitic’. limestone, illustrates how to deal with these. The ideal is to find a stone to match the slope of the triangle, butting tightly with it. This is not always possible and the important thing is not to place two triangular stones next to each other. Try to ensure that the stone next to the point of a triangl
Sally Hodgson will be giving the key note presentation at our Evening of Dry Stone Event. The presentation is titled “The Adventures of a Dry Stone Waller” – looking at walls and stone structures around the world, including the scholarship she received from the Winston Churchill Trust. Sally’s talk will be fully illustrated and is both humorous and enthusiastic!
Sally is one of only 3 women ever to have attained Master Craftswomen (Level 4) Certification. She is the only certified Master Craftswomen still active in walling, and the only women ever to be come a Dry Stone Walling Examiner. Sally currently runs a dry stone walling training facility in England with several other wallers, and is also a farmer in Derbyshire England.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
- Retaining wall workshop 8/12/17
August 12, 2017
8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Here in the North East, many of the walls people are building are retaining walls. While all the principals of a free standing wall apply there are additional rules and methods to follow when building retaining walls. The focus needs to be on a sound structure that will last for generations. Local round field stone will be used for this wall. The rules and principals learned here can be applied to all retaining walls whether hand-built or those built with equipment.
- Introductory Outdoor Workshop 8/12/17
August 12, 2017
8:30 am - 5:30 pm
This workshop is an excellent introduction to dry stone walling for the homeowner, hobbyist, or anyone interested in Dry Stone Walls Over the course of the day each participant will build about 25 sq. ft. of wall…
- Stone Shaping 8/13/17
August 13, 2017
8:30 am - 5:30 pm
This workshop will spend the day learning about how to shape stones for use in dry stone walls. Participants will be introduced to a variety of stone types, and how to work with them. Both hand and power tools will be demonstrated and used. The stone shaping portion will focus on efficient practices, learning how to look at a stone and judge how to shape it, as well as proper use and care of tools.
- Test Preparation Workshop (Fall)
September 8, 2017
8:30 am - 5:30 pm
This workshop is intended for those planning to take a certification test. Learning tips and tricks to help you pass, while you practice build for your test.
- Flagging Workshop
September 8, 2017
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
- 1 day workshop attendance
Learn the fundamentals of dry set flagging for patios and walkways.
- Fall Two Day Workshop: Level 1& 2 (9/9 & 10/2017)
September 9, 2017 - September 10, 2017
5:10 pm - 4:30 pm
Learn how to build a traditional dry-stacked stone wall with Master Craftsman Chris Tanguay and Kim and Jerry Coggin (both DSWA-GB Certifiied Level 2).
- MONDAY 9-11-17 Certification Test
September 11, 2017
7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Testing all Levels Monday Sept. 11, 2017. NOTE: You must hold the previous level certification to sign up for any test above level 1. Click here to return to test day information page. THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MONDAY AUGUST 1ST! NO LATE REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.