You will learn several different home repair basics in this class taught by home maintenance guru Wayne Sainio. Over six weeks, he will cover several topics including plumbing, electrical, and carpentry. The first class will be an introduction and a polling of student interests for the remaining five classes. He will also demonstrate one basic home repair in the first class. Handouts will be provided each week and you will leave this class knowing how to do many different home repairs on your own. Topics Wayne plans to cover are: broken pipes; faucet repair; changing a toilet fill valve and tank ball; replacing lights and outlets; changing light switches; replacing electrical panel fuses and circuit breakers; patching interior walls; replacing doors and windows; using wall anchors; repairing exterior siding; and much more! Class is suitable for those ages 18 and over. Class skips April 20.

You want to start a garden but you don't know where to begin. Planning and preparation are essential to the creation of productive, efficient, and beautiful vegetable and perennial gardens. In this class you will learn about garden design, plant varieties, seed starting, mulching, composting and fertilizing. Organic and “low-till” practices, native plants, and the inclusion of plants attractive to birds, bees, butterflies and other beneficials will be emphasized. $10 for materials (handouts) to be paid to instructor. This class will include a visit to the instructor's nursery in Washington.

Learn to grow and harvest edible, native plants that provide essential ecological benefits. Instructor David Spahr shares examples from his own years of farming experience and from the educational public, edible landscape he installed across from the town hall in Washington, Maine, in 2014, where wild bees support the pollination and are supported in turn by the many wild local natives including peaches, serviceberries, American plum, beach plum, American chestnut, shagbark hickory, highbush blueberries, raspberries, black raspberries, huckleberries, thimbleberries, strawberries, cranberries,raisin Viburnums, Sedum purpureum, violets, peppermint, garlic, day lily, Rosa rugosa, chives, rhubarb, Jerusalem artichoke and others.

Spring is a great time to plan, prepare, and plant trees, shrubs, and perennials! Whether you're starting from scratch, needing to renovate existing plantings, wanting to plan a new vegetable or flower garden, or create a special habitat for birds and beneficials, this field-based class is for you! The first meeting is the only one held at CHRHS; subsequent classes will meet at each participant's property to explore individualized, site-specific options. Organic practices will be emphasized as will the incorporation of native plants, especially those important for birds, bees, butterflies, and other beneficials. Please give us your physical address when registering. The first night is mandatory, students will receive information and subsequent garden visits will be planned for all participants—this will be the only meeting held in a classroom. Dates and times of subsequent meetings will be determined that evening. A $10 materials fee (handouts) is to be paid to instructor. Approximately 8 weeks total, with some meetings at gardens on weekdays and some on weekends. This class will include a meeting at the instructor's nursery in Washington.

This class will feature easy-to-understand information on finding, collecting, identifying, and preparing the safe, most common edible and medicinal mushroom species of New England and Eastern Canada. Whether you are a cook, forager, herbalist, or restauranteur, you will enjoy this class. The book Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada will be available for purchase in class for $21.

Want to learn more about the importance of native plants? This one-night class will provide you with fundamental references and information. You will become acquainted with specific native trees, shrubs, and perennials and their particular beneficial roles in the ecosystem.

This class will feature easy-to-understand information on finding, collecting, identifying, and preparing the safe, most common edible and medicinal mushroom species of New England and Eastern Canada. Whether you are a cook, forager, herbalist, or restauranteur, you will enjoy this class. The book Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada will be available for purchase in class for $21.

Join Jacinda Martinez to learn about the basics of healthy soil and how to make your own using kitchen garden waste. Even with limited space you can compost and you will not only be helping your plants, you'll be taking less trash to the dump! Jacinda will walk you through different options and explain which gadgets actually do the trick.