Calvin Church is an urban Grand Rapids church built in the late 1950’s. Like many churches at that time, the grounds included a large asphalt parking lot and grass, with the occasional trees, non-native bushes and flowers thrown in. A lot of water was necessary to sustain the green lawns and wasted as run-off in the large parking lots.
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) created the Sacred Grounds Project to help churches create more environmentally sustainable landscapes. The NWF distributes grants to help churches develop and/or implement a new plan for their grounds to reflect the unique community of congregants as well as wildlife that may be supported. Sacred Grounds includes local agencies to help:
- Churches create a more sustainable and eco-healthy habitat
- Educate church members and neighborhoods about native plants and healthy ecosystems
In 2023 Calvin Church applied for and received a $1500 grant from the National Wildlife Federation to become a Sacred Grounds Site. LGROW (The Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds) and Plaster Creek Stewards provided instruction and assistance in the creation of a small, native garden adjacent to the church. The main purpose of our first garden was to inform and educate the congregation about native plants – the importance of them, what they are, how they grow, etc.
For 2024, the initial Growing Together native garden was expanded dramatically. Amy Heilman, landscape designer at Living Garden, also provided a landscape plan for another, much larger garden that incorporated 22 types of native plants, all of which were installed in June 2024 as well as an arbor, a bench, bird bath, and more.
