Microforest VI - Autumn 2023
In November and December 2023 a new group of students of Blakestown Community School was introduced to the Microforest to learn about the connection between ecology, biodiversity and art. Over the course of four sessions students participated in a series of activities led by artists Gareth Kennedy and Maura Brennan (Educator & The Acorn Project Founder) and Kasia Kaminska (Artist, Photographer & Designer).
Gareth guided the group in identifying native tree species and leaves, and encouraged them to observe and sketch their findings. Together, they also foraged ingredients to make a warming elderberry tonic. Later, the group met Maura Brennan, founder of The Acorn Project, a non-profit delivering nature-based learning programmes that empower communities to restore local ecosystems. Through seed saving, forest school activities, and traditional skills, the project fosters deep connections to wild spaces. With Maura, students discovered the food potential of oak trees and acorns and learned to craft utensils using green woodwork techniques. In the final sessions, they refined these skills by carving wooden spoons for a communal meal.
Working with artist Kasia Kaminska, they also experimented with alternative photographic methods—Cyanotype and Anthotype—using foraged plants, flowers, and soil to create expressive nature-based prints. The programme concluded with a shared pot meal prepared and enjoyed in the Microforest.
The Seanchaí Microforest, located at Blakestown Community School, was created by artist Gareth Kennedy in collaboration with the Transition Year art class and their teacher, Mary Quinn. It offers students immersive, hands-on experiences in nature, encouraging learning around sustainability and climate action. The project aims to inspire young people to develop their own environmentally conscious initiatives. It is led by Kennedy in partnership with Fingal County Council Arts Office, Blakestown Community School, and The Arts Council of Ireland. Video by Arcade Film.
Maura Brennan is an educator, weaver, forest school leader, and sacred plant medicine practitioner. She reconnects people with nature through traditional skills, plant knowledge, and community engagement. After training with Peruvian weavers and herbalists in 2005/06, she founded The Acorn Project—a community seed-saving initiative focused on forest restoration and ecological education. Based along the River Nore, Maura collaborates with schools, artists, and organisations to deliver programmes that foster environmental stewardship and a deeper connection to the land.
Kasia Kaminska is a photographer and designer based in Dublin, Ireland. She is a founding member of Read That Image, a photobook design collective. Her work, often incorporating alternative processes, explores image, memory, and place. Kaminska has exhibited across Ireland, including at TULCA Festival and Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, and her photobooks have been featured at the Dublin Art Book Fair. She holds a BA in Photography from Dublin Institute of Technology and often integrates foraging and material exploration into her creative process.
