Albany's Skill Share Workshop Brings Beer, Rain Barrels and More

The city hosted its  on Feb. 27 at the Community Center, allowing local residents to teach others about their enthusiasms, from terrarium making to backyard bird identification and irrigation plumbing.

The event was organized by ,  a community volunteer who also brought the event to Albany. It was the second Skill Share event. The first, in October, included a , among other offerings.

People came from around the Bay Area to participate in Sunday's program.

The first session included beer making, water barrel construction and terrarium building. 

Bernie Rooney from Oak Barrel Winecraft on San Pablo Avenue explained the basics of brewing and then offered a hands-on demonstration of how to make a blonde ale.

Rooney, who has been brewing for more than 20 years, said making beer offers a special social treat.

"Who doesn't enjoy having fresh beer for yourself and your friends?" he said.

The rain barrel building class was presented by the . Erica Petrofsky, the city's climate action assistant, along with Park Guthrie from Wildcat Farmers, explained the process of making a rain barrel and the environmental benefits it brings. 

Six of the session participants went home with a hand-built rain collecting barrel, courtesy of the city. 

Two employees from showed how making stylish terrariums can be fairly easy with the right plants.

The second session of the workshop included knitting and bird watching. 

Those interested in bird watching learned to identify some birds in the area and how to spot them. Afterwards the group took a stroll around town to look and listen for the city's many birds.

The knitting session inspired many to start a new hobby and gave devoted knitters some new tips. 

Participants said it was a good opportunity to come out to learn something new.

The skill shares are part of a to build commuity through , and events such as and the  festivals.

Like to share? Stay tuned for two upcoming Dinner Swaps and Socials on March 8 and April 25. Bring your favorite dish to share with others while taking some of theirs for your household! It's the perfect way to get out of cooking.

If you have a skill to share or a skill you'd like to learn, e-mail Chelle Putzer and let her know. Your workshop might be coming up soon.

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, give editor Emilie Raguso a call at 510-459-8325 or shoot her an e-mail at emilier@patch.com.