Sat-Sun April 12-13 Boyle County, KY - General Public Rock Fence Workshop Sat-Sun May 3-4 Anderson County, KY - General Public Rock Fence Workshop Sat-Sun May 17-18 Mercer County, KY - General Public Rock Fence Workshop Sat-Sun May 31-June1 Mercer County, KY - General Public Rock Fence Workshop Sat-Sun June 7-8 Brentwood, TN - General Public Stone Wall Workshop Spring 2008 Volunteer Workdays Bluegrass Outreach Volunteer Workday Program - "One Site, Three Days!" Volunteer workdays are organized by the Dry Stone Conservancy to provide past workshop participants with ongoing fence restoration experience under the watchful eye of our certified mason instructors. This spring we will concentrate all our efforts on an important roadside fence in Fayette County that was damaged last year. Workdays are scheduled for Saturday, April 26- Saturday, May 31 - Saturday, June 14 and run from 9:00 to 4:00 each day. Volunteer your time and help us preserve Kentucky's dry-stone heritage! Download this form to register. Save the Dates for "Drystone Bootcamp 2008!" October 2-3 (Thursday and Friday) Masons Rock Fence Workshop - Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. This workshop will prepare candidates for the 5th Annual Walling Competition to be held on October 4th and the following Certification Exams held on October 7th. A limited number of spots will be available for beginners. Participants will rebuild sections of historic fence on the property; mason participants will also gain the required certification exam experience on retaining walls and wallheads. October 4 (Saturday) Fifth Annual Dry Stone Walling Competition - Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Novice, Intermediate and Professional Classes - trophies, ribbons, tools and cash prizes!!! Participants and spectators please come join us for the fun! Registration information and forms will be available by early summer at www.drystone.org or by calling (859) 266-4807. October 4-7 (Sunday - Tuesday) Professional Drystone Mason Certification Exams - Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Dry Stone Conservancy Exams: Qualified (Level I), Journeyman (Level II) and Master Craftsman (Level III). Candidates may arrange to build their wallheads on-site Sunday and Monday; timed tests for all candidates will be on Tuesday. Registration forms will be available by mid-summer. For more information about the Conservancy's Certification Program, please visit our website at www.drystone.org click on the Career Certification link, or contact Jane Wooley at (859)-266-4807. Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain Certification Exams Initial, Intermediate and Master. Contact the www.dswa.org.uk before September 7, 2008 for more information. In addition to DSWA's exam fee, there is an additional Conservancy fee to organize and conduct their tests. Contact the DSC office for the Conservancy fee schedule and details.

Download and Print 2008 Registration Form
Dates and locations for Spring 2008 workshops are listed on the accompanying registration form.  Workshops run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, beginning with a classroom introduction to the techniques of dry stone masonry, followed by hands-on instruction while restoring or building a dry stone wall.  Participants bring their own work gloves, safety glasses and a rock or brick hammer and their own food (unless otherwise noted). DSC will provide extra hammers for those who don’t already own or plan to buy one.  

If interested, please reply as soon as possible; registration is limited and on a first-come first-serve basis. Dates and locations are subect to change; all registered participants will be notified as soon as possible.

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The Conservancy regularly offers workshops and training courses taught by highly qualified instructors teaching internationally-accepted standards for the craft. Introductory two-day workshops are geared to three groups: those interested in careers as professional dry stone masons; those interested in building or restoring their own drystone fences and garden walls; and professional designers, engineers, inspectors and project owners who design and oversee drystone masonry restoration projects. Conservancy workshops involve hands-on instruction in the fundamental structural techniques involved in building a durable early Kentucky rock fence or retaining wall. Courses include a classroom component where participants learn the history and uses of drystone walls, the fundamentals techniques of drystone construction and the opportunities available for restoration and new construction. After viewing a brief training video participants then proceed to the workshop site to dismantle and fully restore a failed section of historic stone wall. A training manual is provided for all workshop participants.

Workshop Experience

Introductory training workshops sponsored by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Kentucky Heritage Council were first conducted by the Dry Stone Conservancy in 1995 and 1996 to pre-qualify masons interested in bidding rock fence work for the Paris Pike widening project. Shortly thereafter, Kentucky State Parks sponsored two training courses at Fort Harrod to restore their fences and train local masons for future work.

Since 1996, the DSC has conducted dozens of additional introductory training courses for amateurs, professional masons and design professionals in the following Kentucky and beyond.

Clip from Walls of Stone video

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INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOPS HELD IN KENTUCKY
(1996-2007)

Shaker Village Historic Fence Workshop, Mercer County.
Auvergne Farm Historic Fence Workshop, Bourbon County.
William Crow Property, Kentucky 52 Historic Fence Workshop, Boyle County.
Christman’s Mill Road, Historic Fence Workshop, Boyle County.
McConnell Springs Historic Fence Workshops, Fayette County.
Raven’s Run Historic Fence Workshops, Fayette County.
Kentucky Horse Park New Fence Workshop, KyTC D.B.E., Fayette County
Wolf Run Creek Retaining Wall Workshops and Mason Training, Fayette County.
Old Frankfort Pike Historic Fence Workshop, Fayette County.
Leestown Pike Historic Fence Workshop, Fayette County.
Bryan’s Station Pike Workshop, Fayette County.
UK/LFUCG Arboretum Workshop, Fayette County.
West Hickman Creek Retaining Wall Mason Training, Fayette County.
Fort Hill Park Historic Fence Workshop, Franklin County.
Peak’s Mill Historic Fence Workshop, Franklin County.
Locust Grove Historic Retaining Wall Workshop, Jefferson County.
Widow’s Watch Golf Course Historic Fence Workshop, Jessamine County.
Cavalier Farm Historic Fence Workshops, Jessamine County.
Taylormade Farms Historic Fence Workshops, Jessamine County.
Logan Hubble Park New Fence Workshops, Lincoln County.
Beaumont Inn Historic Retaining Wall Workshop, Mercer County.
Greenville Springs Historic Rock Fence Workshop, Mercer County.
Fort Harrod Historic Fence Workshop, Mercer County.
Shakertown Historic Fence Workshop, Mercer County.
Robert Hall Farm Historic Fence Workshops, Scott County.
Cardome Center Historic Fence Workshops, Scott County.
Shelby County Campus, Jefferson Community College, Shelby County.
Parkers Landing, Washington County.
Moore’s Mill Road Historic Fence Workshop, Woodford County.
Pisgah Pike Historic Fence Workshops, Woodford County.
Spring Station Pike Historic Fence Workshops, Woodford County.

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INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOPS HELD NATIONWIDE
(1996-2007)

Rest Haven Cemetery, Stone Wall Renovation, Franklin, TN
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Channel IslandsNational Park, California.
Colorado National Monument, Colorado.
Tallgrass Prairie National Park, Kansas.
AcadiaNational Park, Maine.
Blandair Estate, Preservation Trades Network IPTW, Maryland.
Minnesota Arboretum, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Grand Tetons National Park, Montana.
Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County, Tennessee.
Big Bend National Park, Texas.
Harper’s Ferry, Historic Preservation Training Center, Virginia.

Mason Training Partnerhsips / Project Management listed here.