We are a new group at the church exploring ways to be more responsible stewards of the earth.
Our Vision: God’s world as a resilient and caring community living in harmony with a healthy environment
Our Mission: Collaborating to provide consistent focus, energy and action toward preserving and healing God’s world
Our first objective is to become certified by the PCUSA as an Earth Care Congregation. We have inventoried our green practices and will submit our findings to the PCUSA for certification. We will then pursue initiatives suggested in order to be even better stewards. The four areas of focus within the initiative are Worship, Education, Facilities and Outreach.
Other areas of current discussion include:
- prioritizing new projects
- communication with the congregation
- adding new members to the team
- sharing of resources and networking in environmental issues
Come join us. Please contact our chair, Pam Bunch at pjjbunch@gmail.com for more information
June 2022 – Rain Garden Project
A new rain garden has been created and installed on church property this spring. A rain garden is an attractive landscaping feature planted with perennial native plants. It is a saucer-shaped area designed to absorb stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs and parking lots. The deep roots of the plants act as a natural filter to clean the water as it soaks slowly into the ground, thus preventing dirty, polluted water and sediment from going into our rivers and lakes.
The native plants that thrive in rain gardens are highly adaptable to local climate conditions and will need less watering than non-native plants. They also provide important habitats for native bees, other pollinators, butterflies, and birds. Once established, the garden will require very little maintenance.
One question commonly asked is: Don’t rain gardens draw mosquitos? The answer is no because there’s rarely any standing water. Rain gardens are designed so that excess runoff is absorbed within 24 hours. This project was conceived and overseen by Lee Walsh, a Master Gardener.
Lee Walsh kindly shared her file on the contents of this new garden along with bloom dates and size information for the plants, see the attached file below: Rain Garden plant list
First Presbyterian Church Tecumseh 