Category: Reviews

I recently had the opportunity to visit Rootwoven Studios, a Full region which performs a number of roles: a marvellously built region for photography; a hub for community events; a place to have a little fun, and a demonstration of the landscaping skills of those behind it.

Primarily the work of Honor Lehane, this is a setting which is in so many ways a personification of perfection: a landscape blending a rugged outline, curving beaches, quiet gardens, what appear to be private retreats with their own little gardens and spaces (all of which are open to the public). Indeed, with so much to see and appreciate, and it’s hard to believe Rootwoven is in part still growing.

Rootwoven Studios is a nature-inspired escape where wonder takes root. A place to wander, play, connect, and simply be. Explore scenic trails, hidden corners, mini golf, beach activities, and live DJ events. Rootwoven is also a living portfolio of landscaping and experience design. Come as you are; stay awhile.

– Rootwoven About Land description

The main Landing Point sits close to the north-west corner of the region and alongside a small commercial centre offering vendor spaces and also information boards – one for bloggers and photographers looking to work with the Rootwoven team, and one on joining / holding events within the region.

Close to this area is the Rootwoven Studio, a combined café and information centre fronted by Alex Bader’s Zen garden. Both vendor space and café present some of the games available in the region and also the first of the many retreats to be enjoyed for those wishing to spend time here.

Exploring the region is simply a case of picking a path or, if you want to see it from above, clicking on the bubble rezzer alongside the Landing Point and taking to the air.

While teleport boards are available for hopping around, if you’re serious about discovering all of Rootwoven’s spots and places, I’d suggest initially eschewing these in favour for your pedal extremities.

Although that said – make sure you’re ready for some good walking and climbing; as already noted Rootwoven is wonderfully rugged in nature. There are also a few rope slides and bridges to keep you fit as well!

I’m not going to give a blow-by-blow account of wandering Rootwoven, purely because it does offer so much that writing about it would be more of a novella than a guide, and I’d only go and miss something. What I will say is that the overall landscaping is richly diverse and that everything flows together in a manner that leans a real sense of life and place to the region.

Around the coast, for example, there are multiple stretches of sand, coves, little bays, a saltwater area rich in mangroves and through which a boardwalk passes, headland hosting houses, waterfalls, a lighthouse and more.

Paths wind their way to most of these, some of which are nicely secluded for quiet times, others more open. Those which may not have a direct path to them tend to have a rope bridge or slide for getting to and from them.

Inland can be found richly wooded areas, winding and climbing paths, bridges reaching across gullies, gashes and gorges, and meandering streams. More board and table games can be found scattered along the various paths winding their way through all of this, together with lookout points and quiet retreats. Those who enjoy games should note there is also a dedicated teleport system for reaching those spaced around the landscape.

Houses, cabins and and an unmissable tower are scattered across the setting. Some of these may appear to be private residences, but Honor assured me they are all open to the public and a part of the region’s role as a landscaping portfolio. All “fit” the region’s design – but I’ll leave it to you to decide if the warning at the Witch’s Tower needs to be heeded!

And on that topic – do keep an eye out for the marvellous medieval-themed mini golf by MadPea sitting close by the tower.

During my visit, Honor asked me if I’d found a favourite spot within the region. I couldn’t actually give her an answer – and I still can’t. Rootwoven is one of those places where just about everywhere you visit appeals in its attractiveness.

Built with a specific pairing of environment settings in mind (accessed by using the viewer’s Use Shared Environment option), Rootwoven is caught in a moment of eventide, the Sun dipping towards the west. However, such is the beauty of the setting, it naturally loans itself to other environment settings as well.

Within her Profile, Honor notes the following:

I’m constantly amazed by the builders, dreamers, storytellers, designers and creators who pour a little of themselves into everything they touch. Their passion and creativity keep this place alive, reminding us that Second Life is about exploration of art, of people, and of self.

– Honor Lehane

Truth be told, Honor can count herself among these people, as can those who worked with her on Rootwoven.

A genuine delight to visit and tour, rich in opportunities for landscape and avatar photography (rezzing for props available through Group membership – but do pick up behind yourself!), Rootwoven is more than worth a visit, whether you are a Second Life explorer or looking for a place to relax – or for a possible venue for your event.

My thanks to Honor for her time in conversation.

Slurl Details

• Rootwoven Studios (Charmed Isle, rated Moderate)

With the Moles being something of an item of news – or at least, LL’s decision to apparently “retire” the Mole last name (although the work they perform under the banner of the Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW) will continue) – I decided to drop into what has – for over a decade now – been a sort-of “home” for at least some of the Moles: Meauxle Bureaux.

For those unaware of the LDPW and the Moles – and yes, there are many – it is essentially a group of  independent resident-contractors who, for most of the time since their formation in 2008, have carried out various infrastructure and building / creation projects under the management of Linden Lab (although their remit now covers more than this). Think Linden Homes, Nautilus City, Bay City, the Mainland road and rail systems, builds for events such as Shop and Hop, SL birthday, to name a handful, and you’ll get the picture.

They are known as “Moles” because when engaged in this this work, they have generally done so using an account with “Mole” as a last name.

This has inevitably led to the achieving a recognised status in SL, with some creating their own “Linden” bears, and with fan groups dedicated to them – and even an official annual Mole Day hosted by Bay City to mark them and their work. Given this, the “ending” of the “Mole” last name has upset for many familiar with both the Moles and the LDPW, as well as a degree of understandable concern.

First established in around 2014 (the only other time I’ve directly written about it as a region visit), and using a build from the 2013 Fantasy Faire event – Lumenaria by Kayle Matzerath – Meauxle Bureaux sits in the navigable waters off of the southern coast at the upper eastern end of Satori. Since then, it has been a  kind of publicly-assessable “Mole Town” available for people to explore, and within which some of the Moles have set-up their own homes – for a time it even functioned as something of a little meeting place.

The setting is suitably whimsical in nature and ideally suited to being the home for the Moles with its bright colours and banners, quirky stone houses and cobbled streets. Yes, some of it is looking rather aged when compared to more recent mesh landscaping elements, structures, animated water and so on – but this also somehow helps reinforce its character and charm.

Given that it does sit on navigable waters, the region can be reached via teleport or via boating of flying (seaplane / floatplane recommended!) – the “Mole Marina” on the north side of the region offers moorings and a rez zone. Those teleporting to the town, meanwhile, will be delivered to the central plaza / gardens bracketed at their eastern end by the imposing bulk of what I can only refer to as the Great Hall of the Moles and at its western end by the touch-to-teleport portals (3 in total) linking Meauxle Bureaux with Portal Park 1.

Two streets arc out from the plaza the Great Hall, running (initially) north or south, with the one providing the route either to or from the Mole Marina mentioned above. Both streets are lined with Mole homes and establishments. I don’t encourage wandering in to people’s homes, but little peeps through windows (or a glance at their gardens or kerbside areas can offer hints as to the fact that the Moles are a light-hearted and fun bunch.

One place that most definitely is open to the public is The Ye Olde Abnor Mole Pub (It is a silly place). While it may or may not be somewhere where everybody knows your name (as a certain theme tune goes), it is likely to be a place that will put some very much in mind of Monty Python, albeit in alcoholic terms, rather than canned processed meat (just check the menu on the wall). You might also be able to get a game of pool whilst there.

The Great Hall celebrates some Moles of the past together with Michael Linden, the original “Mole wrangler”, so to speak (still miss you, Michael!). Also on the walls are images of various Mole builds to be found around the Grid and which might be regarded nowadays as “historic” locations (although a couple are now out-of-date as destinations).

In this, Meauxle Bureaux itself perhaps stands as a time capsule, offering the means to visit older Mole builds around the grid whilst itself  pre-dating the introduction of Blinn-Phong materials, giving us a glimpse of those past times along its streets even while retaining its magic form those who remember it from Fantasy Faire 2013.

Sadly, it also appeared to be less well used as it might once have been. I’ve visited on-and-off since I first wrote about it (although admitted, 2026 was the first time back in around 4 years), and I’ve rarely encountered anyone else – resident, Mole or whomever – during the majority of those visits. Which is a shame given it did once host the odd get-together or two and, whilst not up the glitz and glamour of more recently locations, nevertheless makes for a pretty visit and oddly uplifting visit.

Given the state of change with regards to the “Mole” last name wandering through Meauxle Bureaux was also oddly poignant.

I actually have no strong feelings either way over whether the name should be retained or not – which is not to say I either agree with the move to end it or I fail to understand the more reasonable concerns that have been expressed about it. Certainly, I would question why unifying how LL interacts with its various independent contractors requires the discontinuing of a last name which does mean so much for many SL residents.

In the meantime, the work of the LDPW will likely continue, as noted – and as such, I would suspect that the use of “Moles” as a collective noun isn’t going to fade from use any time soon. And in that respect and whether populated or not, I doubt Meauxle Bureaux is going to vanish, either, so please don’t take this as any kind of “last chance to visit” piece; I simply felt I wanted to pop back and have a little wander.

After all, the occasional visit there is good for the soul.

Slurl Details

• Meauxle Bureaux (rated General)