Becoming a Bird Sanctuary

By Emilie Sigel

And on the fourth day, God created every creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. God blessed them, saying, be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. (Genesis)

Biblical scholars cite these verses as a call from God to protect and maintain the biodiversity of birds and all other species.

Several years ago, a retention pond, prone to flooding and mud, was a side effect of the creation of a new parking lot behind the church. The Environmental Stewardship Committee identified this barren, uninviting waste-land as an ideal location for a bird and pollinator friendly garden. Appropriate plants were researched, located, and planted. The garden was off to a good start, but the muddy ground was not people friendly.

Over the years, Nativity has been blessed with Boy Scouts who chose to enhance our campus with projects required to earn the prestigious Eagle Scout Award. The new garden was ripe with possibilities, and two young Nativity parishioners came forward.

They built a sturdy bridge over a small stream running through the garden and constructed a raised boardwalk connected to the bridge. Now visitors may walk among the plants and see the many birds that visit that area. 

In a 2014 report, Audubon says that 314 species of birds of the air in North America are threatened. To protect them, and maintain biodiversity, Audubon advocates creating bird strongholds. Our Nativity bird and pollinator friendly garden, which includes only native plants, can be part of this process.