The Sacred Grounds program sets out to promote native plant gardens and wildlife habitats that connect people to nature and contribute to healthier, more resilient communities. Houses of worship are respected community institutions that are uniquely positioned to implement and showcase stewardship practices that have profound impacts, inspire their congregation members, neighbors, and the greater interfaith community to adopt and expand these practices. From ecosystem health to economic stability and environmental justice, this program offers an integrated pathway toward a better quality of life.

In its first round in Wilmington from 2021-2023, DE IPL helped implement 21 pollinator gardens across the city, which you can learn more about here! As Delaware IPL has closed their doors, PA IPL has been invited to step into the region to ensure this wonderful program continues in Delaware! We are so excited to be working in Delaware and move further south in the same watershed we’ve been working in for many years! For this round of Sacred Grounds, we are expanding planting sites to include all of Delaware. We will be planting up to 22 gardens in Delaware with this round of Sacred Grounds.

We are excited to announce we have hired a garden fellow based in Delaware to support the installation of many of these gardens!

We are excited to be bringing the Sacred Grounds program to Pennsylvania, starting in Philadelphia! Over the course of this program, we will be installing 2-3 pollinator gardens (funded by NWF) on the grounds of communities of faith located in West and Southwest Philadelphia, providing garden maintenance training, and engaging communities across Philadelphia in educational and community building events, such as webinars and “field trips”.

While we have limited funds for pollinator garden installation, Educational events and resources will be available to all communities and individuals in Delaware, Philadelphia, and beyond, regardless of whether you have a garden, are getting a garden, or are considering one! Events will include virtual and in person info/listening sessions, field trips to existing gardens, in Delaware and Philadelphia, educational workshops, monarch migration events, maintenance workshops, and more!

We encourage you to attend our Sacred Grounds events if you are interested in participating in the Sacred Grounds program, looking to join the Sacred Grounds network of individuals and communities taking action through gardening, or are interested in learning more about pollinator gardens and related topics! To stay up to date on Sacred Grounds events, check our program calendar and/or join our email list where we will be sharing opportunities.

For more information or questions reach out to sparrow@paipl.org.

PA IPL is proud to be a part of the team bringing Sacred Grounds to communities across the Delaware Watershed. We extend our gratitude to our partners at the National Wildlife Federation, Delaware Center for Horticulture, and Delaware Nature Society.

Sacred Grounds Delaware River Watershed is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, with additional funding from Energize Delaware.

The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and its funding sources. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government, or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation or its funding sources.

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