Sunday, April 24, 1 to 4 p.m.
Sustainability
How will we celebrate the rich bounty that we receive from the earth?
The plants that burst forth in the spring.
The insects that pollinate them.
Millions and billions of soil microbes that bind nutrients to the roots.
The gentle rain
Tending our small plot, together with friends. We breathe.
Every year we ask congregants to join together for a few hours tending to our shared space. Raking, trimming, spreading fresh compost and mulch are great exercise and a satisfying way to pass an afternoon. If you’ve not yet participated in a clean-up day …, If a brisk spring day of working outside attracts you …, If you’d like to plant a seedling in our gardens with your kids or grandkids …,
There are plenty of areas to safely social distance. Come with a mask, in your old clothes with gloves, a few garden tools and a hat if it’s sunny. Drop in even if you only have an hour. Your presence is appreciated. No RSVP needed
Please reach out with questions to any members of the grounds committee or volunteers who have helped us out in the recent past. You can recognise them by their smiles and the dirt under their fingernails. (see list below). We have a wealth of gardening an horticultural knowledge among our members. The core of the grounds care are our beloved adopt-a-plotters and regular volunteers who care for our many wonderful garden plots at their own pace throughout the year. Check it out.
Looking forward to seeing you IN PERSON!
Phil Barr, Sarah Wiess – Genesis Grounds Co-Chairs
Phil Barr, Mary Lu Barth, Charlotte Cowles, Laura Wallace, Sarah Weiss – The Genesis Ground Committee, Your Partners in Grime
News from the Grounds:
- Butterfly Garden – Our new butterfly garden went in two summers ago and the sprouts are coming back up. You’ll see it on path to the right towards the back parking lot as you leave the sanctuary. This year is still quite modest, but iIt will continue to develop over the next few years and contribute to strengthening our local biodiversity. Please talk to Sarah if you have butterfly loving plants or other ideas to contribute. On the subject of biodiversity…
- Biodiversity – No herbicides and pesticides – 24 months ago our Grounds Committee with the unanimous approval of the Genesis board, approved eliminating herbicides and pesticides. We’re learning. With the help of our lawn service, the Genesis Staff and other experienced gardeners, AND OUR VOLUNTEERS, we’ve gotten through the first year.
- Donate plants for ground cover – Now that we are no longer using herbicide to control the weeds we are looking for alternatives. In the three large lower-level window wells which surround the sanctuary, we are working to establish a healthy groundcover. The following is a partial list of plants that are not aggressively invasive. We’re asking congregants to donate from their gardens to plant in the window wells. Some common ground covers are: sedum, hosta low growing ferns, lily of the valley, ajuga (bugleweed), spotted deadnettle (lamium), pachysandra and low growing ferns. If you have some ready, bring them to the cleanup day, and we’ll get them planted. Otherwise, keep us in mind as you clean-up your beds at home over the next couple of years. Contact Sarah or Phil with questions.
Thank You to our recent volunteers, adopt-a-plotters and committee members! We couldn’t do it without you!!
Linda Annesley, Tom Annesley, Phil Barr, Mary Lu Barth, Mike Belzer, David Clifford, Constance Colthorp Amrine, Charlotte Cowles, Christine Cook,Karis Crawford, Kate Morris Curtin, Martha Daniels, Andrew Davidson, Jim Downward, Abbie Egherman, Annette Fisch, Barbara Frank, Kettle Freedman-Doan, Barry Fuller, Josiah Goga, Steve Grey, Penny Griffith, Mary Lu Hayman, Joanne Heaton, Claire Heidema, Knut Hill, Rowen Hill, Avishai Hayut, Nataalie Iglewicz, Suzanne Jones, Ralph Katz, Calvin Kaufmann, Mike Kiehne, Herb Klimach, Linda Klimach, Tim Kowaleski, Joy Lange, Jonathan Levine, David Lewis, Sara Lewis, Dan Long, Kay Long, Gitte Lozano, Steve Lozano, Eillean McMyler, Sue Millard, Sue Miller, Bob Milstein, Christine Modey, Ivy Modey, Rachel Murr, Violet Neau, Sarah Noda, Sarah Noda, Roger Palay, Bill Parkus, Lisa Perschke, Jack Petersen, Margaret Petersen, RuthAnn Petersen, Jennifer Potoff, Matt Potoff, Easter Rosenthal, Murray Rosenthal, Alice Sano, Paul Schwankl, Vera Schwankl, Ruth Scodel, Melissa Sigmond, Karen Slagell , Eric Slosberg, Mario Spivak, Nomi Spivak, Allison Stupka, Nancy Szabo, Nancy Szabo, Bill Teepen, Nancy Terry, Laura Wallace, Anne Wascuik, Sarah Weiss, Josh Whinston, Jennifer Wolf, Nancy Wiley, Mike Wolf (Active adopt-a-plotters and above and beyond gardeners in Bold… apologies for mistakes & omissions)
We couldn’t do it without you!! Mark your calendar for Sunday April 24th 1-4pm.
** NOTE:At 3pm the book launch event will will kick off in the Social Hall for the new book: “The Ones Who Remember, Second Generation Voices of the Holocaust“. This event is from 3:00-5:00 and is open to the public. All gardeners are welcome to attend what promises to be a moving and enlightening event. There will be reading from several of the 16 authors, a book signing, and light refreshments. As I’m one of the authors, I’d like to take this opportunity to personally invite you to attend this culmination of an 18 year exploration project. Per current Genesis Policy, Masks and Proof of Vaccination is required.