Build a Natural House (Sold Out on this date)

18th March 2019 Short Course Build your own outhouse, a garden retreat or even extending or building your own home. Whatever your grand design, this practical course can help put some of those ideas into…

Eco Refurbishment (Sold out on this date)

22nd March 2019 Short Course Transform buildings into cosy, low impact, energy efficient homes. Refurbishing our homes to make them more energy efficient is one of the key aspects of effective action on climate change.…

Self-Build Project Management

23rd March 2019 Short Course Pain-free planning for your building project. If you’re thinking of building your own home, community space or other self-build structure, it pays to be prepared. This course covers how to…

Build a small wind turbine (Sold out on this date)

23rd March 2019 Short Course Generate electricity with a homemade wind turbine. Join Tom Dixon of V3 Power to build a wind turbine yourself, from scratch. Drawing on over ten years of experience in teaching…

Concert – Edgelarks

23rd March 2019 Visitors Centre Edgelarks, the folk inspired duo formerly known as Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin, are performing at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth on Saturday 23rd March. In April 2018, Edgelarks…

Traditional Timber Frame Joints (Sold out on this date)

30th March 2019 Short Course A hands-on workshop giving you the skills to start working with timber frames Learn how to measure, mark out and cut perfect joints used in traditional timber framing. This one…

Growing Fruit

30th March 2019 Short Course Start growing apples, pears and soft fruits. Learn how to propagate, prune and protect from disease as you get started with growing your own fruit trees. This course is run…

Advanced Timber Frame Joints

1st April 2019 Short Course Discover beautiful, traditional woodworking skills with Carwyn Lloyd Jones, CAT’s Master Carpenter. A three-day follow-up to our introductory workshop on Traditional Timber Frame Joints, this course is aimed at anyone…

Social Forestry OCN

2nd April 2019 Short Course Woodlands for wellbeing. Learn the theory and practice of social forestry, looking at how sustainable woodland management and crafts can help promote human wellbeing. Covering working with groups and individuals…

Building with Ecobricks and Cob

6th April 2019 Short Course Combining traditional cob building with innovative ways of using waste materials. Building with waste plastic helps keep it out of landfill and away from our seas. Learn how to combine…

Willow Frame Baskets

6th April 2019 Short Course Learn traditional basket making techniques and make your own beautiful willow basket. Your expert teacher Pippa Scott will guide you through traditional techniques to make your very own beautiful rustic…

Ecosystem services: Land use, water and waste management (Sold Out)

8th April 2019 Short Course An in-depth look at what nature provides, and how precious resources can be protected and preserved. Often overlooked or taken for granted, the services that nature provides are essential for…

Energy Generation from Solar (Sold Out)

8th April 2019 Short Course Join CAT Masters students for an in-depth week on harnessing solar power. Gain an in-depth understanding of solar energy, including solar electric (photovoltaic) and solar thermal hot water, learning from…

Talk & Discussion: Architects Hall + Bednarczyk and ‘Regionalism in Architecture’

9th April 2019 Graduate School Open Days and Events The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) hosts a lecture by Kelly Bednarczyk and Martin Hall of Chepstow-based architects Hall + Bednarczyk. This lecture will be followed by a discussion on…

Open Day: MSc and MArch Courses

12th April 2019 Graduate School Open Days and Events Graduate School open days offer an authentic informative taster of what it’s like to learn on our postgraduate sustainability courses. Friday 12 April 2019 @ CAT Informative and inspiring, the day…

Earth Oven Building

13th April 2019 Short Course The simple art of making outdoor ovens. Join us for this practical, hands-on day where you learn the subtle arts of working with cob. Anyone can learn how to build…

DIY Furniture – upcycling with pallets

13th April 2019 Short Course Transform waste pallets into gorgeous bespoke furniture for your home and garden A hands-on workshop for anyone who wants to get started with upcycled furniture. Tutor Carwyn Lloyd Jones will…

Spoon Carving

20th April 2019 Short Course Get started with woodworking Spend a day in nature discovering the ancient art of spoon carving. This course is a great way to get started with woodworking, covering choosing materials,…

Wildlife Tracking and Bird Language

20th April 2019 Short Course A unique insight into the secret life of woodland animals. Develop your wildlife identification and tracking skills as you immerse yourself in nature during this wonderful weekend course. Key information…

Bird Identification: An Introduction

26th April 2019 Short Course Get to know our feathered friends with an expert birder. Spend three days in beautiful surroundings as you learn how to identify a wide range of different birds, from warblers…

Building with Rammed Earth

27th April 2019 Short Course Learn how to create low impact earth walls using an ancient construction method. Flexible in design and application, rammed earth has excellent thermal mass, load bearing, fireproof and acoustic properties…

Timber Frame Self Build

29th April 2019 Short Course Build a small timber frame structure with simple easy-to-learn techniques. Timber can be a low impact, highly versatile, easy-to-use building material. Spend the week working on a real-life project with…

Zero Carbon Britain

1st May 2019 Short Course The science says we must, the technology says we can, time to say we will! To stay within internationally agreed ‘safe’ levels of global warming, the world must reach net…

Climate Emergency Solutions Summit

3rd May 2019 Short Course Explore solutions and help build a movement for change. Join us at CAT for a unique one-day event exploring what a zero carbon future could look like, and how we…

Hydroelectric and Marine Energy Generation

6th May 2019 Short Course Waves, rivers and tides – harnessing the power of water Join students from CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment on a module from our MSc Sustainability in Energy Provision and…

Sustainable Building Materials (Sold Out)

13th May 2019 Short Course Join CAT postgraduate students for an immersive week of hands-on green building Straw bale, timber, hemp, lime, earth – get to grips with a wide range of natural, low-impact materials…

Open Day: MSc and MArch Courses

17th May 2019 Graduate School Open Days and Events Graduate School open days offer an authentic informative taster of what it’s like to learn on our postgraduate sustainability courses. Friday 17th May 2019 @ CAT This open day is held…

Nature Connection: Rewilding ourselves

18th May 2019 Short Course Practical, proven tools for reconnecting with nature. One of the key findings of CAT’s Zero Carbon Britain: Making it Happen report was that our disconnection from nature is a major…

Build a Tiny House (Sold Out on this date)

20th May 2019 Short Course Gain the practical experience and key skills to build a tiny house all of your own. Whether you’re planning to build your own home or just want to pick up…

Build a Natural House

27th May 2019 Short Course Build your own outhouse, a garden retreat or even extending or building your own home. Whatever your grand design, this practical course can help put some of those ideas into…

Connecting with Trees

15th June 2019 Short Course Discover the secret life of trees. A unique two-day course immersed in the CAT woodlands, learning about and connecting with the wonderful world of trees. Learn to identify common tree…

Mindful Woodland Management

15th June 2019 Short Course A weekend of calm contemplation and woodland skills. Learn some of the basic techniques of traditional woodland management and coppice craft whilst developing mindfulness skills in the peaceful surrounds of…

Build a Tiny House (Sold Out on this date)

21st June 2019 Short Course Gain the practical experience and key skills to build a tiny house all of your own Whether you’re planning to build your own home or just want to pick up…

The Diversity of Invertebrates in West Wales

21st June 2019 Short Course Take an up-close look at a creepy crawly world. We share our world with an abundance of fascinating creatures, but the smallest of these are often overlooked. Learn about the…

Earth Oven Building

22nd June 2019 Short Course The simple art of making outdoor ovens. Join us for this practical, hands-on day where you learn the subtle arts of working with cob. Anyone can learn how to build…

Identifying Flowering Plants

28th June 2019 Short Course Gain skills and confidence in identifying wild and garden varieties. Don’t know your daisies from your dahlias? Or maybe you have good general plant knowledge but want to be able…

Spoon Carving

29th June 2019 Short Course Get started with woodworking Spend a day in nature discovering the ancient art of spoon carving. This course is a great way to get started with woodworking, covering choosing materials,…

Build a Lapsteel Guitar

29th June 2019 Short Course Build a working instrument using reclaimed and upcycled materials. If you’ve ever dreamed of making your own musical instrument, lapsteel guitars are a great place to start. During this one-day…

Identification of Grasses, Sedges and Rushes

1st July 2019 Short Course Key skills for field ecologists – fun outdoor learning for the rest of us. Learn how to recognise key features and identify some of the more common varieties. This is…

Stove Installers Course

4th July 2019 Short Course Get started with installing solid fuel stoves. Suitable for beginners and for those with some previous experience of heating systems, this course provides the know-how and practical skills needed to…

Compost Toilets

6th July 2019 Short Course A Beginner’s Guide to the Compost Toilet – Understanding the biology behind humanure Get a foundational understanding of the principles, benefits and limitations of compost toilets. This is not a…

Building with Ecobricks and Cob

6th July 2019 Short Course Combining traditional cob building with innovative ways of using waste materials. Building with waste plastic helps keep it out of landfill and away from our seas. Learn how to combine…

A Work that Reconnects Retreat

7th July 2019 Short Course A week-long retreat combining meditation with volunteering. This eco-retreat builds on the work of Joanna Macy, combine time spent volunteering in the CAT woodlands and gardens with daily meditation and…

Reedbeds and Waste Water Management

7th July 2019 Short Course Off-grid sewage and water treatment systems If you’re living or working in a remote location and need low impact, eco-friendly options for waste water management, CAT is the place to…

HETAS H003DS & H006 Installation of Dry Appliances & System Chimneys

8th July 2019 Short Course Two HETAS courses combined at a reduced price! Accredited course for professional installers. Learn from independent experts in a purpose-built training space. Key information Duration: four days Upcoming dates: please…

Build a Shed – for absolute beginners

8th July 2019 Short Course Learn basic carpentry skills while creating a garden getaway Does the world of carpentry feel like one big mystery? Do you want to be able to use tools with confidence?…

Introduction to Permaculture

12th July 2019 Short Course Permaculture Design Course (part 1). Learn how to design resilient, abundant human habitats by working collaboratively with nature and with each other. This course is run at CAT by Aberystwyth…

The Science of Sustainable Food Production

15th July 2019 Short Course Delve into the detail of our food production systems. Join students from CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment to examine the scientific underpinnings of our agricultural system. Explore different types…

Introduction to Rewilding

20th July 2019 Short Course Principles and practices of ecological restoration. Recent years have seen a surge in popular interest in rewilding, an idea that is rocking the world of conservation, agriculture and land management.…

Build a Natural House

22nd July 2019 Short Course Build your own outhouse, a garden retreat or even extending or building your own home. Whatever your grand design, this practical course can help put some of those ideas into…

A Way of Building: Using locally sourced materials

26th July 2019 Short Course Creating low impact buildings from locally sourced materials. Building using locally sourced materials can help to ensure your structure is low impact and ecologically sound. This course provides hands-on experience…

Cob Building

27th July 2019 Short Course Learn how to build using this versatile, durable, low impact material. A natural building material that has been used in the UK and around the world for hundreds of years,…

Build a Tiny House (Sold out on this date)

29th July 2019 Short Course Gain the practical experience and key skills to build a tiny house all of your own Whether you’re planning to build your own home or just want to pick up…

DIY Furniture – upcycling with pallets

3rd August 2019 Short Course Transform waste pallets into gorgeous bespoke furniture for your home and garden A hands-on workshop for anyone who wants to get started with upcycled furniture. Tutor Carwyn Lloyd Jones will…

Timber Frame Self Build

5th August 2019 Short Course Build a small timber frame structure with simple easy-to-learn techniques. Timber can be a low impact, highly versatile, easy-to-use building material. Spend the week working on a real-life project with…

Intro to Solar P.V. & Off Grid Solar P.V.

17th August 2019 Short Course The theory and practice of solar electricity. Design, combine and connect a range of different systems as you get to grips with grid-connected and off-grid photovoltaics. A great introduction for…

Building with Straw Bales

19th August 2019 Short Course Create natural, low-impact structures with world-renowned expert If you’re thinking of building your own eco home, workshop or community space, straw bales could be the answer. This five-day introduction to…

Earth Oven Building

24th August 2019 Short Course The simple art of making outdoor ovens. Join us for this practical, hands-on day where you learn the subtle arts of working with cob. Anyone can learn how to build…

Build a Tiny House (Only ONE place left on this date)

27th August 2019 Short Course Gain the practical experience and key skills to build a tiny house all of your own Whether you’re planning to build your own home or just want to pick up…

Hempcrete – Retrofitting for self-builders

7th September 2019 Short Course A low carbon insulation material that’s flexible and easy to use. If you’re adding insulation to your home and are thinking of using a low-impact alternative, hempcrete might be the…

Building with Ecobricks and Cob

7th September 2019 Short Course Combining traditional cob building with innovative ways of using waste materials. Building with waste plastic helps keep it out of landfill and away from our seas. Learn how to combine…

Build a Lapsteel Guitar

14th September 2019 Short Course Build a working instrument using reclaimed and upcycled materials. If you’ve ever dreamed of making your own musical instrument, lapsteel guitars are a great place to start. During this one-day…

Pond and Stream Invertebrate Life

20th September 2019 Short Course Discover an amazing underwater world. Pond-dipping for grown-ups! Learn how to find and identify freshwater creatures, exploring their habitats and finding out about their often bizarre life cycles. Use microscopes,…

The Science Behind Gardening

21st September 2019 Short Course Get to grips with the fundamentals of plant biology. Learn the principles of botany and the implications for how plants grow, exploring how this knowledge can help you improve your…

Build a Tiny House

23rd September 2019 Short Course Gain the practical experience and key skills to build a tiny house all of your own Whether you’re planning to build your own home or just want to pick up…

CAT Conference

27th September 2019 Visitors Centre We’ll be hosting our annual conference for members, supporters and students of CAT from the 27th to 28th September 2019. We’d love to see you there. Come and help us…

Compost Toilets

5th October 2019 Short Course A Beginner’s Guide to the Compost Toilet – Understanding the biology behind humanure Get a foundational understanding of the principles, benefits and limitations of compost toilets. This is not a…

Build a small wind turbine

5th October 2019 Short Course Generate electricity with a homemade wind turbine. Join Tom Dixon of V3 Power to build a wind turbine yourself, from scratch. Drawing on over ten years of experience in teaching…

Traditional Timber Frame Joints

5th October 2019 Short Course A hands-on workshop giving you the skills to start working with timber frames Learn how to measure, mark out and cut perfect joints used in traditional timber framing. This one…

Reedbeds and Waste Water Management

6th October 2019 Short Course Off-grid sewage and water treatment systems If you’re living or working in a remote location and need low impact, eco-friendly options for waste water management, CAT is the place to…

Social Forestry OCN

8th October 2019 Short Course Woodlands for wellbeing. Learn the theory and practice of social forestry, looking at how sustainable woodland management and crafts can help promote human wellbeing. Covering working with groups and individuals…

Self-Build Project Management

12th October 2019 Short Course Pain-free planning for your building project. If you’re thinking of building your own home, community space or other self-build structure, it pays to be prepared. This course covers how to…

Flat-bottomed Willow Basket Making

12th October 2019 Short Course Learn to create willow baskets using the stake and strand technique and make your own beautiful willow basket. Expert teacher and basket maker Pippa Scott will show you how to…

Build a Tiny House

25th October 2019 Short Course Gain the practical experience and key skills to build a tiny house all of your own Whether you’re planning to build your own home or just want to pick up…

Eco Refurbishment

25th October 2019 Short Course Transform buildings into cosy, low impact, energy efficient homes. Refurbishing our homes to make them more energy efficient is one of the key aspects of effective action on climate change.…

Spoon Carving

26th October 2019 Short Course Get started with woodworking Spend a day in nature discovering the ancient art of spoon carving. This course is a great way to get started with woodworking, covering choosing materials,…

Build a Lapsteel Guitar

9th November 2019 Short Course Build a working instrument using reclaimed and upcycled materials. If you’ve ever dreamed of making your own musical instrument, lapsteel guitars are a great place to start. During this one-day…

Sustainable Woodland Management

18th November 2019 Short Course The theory and practice of managing woodlands in a way that benefits people and wildlife. Winner of the Woodlands Awards Best Woodlands Course 2017, this highly practical five-day course gets…

Compost Toilets

23rd November 2019 Short Course A Beginner’s Guide to the Compost Toilet – Understanding the biology behind humanure Get a foundational understanding of the principles, benefits and limitations of compost toilets. This is not a…

Reedbeds and Waste Water Management

24th November 2019 Short Course Off-grid sewage and water treatment systems If you’re living or working in a remote location and need low impact, eco-friendly options for waste water management, CAT is the place to…

Build a Tiny House

25th November 2019 Short Course Gain the practical experience and key skills to build a tiny house all of your own Whether you’re planning to build your own home or just want to pick up…