Creation care can start smaller than a policy or a program. It can start with learning the names of things. Here are five natives you can find on our church grounds right now.
Eastern redbud
The pink cloud by the east entrance every March. Redbud flowers feed early bees when little else is blooming, and its seeds feed songbirds into winter.
Purple coneflower
The memorial garden’s workhorse. Goldfinches ride the seed heads in late summer — leave the stalks standing and you’ll see them.
Little bluestem
A knee-high prairie grass turning copper in fall. It hosts skipper butterfly caterpillars and shelters overwintering insects.
Oakleaf hydrangea
Native to the Southeast, unlike most hydrangeas in the trade. Its white June panicles hum with pollinators.
White oak
The grandmother tree by the playground. A single mature oak can support hundreds of caterpillar species — which is to say, it feeds nearly every nesting bird nearby.
Next time you’re early for the service, take the long way in and say hello.