Please put Genesis Grounds Spring Awakening on your calendar: Sunday April 30th 1-4. Can’t wait to see everyone.
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 …, we’d like to …WELCOME you to 
-FUN in the There are plenty of activities for every age group. 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 and 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, Shelby Barta – 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. It’s still quite modest, but 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.
Rain Garden – On the south side of the building our new rain garden is keeping the water away from the building, slowing down and purifying our water runoff before it reaches the river. In addition, the native plants sustain biodiversity by providing food & habitat for our local insects and birds. It’s a Win-Win-Win!
Like the rest of our region, we’ve suffered from the ice storm and dense snowfall so there is plenty to cleanup.
In addition to congregants, several A2-City and Washtenaw County Sustainability ambassadors have expressed interest in joining us and sharing their expertise and enthusiasm.
On the subject of biodiversity…Biodiversity – No herbicides and pesticides – 36 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 second 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.
Thank You to our recent volunteers, adopt-a-plotters and committee members! We couldn’t do it without you
We couldn’t do it without you!! Mark your calendar for Sunday April 30th 1-4pm.
Thanks,
Sarah and Phil
Genesis Grounds Co-Chairs
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.