On September 17th of this year, St George’s Anglican Church in Granby celebrated the installation of the Biodiversity Garden on their front lawn. The project is part of a new initiative in Granby of creating emblematic public spaces that are not only recreational but educational.
The church’s location is ideal – in terms of visibility – for the Biodiversity Garden, as it is located on the main street in downtown Granby with the bike trail running alongside the property.
With a piano, colourful hand-crafted benches and beautiful foliage, the Garden stands out. Although, more significant than the physical space is that the values reflected with the Garden are at the core of our Anglican tradition and with St George’s vision of a sacred space.
The Garden is a unique collaboration between the SÉTHY Foundation, Parkview School, the City of Granby, Atelier 19, Desjardins, the MRC de La Haute-Yamaska and St-Georges Church.
The project leader from the SÉTHY Foundation explained that the conception of the garden was presented as part of their environmental education activities.
In 2020, two grade 5 classes from Parkview School committed to the project, with the objective to make the population aware of the importance of biodiversity and the protection of natural environments in Haute-Yamaska. They prepared posters and interpretive signs that highlighted the importance of nature’s ecological benefits and their cycle of maintenance through diversity.
Then, the work focused on the creation of the first flowerbeds. In the spring of 2021 the students and teachers (under the direction of the Foundation and with the support from the other partners) planted shrubs and perennials and installed birdhouses and insect nesting boxes to attract pollinators and birds. Atelier 19 provided mosaic birdhouses and beautiful mosaic-decorated benches which showcased their intergenerational work expertise.
In the context of climate change awareness, educating about and advocating for protecting biodiversity has become essential. As Anglicans, we appreciate the responsibility to care for our God-given creation, but more than any other element of the project, St George’s was blessed by partnering with these different entities that shared a common goal. This was a spiritual journey that St George’s hopes to recreate next spring.
