Craftsman Eric Hollenbeck is featured at Headwaters celebration event
ARCATA, Calif. – Eric Hollenbeck, a nationally renowned woodworking craftsman and lifelong resident of the California North Coast, will be the featured presenter in a storytelling event set for Wednesday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Headwaters Education Center within the Headwaters Forest Reserve.
Officials at the Bureau of Land Management encourage early online registration. The event is limited to 50 participants due to space at the small venue.
Hollenbeck will share his experience exploring the historic Headwaters town of Falk as a teenager in the 1960s, and his later work with high school students restoring a railroad sand shack now on display in the Reserve. Hollenbeck will share his appreciation and support of redwoods conservation, and his dedication to preserving the aspects of our country’s historic trust. Questions from the audience will spur dialogue and storytelling.
Hollenbeck and his wife, Vivianna, operate Blue Ox Millworks, a woodworking shop specializing in historic restoration and recreations. Along with Blue Ox woodworkers, he has made pieces for state parks, historic cathedrals, Russian East Orthodox churches, two governor's mansions, and the White House. His work is the focus of “The Craftsman,” a television series that streams on various services.
The presentation is among many events scheduled to celebrate 25 years since establishment of the Headwaters Forest Reserve.
The 7,472-acre Headwaters Forest Reserve was established in 1999 after a decade-long grassroots effort to protect the world’s last unprotected, intact, old-growth redwood forest ecosystem. It supports threatened species including coho salmon, the northern spotted owl and the marbled murrelet, a seabird.
The BLM Arcata Field Office manages the Reserve in consultation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. To reach the Elk River Trailhead, take the Elk River Road exit off Highway 101 at the south end of Eureka. Turn right onto Elk River Road and drive approximately six miles to the parking area.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.