UU Grounds Team – Exploring our role in the ecosystem

By Carol Arnold, Grounds Team

The Grounds Team has begun 2024 UU grounds care work. So many plant and animal species are present and active, including homo sapiens.

In early February, Kyna, Mark and I began in the meadow by raking and scattering seed, most of it collected there the previous fall before Dan’s yearly meadow mow.

During the following cold weather, members of our leadership group met to dream and plan for the coming seasons. These team members (Carol A., Patty, Carol S., and Robin) have committed to meeting regularly to stay engaged with the project and to facilitate communication with the rest of our church community.

Each month, we curiously observe plants, animals, and geology of our church grounds, look for solutions to perceived problems, and follow through with some good old-fashioned physical labor.

As spring has progressed, many Grounds Team folks (including Cande, Chante, Lynn, Ryan, Nora, and Barb) have helped with many tasks: Planting about 20 new shrubs beside and behind the building; weeding gardens; restoring neglected areas; and removing invading tree seedlings, excessive grapevines, and poison ivy.

You may have noticed some changes to the traffic island walk-through, including the stepping-stone arrangement and a few new plant species. It’s a spot we’ve been working on for years, trying to come up with a combination of plants that can endure the harshness of the site and also stay in bounds with minimal care.

Learning to live and celebrate life within a diverse species community is, for many of us, food for the soul. If you have an interest in exploring or taking part in this project, we hope you will let us know! Contact Patty Daus or me, in person or by email.