On Sept. 18, College Outdoors (CO) hosted an on-campus trip where participants helped remove invasive ivy from Lewis & Clark’s graduate campus and weave them into baskets. The trip, led by Alex Cortes ’23 and Christopher Olson ’23, focused on environmentalism, education and creating something both beautiful and useful.
In addition to being a practical thing to make, the materials for the baskets were found right on LC’s campus. English ivy is an invasive species of vine that was introduced to the United States in the 1700s because of the beautiful way it climbs buildings. However, as it spreads, it forms entire networks of roots underground and attaches itself to other plants, thus competing for resources and even strangling trees. In doing so, it kills native plants and disrupts the ecosystem.
The first part of the CO trip was simply to uproot and shear the English ivy that can be found in large swaths around campus. This way, participants could help combat a highly invasive species while finding all the materials necessary for their baskets from natural sources.
The trip idea was first imagined last year by Katie Clevenger ’22 as a way to continue CO trips during the pandemic. While there was not a ton of initial interest, CO decided to offer the activity again this year. Basket weaving has proved to be so popular this time around that not only was there a waitlist, but two more similar trips were also promptly added to the calendar.
According to Olson, the trip was a “low-stakes (way) for people new to the school to meet each other,” which evidently appealed to many of its participants.
While all art serves a purpose, weaving a basket is a great way to make something practical. Generally, when people think of visual art, they imagine drawing, painting or sculpture, but basket weaving is a natural, charming art form that anyone that requires little experience. Whether it serves as a decoration for your dorm or a way to smuggle food out of the dining hall, a basket is always a handy thing to have around.
Based on its popularity, CO’s basket weaving trip was a huge success. Creating something beautiful and practical while helping the environment made for an altogether positive experience.
Photograph by Julia Scott
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