The ushering in of a new year provides a great opportunity to slow down, reflect, and take time to be thankful for the many blessings of the past year. Here at the CEC we have SO many things to be grateful for! 2023 was a year of much grace, joy, and growth. While we can never totally capture all of the life that abounds here, enjoy a brief recap of some of the amazing happenings here at the Catholic Ecology Center!

Ecology Programs

“The initial step for us all to come to the knowledge of God is contemplation of nature.”

– St. Irenaeus of Lyons

This year’s ecology programming covered all ends of the earth! In March we hosted our Bug Bonanza showcasing all sorts of incredible creatures from large rhinoceros beetles, to beautiful iridescent butterflies, and walking sticks that are over a foot long from thorax to antennae! But don’t worry- we spent plenty of time loving the land right here too! With owl prowls, maple syrupin’, water quality testing, pond studies, and wildlife monitoring, and more school groups, homeschool science classes, volunteers, and the general public all were welcomed to learn more about this amazing common home of ours!

Retreats

“Contemplative prayer in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.”

– St. Teresa of Avila

We know that our relationship with God is of the utmost importance- it permeates all our other relationships: with others, with the world around us, even with ourselves! It’s so important to nourish that relationship and take special time for God- to bask in the quiet, to become aware of His loving presence, and to challenge ourselves to grow ever closer to Him and what He desires for us. It is such an honor and beautiful responsibility then, to offer retreats that provide people the opportunity to come to know God ever more deeply. This year we were able to journey alongside teens as they prepared for the sacrament of confirmation, adults as they readied themselves for RCIA, school staff as they anticipated the school year, students as they celebrated the community of their classrooms, and many other holy men and women as they entered into the liturgical season with our various Lent, Advent, St. Francis Day retreats and more!

Stewardship

“The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.“

-Genesis 2:15

The dedication of our tireless volunteers is matched only by their joy! This year we had over 1500 volunteer hours logged as people shared their time and talent through all sorts of avenues including but not limited to: cleaning the chicken coop, gathering seeds, sewing wonderful new tablecloths, taking care of our critters, maintaining the trails, and so much more! Thank you SO much for your cheerful giving!

Workshops

“If you work with your hands, you’re a laborer. If you work with your hands and your mind, you’re a craftsman. If you work with your hands and your mind and your heart, you’re an artist.“

– St. Francis of Assisi

This year the CEC provided many opportunities for laborers, craftsmen, and artists alike! Folks were able to spend time honing their drawing skills through wildlife art classes, or create their own natural paint with foraged ink classes. Many had the chance to become familiar with the property and our Wisconsin natives ecosystems as they foraged for wild edibles, collected mushrooms, and learned how to make tasty drinks from foraged plants. Plenty of women enjoyed faith, fun and fellowship with our ever popular advent wreath making class, and keep your eyes peeled for our newest workshop addition- chocolate making, where you can learn about sustainable cocoa production, make some tasty treats and of course sample along the way!

Building Addition

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.“

2 Corinthians 9:6

God has been so good to us, and so have so many of you! Thank you for helping us reap generously! We are SO excited for our new building addition and ever so grateful for the generosity of many who are making it happen! It has been so exciting to see the many stages of progress along the way- from excavation, to foundation pouring, framing and more! It  really is taking shape and the new observation deck, breakout room, welcome center and most importantly, chapel, will allow us to better serve the Lord and you! Caring for creation and living sustainably are at the heart of what we do here at the CEC, but they are also literally within the walls and materials of this new building! To learn more about the amazing green features of our addition, check out the blogpost HERE. Could God be calling you to help us grow? Click HERE for ways to help us achieve this amazing goal!

Fellowship

“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring one another.“

– Romans 12:10

Spending time and delighting in the presence of our CEC family is a highlight of the year for sure!  Our annual CEC campout this summer brought many smiles, smores, and saints in the making to our grounds! We had so much fun at our St. Francis Feast Day celebration with the petting zoo, pumpkin painting, and ax throwing too! And who can forget the beautiful candlelight hikes?! Singing carols and gathering around the fire with loved ones makes us feel warm even during these cold winter months! There are so many fond memories to look back on, and so many good things to look forward to in this new year!

By the Numbers

• Schools, Parishes and Organizations Served: 57 
• Educational Hours Taught: 645
• Service Hours Completed: 1,548
• Monarch Butterflies released: 99

Thank you for a GREAT 2023, we CANNOT WAIT to make more memories with you in 2024!

As the weeks rush towards the holiday seasons, we tend to lose focus of the ultimate source and purpose behind these joyous occasions. Thanksgiving comes and goes, and soon Black Friday – with its flashy promises of finding the “best deals” or the “biggest sales” – quickly consumes our attention. Then in a flurry we are suddenly trying to purchase all the gifts we need for the Christmas season and end up spending the Advent Season scrolling for the “best” gifts of this year…

In the spirit of ecological spending, this year – instead of only thinking about how much we give or how much we spend – perhaps we should pause and reflect on how we give in general. Ironically, even if we know to give to others in the season of giving, we still give in a consuming way and often thoughtlessly contribute to the “throw away” culture of our times. But do we give of ourselves? How much are we willing to give of our time and talents?

The mysterious gift of the Incarnation aids in better understanding the gift of relationship and what that means for our lives – at Christmas God gave us His only Son Jesus Christ and through this mystery God Himself humbly enters the world amidst a resounding hymn of joy from all of Creation.  “And Heaven and Nature sing…while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy” – it is not without reason that one of our most popular Christmas hymns includes these lines of praise. This truly is the turning point for all of nature and all of mankind.  Caryll Houselander, a mystic and Christian writer from the 20th century, puts it well in her work titled The Reed of God where she writes “the sense of joy in anything is the sense of Christ”. And ultimately the one thing Christ most wants to give us is Himself – in prayer, yes, – but most deeply in the Eucharist. Christ yearns for a relationship with each one of us and most especially at this time when He became man and joined the human race. 

Yet this humbling reality ought not to dissuade us from gift giving – on the contrary, it should challenge us to give more by giving better; by giving less “stuff” and more of ourselves. Here are some tips for giving in the generous and simple spirit of Christ this Christmas:

• Give something handmade. Even with a few mistakes, handmade gifts often mean the most. The time and talent it takes to make a meaningful gift for someone shows how much careful thought and intention went into the gift itself. A piece of the artist is in every piece of his art.

• Give an experience instead of material things. Some people don’t need more “stuff”, but would love a new experience or a day doing something they already enjoy. A state park pass can be a gift that lasts all year. Museum and art gallery passes/memberships, cooking classes, and local cuisine tours are also great gift ideas.

• If there is a gift you are shopping for, keep in mind how to respect creation in your purchasing options. Shopping locally not only helps local businesses and economies, but also reduces the impact these products may have on the environment. In addition, researching ethically sourced products (such as shade-grown coffee vs sun-grown coffee) can even have positive global impacts!

• One of our most precious things in today’s fast-paced world is time – which is what makes this commodity such an immense gift as well! Arranging a coffee date with a coworker or spending a day with a loved one can be great meaningful gifts and in fact is a gift that gives back in the time well spent with the other person.

This Christmas let us rejoice at the coming of the Saviour and “make room” in our hearts not for more “great deals” or “big sales” but instead for the Person of Christ found in all those around us. For, again in the words of Houselander, 

“Christ asks for a home in your soul, where he can be at rest with you, where he can talk easily to you, where you and He, alone together, can laugh and be silent and be delighted with one another.”

Integrating the riches of our Catholic faith with a call to care for creation

We are absolutely thrilled to be in the process of adding our 3500 sq ft building addition; The Wayne and Donna Neu Building. This addition allows us more spaces to meet our current demand while enabling us to grow well into the future. This addition includes the Holy Family Chapel, Frassati Breakout Room, Welcome Area, Outdoor Viewing Deck and full handicap accessibility. Within this new addition, we wanted to capture our unique mission of integrating the richness of our Catholic faith with stained glass windows, statuary and religious artwork but couple it with sustainability features including renewable energy, water conservation, locally sourced products and reclaimed materials. We want to thank the many people who are making this addition and our mission possible. If you would like to give, please visit us HERE.

Renewable Energy at the CEC

We are showcasing two major sources of renewable energy in our new addition, Geothermal Heating/Cooling and Solar Energy. These two energy sources eliminate the use of fossil fuels for the heating of the building and provide the electricity to run our lighting and the geothermal heat pumps to heat/cool our buildings.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling

Geothermal energy utilizes the constant temperature below ground to either bring heat into the building or dissipate heat from the building. We will have 18 geothermal tubing loops running 20 feet underground for a length of 250 feet; totaling 9000 feet of tubing! The special liquid inside the loops (Ethanol based) does the heat transfer that is required for maintaining the temperature desired in the building. The actually ductwork and control panel in the building is the same as you would have with traditional HVAC. We are utilizing this amazing renewable energy in our 3500 sq ft addition but also converting our existing 4000 sq ft building to it as well!!

Solar Energy

Solar technology has been around for decades and it has become more efficient and cost effective as time has gone on. We are installing a USA made 13.8 kW solar panel array on our new addition to power the electric needs of both the existing building and its new addition. This rooftop solar will produce roughly 85% of our electricity needs which will be coupled with energy efficient lighting and appliances. The energy produced on our roof in one year could power an electric car to drive from New York City to LA and back 10.5 times!!

Water Conservation

We are so very blessed to be in a “water-rich” state but that doesn’t give us the license to neglect our precious water resources. We wanted our new addition to showcase water conservation in a way that will empower visitors to change the way they think about and use water.

Green Roof

Our Green Roof utilizes modules that consist of a drought tolerant sedum that can absorb 70% of rainfall- draining 1700 sq ft of our roof. This roof also adds insulation value to that part of the building. Rainwater that is not intercepted by the green roof will make its way to our Pollinator Rain Garden that will capture the remainder of the rainfall.

Grey Water System

The term “grey water” refers to any water that has been used in a sink, laundry machine or shower. Although this water contains soaps and some dirt, a grey water system is designed to filter out these particulates and re-utilize this water for another, non-drinking use . In our grey water system, we will capture grey water from the bathroom sinks, bubbler and laundry machine to used in an irrigation system in our native pollinator rain garden. This ensures we are using water to its greatest potential before facilitating its return back into the groundwater. Another way we are maximizing water conservation is with dual-flush toilets (you can flush less for #1 and more for #2) and a waterless urinal.

Sustainable Materials

We are committed to using materials in our building addition that are made from recycled materials, reduce or eliminate indoor pollutants like VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), are sourced responsibly and are reclaimed/reused.

FSC Certified Lumber

Not all forestry practices are done responsibly or sustainably. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is a designation that ensures that the lumber you are purchasing is grown and harvested using the most environmentally sustainable forestry practices like selective logging vs clear cutting. This certification would be akin to the organic designation for food. It also ensures that the forestry practices used maintain high water quality, like reducing erosion, in adjacent waterways to where the forestry is taking place.

Wood Alternatives

We are able to highlight several types of products that are made from wood alternatives. Our reception desk countertop is made from pressed sunflower seeds. The front paneling on the reception desk is made from “hemp wood” which is a pressed hemp fiber product. The flooring in The Holy Family Chapel and Frassati Breakout Room is made from cork. Cork flooring is made from the bark of the cork tree and our flooring is made from both renewable and recycled cork bark. After the life of the flooring, 30+ years, the cork can be recycled or composted, as it 100% biodegradable.

Recycled Content Flooring

The carpeting in both our new addition and existing building is made from high recycled plastic content. To ensure indoor air quality, the flooring is also low VOC and the adhesives used to affix the carpet tiles are zero VOC compliant.

St Kateri Classroom flooring contains recycled plastic content equal to 5800 plastic water bottles!

Local Reclaimed Lumber

Our live edge benches inside the new addition vestibule and welcome area are made from dead ash trees cut from the CEC property and locally milled. The outdoor front entrance cross is made from a spruce tree that had to be removed for the new addition. Our gallery art wall in the corridor between the welcome area and Holy Family Chapel is made from trees removed from the Trinity Woods campus of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. This was during their building project for our partner Milwaukee Catholic Home.

Repurposed

The majority of all our furniture, shelving, and kitchen appliances in both the existing building and new addition have been reused and repurposed from various schools, parishes and other organizations. This also includes the many religious items and statuary that will be in our new Holy Family Chapel (we will showcase these in a future blog post).

Going Native

Beyond the 2.5 acres of our property that we planted in pollinator prairie, the landscape plantings around the new addition will also serve as both beautiful landscaping and a natural ecosystem function. The pollinator rain garden in front of the new building will be able to handle rainwater that is not captured by the green roof while also receiving irrigation water from our grey water system. Native prairie plantings and shrubs will surround our building, creating habitat and food sources for our many native birds, bugs and butterflies.

If you want to learn more about this exciting building project, you can read more or donate at https://catholicecologycenter.org/cec-building-addition

Captain’s Chocolate & the Catholic Ecology Center

We want to highlight a local business just down the road from the Catholic Ecology Center called Captain’s Chocolate. We are excited about our new partnership that will allow us to educate people on sustainability, organic food and supporting small farms through fair trade practices. See our Events Page for our Chocolate Workshops for adults and kids.

Captain’s Chocolate began with an Alaskan Salmon Fisherman who wanted a warm winter. That led him eventually to building a house in the Costa Rican mountains where he met Joel Sanchez, a Louisiana missionary turned Costa Rican beef farmer. Being the kind of guys they are, they had both become involved with local life and the indigenous tribes. Seeing that the tribes were having a difficult time financially spurred Captain Mark to come up with the idea of starting a chocolate factory. 

Wanting to have consistent high quality, Mark and Joel decided to build their own processing plant. Captain Mark purchased a piece of land containing an old restaurant foundation where he built the processing plant and an apartment for our employee, Robeen, and his family. When the processing plant was built, the real work began. Joel and Mark worked long grueling hours building all of the necessary equipment, such as drying sheds, fermenting boxes, and our own bean roaster. 

During this time, Mark’s sister Sarah heard about the chocolate project and joined the team. Sarah started work on the current chocolate production facility and retail store in the heart of the Wisconsin countryside. Using the nibs from Costa Rica Sarah creates the chocolate and handles the retail and wholesale selling side of Captain’s. Between the production facility in Costa Rica and the one in Wisconsin, our chocolate is created entirely by Captain’s Chocolate. This is truly single source, bean to bar, and farm to table chocolate.

One of the goals of Captain’s Cocoa is to give the Indigenous an opportunity to move out of the poverty level into a higher social class where they can give themselves and their children a better future.  Talking to them quickly reveals they want to give their families a steadier and reliable income.  One of the ways we accomplish this is buying their beans at over double the current price they are paid from the other corporation.  This encourages the Indigenous to really work their plantations to get the maximum production so they will be able to earn more money.  Respecting and treating others fairly creates a great working environment.  This business has allowed us to build strong relationships with the Indigenous and has allowed us to get to know and experience a different culture while building relationships.

What is the difference between Cacao and Cocoa?

Cocoa beans and cacao beans are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between the two. Cacao is the purest form of chocolate and refers to the plant species, Theobroma cacao, from which chocolate is made. Cocoa, on the other hand, is the term used for the processed and roasted beans used in the production of chocolate and other cocoa-based products.

What are Cacao Beans?

Cacao beans are harvested from the Theobroma cacao tree, which grows in tropical regions, primarily in South America, Africa, and Asia. The beans are removed from the pod and fermented, a process that develops the chocolate flavor and reduces bitterness. After fermentation, the beans are dried and then roasted to further develop the flavor. These beans are then referred to as cocoa beans.

What are Cocoa Beans?

Cocoa beans are processed to produce chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder. The beans are roasted at a higher temperature than cacao beans, and the outer shell is removed, leaving behind the nib, which is ground into a paste to make chocolate. Cocoa powder is produced by pressing the chocolate liquor to remove most of the cocoa butter, resulting in a fine powder.

Cacao is Pre-Process; Cocoa is Post-Process

In summary, cacao refers to the plant species, while cocoa refers to the roasted and processed beans. Both cacao and cocoa are essential ingredients in the production of chocolate and other cocoa-based products, and their unique flavors and properties are highly valued by chocolatiers and consumers alike.

Visit their website to purchase some amazing organic chocolate; Captains Chocolate

Join us for one of our Chocolate Workshops https://catholicecologycenter.org/events

With the school year starting back up, it’s an exciting time here at the Catholic Ecology center- staff retreats, field trips, Faith Journeys homeschool classes, and so much more! It’s also a great reminder that we are all lifelong learners- there is so much to discover in this wondrous world! St. John Paul II wrote in his encyclical, Fides et Ratio: “ Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves”. The following men and women are wonderful examples of those who display great faith in the service of the Church, as well as employing their reason to come and know God more fully through the natural world. Enjoy this introduction to some amazing Catholic clergy members who are also amazing scientists! 

Deacon Pierre André Latreille

Pierre André Latreille, was born in France in 1762. As a Catholic deacon during the French Revolution, he refused to pledge allegiance to France, resulting in the army throwing him in prison.  While in prison, he noticed a rare beetle on his cell’s floor and communicated this important discovery to a doctor he was in contact with. Eventually, word got out and a famous naturalist was so impressed that he convinced the government to release Pierre! 

Pierre observed and worked with all sorts of bugs throughout his lifetime. He is well regarded to this day for his classification system of arthropods. He published many writings on new species, while also providing classification for the organisms. He was referred to as the “Prince of Entomologists ” and is a great example of appreciating all creatures big or small!

Sisters of Immaculate Health

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Have you ever heard of an axolotl? They are small freshwater salamanders like the one pictured above, with feathery gills, wide eyes, and a mouth that almost looks to be smiling! In addition to being adorable, the specific species seen in the picture lives only in one lake in northern Mexico where they are endangered. Scientists were concerned about this vanishing amphibian, but luckily these creatures are blessed with some amazing caretakers! 

Nearby Dominican sisters have long been familiar with this special axolotl they refer to as achoques. For years, the sisters have used the salamander to make a special syrup that helps those suffering from coughs, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses. When the sisters noticed the achoque numbers dwindling, they started  to take care of them in a special way by bringing some to the convent. Eventually, the numbers of achoques grew as did the sisters’ biological knowledge of these amazing critters. To this day, there have been scientists and zoologists from all parts of the world that come and learn from the sisters and spend time in the convent that has rooms filled with tanks, lab supplies, and many incredible stewards of these amazing animals! 

Fr. Giuseppe Mercalli

Fr. Mercalli was a priest who, while originally from Milan, was moved to serve in Naples, Italy in the 1800s. Naples is home to the infamous volcano Mt. Vesuvius. While there, Fr. Mercalli studied the volcano intently, keeping extremely detailed notes not just on the volcano, but on seismic activity (pulses of energy that come from the movement of earth’s plates like earthquakes) as well. 

He is well known for creating the Mercalli Index, a scale that categorizes the intensity of earthquakes and seismic activity. He published many books on volcanoes and earthquakes alike, and was the head of the Mt. Vesuvius laboratory from 1911 until his death in 1914. His life reminds us that change can lead to incredible fruitfulness and to trust in God’s plan! 

Fr. Henri Breuil

Fr. Breuil was born in France in 1877. He was ordained a priest when he was 23 years old. Shortly after at age 25, he was a part of the discovery of two caves containing prehistoric cave art. After that, he spent more than 60 years studying cave art all over the world, publishing the book Four Hundred Centuries of Cave Art which contained detailed drawings and paintings of over 90 caves around the world. He estimated that in his lifetime he spent over 7 years in caves! 

In addition to his spelunking (the exploration of caves), he was a professor of Archaeology in France for nearly 40 years, and awarded a medal from the U.S. National Academy of scientists. Fr. Breuil demonstrates how to appreciate the past and learn from the stories of those before us! 

Mother Noella Marcellino

Mother Noella Marcellino is a nun of the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Connecticut- a cloistered, Benedictine community.  A hallmark of Benedictine religious life is Ora et Labora: prayer and work. The abbey crafts several kinds of artisan goods that they sell to help sustain their community, one of these is cheese! 

Mother Noella has her PhD in microbiology, and through the process learned more about the small microbe life that is used in the cheesemaking process. Microbes affect the color, flavor, and texture of cheese. Mother Noella has published papers on fungi, traveled around the world teaching others about cheese making techniques, and even has a documentary about her called The Cheese Nun! 

She reflects: “When I look through a microscope, and see the wonder, I see God in those microorganisms. It puts you in touch with God’s creation. And for me, it also can be very sacred. The motto of Benedictines is: ‘Work and pray.’ And for us, our work is also a prayer.”

Fr. Giacomo Bresadola

As a priest, Fr. Giacomo Bresadola held many important positions including managing church estates, shepherding multiple parishes, and holding the title of vicar.  However, right alongside all of his duties and pastoral responsibilities he continued to have a wonder and appreciation for the world of fungi. He wrote and published many works, drawings, and photographs of fungi, even naming a few! His collections are still used today in museums throughout the world. Just like a mycelial network, the thin, root-like threads of fungi, Fr. Bresadola was well connected with those in his parish, and community. Let us be reminded by his example to cultivate intentional relationships with those God puts in our lives! 

Zach Stikel, a current junior at St. Louis University, has been connected to the CEC since its beginning in 2021. Zach was a high school student in 2021 at Marquette University High School (MUHS) and taking an environmental science course taught by CEC executive director Joe Meyer. One week after the CEC was established in March of 2021, Zach came to the property to do some ecological monitoring as part of the environmental science class. Student’s caught macro invertebrates, set fish live traps and recorded plant species present on the property.

In April of 2021, 50 seniors from MUHS came to the CEC as part of their Senior Shared Life service experience. Zach and his classmates spent each day for a whole week at the CEC helping transform the CEC property from a Girl Scout Camp (Camp Winding River) into it’s new mission as the Catholic Ecology Center. Project’s included planting several hundred trees, removing old infrastructure, cutting hazard trees, repairing boardwalks and more. The impact of the newly formed mission of the CEC made an impression on Zach that would bring in back in 2023.

In late winter of 2023, CEC executive director Joe Meyer received a text message from Zach saying that he is currently studying abroad in Spain but would like to be an intern at the CEC for the summer when he returns. Zach is studying environmental science, Catholic studies and Spanish in college and wanted to have more experiences in the field connecting his faith, love for ecology and education.

“It was my experience at the CEC during my senior year that really gave me a desire to come back and help this faith-filled mission.”

Zach Stikel

Zach came in mid-May and jumped right in to the CEC’s growing ministry. On his first day, he was helping CEC staff run a middle school retreat for Milwaukee’s Notre Dame Middle School students. The students were shocked when Zach spoke in Spanish during a team building challenge, as Notre Dame Middle School is over 90% hispanic. During his internship, he has become a “Zach of all trades” doing everything from cleaning the buildings to leading canoeing groups down the Rubicon River.

We thank God for Zach’s willingness to share his faith and passion for ecology with the CEC!!

A Reflection from our Executive Director, Joe Meyer

It’s hard to believe that just 2 years ago the Catholic Ecology Center officially began. Of course, it was three years prior to that the original visioning of a place called the Catholic Ecology Center began. Not to mention multiple attempts at land deals and constant fundraising and all the while trying to trust that God is in control. Talk about a lessen in faith and humility!

A Conduit to Christ

It’s humbling to watch God use our ministry to strengthen the faith of so many. The success and growth of our mission is testament to the need for God in all aspects of our lives. As St. Augustine said, “Our hearts our restless until they rest in thee!” People are hungry for Christ and desiring to bring their faith to a deeper level. We seek to foster that growth in our retreats, ecology programs, events, workshops and service projects.

We founded our mission on the premise that God’s creation can draw people into relationship with Him. Wisdom 13 tells us “For from the greatness and beauty of created things, their original author, by analogy, is seen.” We don’t stop there though. It’s critical to use this universal call within us to unite us in fellowship with one another and strengthen our desire to care for our common home.

A Beacon of Hope

With so many challenges facing our world, it’s more critical than ever that we are firmly rooted in our faith. Though we journey through difficult times, as our current Lenten journey shows us, we are ultimately an Easter people- a people of hope and joy. One of the most common things people comment when they first come to a retreat, event or program at the CEC is that they feel such a great energy in this place. This is not some new age “energy” they speak of, it’s the Holy Spirit alive and at work!

Where Do We Go From Here?

Our work is just beginning. We are thrilled to announce our plans to expand the CEC’s mission through expanding our physical spaces. God willing and with your support- we will break ground on a building addition this fall that will include a chapel, welcome area, breakout room and viewing deck- all with handicap accessibility! By using sustainable building products, renewable energy and water conservation, it will enable us to educate people first-hand on bringing sustainability into their lives.

Learn more about our plans HERE

The CEC creates a place for youth and families to experience the quiet found in nature and learn about the beauty of creation and how to live more sustainably.

Archbishop Jerome Listeki

Not a Member yet? Join Us Today.

Read all about us in our 2022 Impact Report

Service Projects

As people of the Gospel, we are certainly called to social justice and environmental stewardship but it is imperative that this response be firmly rooted in our love for Jesus Christ. It is from this love that will flow our desire to participate in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, including caring for our common home. Service projects are a fun and tangible way to live our faith that is called into service. These projects are also an avenue to involve people beyond our ministry with youth, engaging both adults and families. These projects are also great reminder that we are called to care for creation in whatever context we find ourselves.

My service project at the CEC made me recognize our need for God and our role as stewards for the next generation.

Megan; High School Student and CEC Retreat Participant

Restoration and Faith

Stewardship also calls us to better the ecological state of the CEC property we have been blessed with. We also strive to incorporate the richness of our faith throughout the property. Since our beginning in 2021, we have accomplished this by creating 2.5 acres of pollinator prairie, planting an Educational Butterfly Garden, a Children’s Memorial Garden, the Lasnoski Family Stations of the Cross, and JPII Butterfly Gardens. We have also planted hundreds of native trees on the land and seeded 15.5 acres of pollinator prairie for a neighboring property!

Ecological Monitoring

Part of our role as stewards at the CEC is to monitor the wild species and the health of the ecosystems on-site. We monitor bats with an ultrasonic microphone tower, do bird surveys, insect collecting and water quality monitoring. We also use “camera traps” to see what animals are using the property, especially at night. In 2021, we confirmed the endangered rusty-patched bumblebee, only the second time it was seen in Dodge County. In 2022, we documented the first county record for the harvester butterfly which is the only butterfly to have a carnivorous caterpillar!

CEC Property Lists (as of February 2023)

• 6 of the 8 Species of Wisconsin Bat, including the endangered long-eared bat.
• 132 species of bird seen
• 38 species of butterfly

The bustling summer months and the flurry of fall colors have come and gone, but the glories of a Wisconsin winter are upon us!  This January, much of nature has taken a quiet rest under the snowy drifts and cold winds of winter, but the great outdoors still has delightful wonders in store for those willing to brave the cold – especially here at the Catholic Ecology Center (CEC) where snowbirds – cardinals, shrikes, and winter wrens – can be spotted amongst the trees and prairie grasses, while rabbit tracks scurry along the trails and roads, and signs of otter life frequent the banks of the creek and river.

But if the cold and snow deter you from venturing outside, there is a warmer, cozier alternative. Storybooks can bring nature to life in your living room. Here at the CEC, we have gathered, and continue to gather, an extensive collection of nature and ecology themed children’s books for our various programs and for visitors to enjoy on trips to the CEC. We have corralled a wide array of fantastic writers and illustrators who help bring a sense of wonder and delight of the natural world to all ages….

Here are some of our favorites from this past year:

A Seed is Sleepy – Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long collaborate with their rich talents to bring to life the tiny world of seeds. Sure to inspire hope for spring during the long, cold months of winter, this book is one of many that Aston and Long have crafted together. Other titles include A Rock is Lively, A Butterfly is Patient, A Nest is Noisy.

Over and Under the Pond, by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, follows a canoe journey of a mother and son. As they glide across a pond, they wonder at and imagine the world below, above, and around them. With up-close illustrations and a detailed list at the back of the book of all the creatures seen by mother and son, this book will inspire wonder and delight in children and adults alike.

For all honey lovers, Honeybee Man is sure to become a favorite. With collage drawings and charming text, illustrator Kyrsten Brooker and author Lela Nargi recount a summer month in Brooklyn, New York with Fred, his beloved bees, and the sweet gift of honey.

Anna’s Table – Caldecott-winning author Eve Bunting inspires children everywhere to find the little treasures that nature has to offer. After collecting a bounty ranging from beach rocks to butterflies, Anna builds a beautiful ecological exhibition – right in her own bedroom. Written in simple verse and bursting with colorful art from illustrator Taia Morley, this book is a must-have for all nature lovers.

Venturing into a cold, dark forest can be frightening – but in Owl Moon by Jane Yolen with illustrations by John Schoenherr, the beauty and wonder of the woods at night come to life. In first-person narrative, a young girl recounts the quiet stillness of the forest and fields as she and her father venture out into the winter moonlight hoping to catch sight of an elusive owl.

Sun Bread – Charming illustrations and whimsical text by writer and illustrator Elisa Kleven bring to life the story of a baker in the middle of winter and her quest to coax back the sunshine with delicious, warm bread. Amid the wintery cold and darkness, homemade bread not only brings the sun out but induces friends and neighbors to join the fun! The last page of the story offers a recipe for young aspiring bakers to try their hand at Sun Bread.

Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by Richard Jones- What does a fox do in winter? A young fox asks himself this question as the first snowflake settles on his nose. Going from neighbor to neighbor, inquiring what he is to do, the fox is stumped – he doesn’t like mud like the turtle and is not at all sleepy like the bear. Eventually finding a wise friend, he goes about doing what foxes do best in winter.

By Jody C. Benson

When I am asked what ecology means, I often stumble because there are so many components that I want to talk about—from our relationship to God and our neighbor to our relationship to land, food, and our bodies. But what I think is the most interesting part of ecology is beauty.

St. Augustine explains the relationship between nature’s beauty and God:

Question the beauty of the earth, question the beauty of the sea, question the beauty of the air distending and diffusing itself, question the beauty of the sky. . . . Question all these realities. All respond: “See, we are beautiful.” Their beauty is a profession. These beauties are subject to change. Who made them if not the Beautiful One who is not subject to change?(Sermons 241, Easter)

Nature professes its beauty, inviting us to attend to what is meaningful and good. Beauty was the impetus that led me to create Behold: A Reflection Journal Where Wonder, Creation, and Stewardship Meet (Available for purchase at the CEC or online HERE). I was also fascinated by the saints and their wonder and devotion to beauty. How did they come to see with such a sense of the sacred? Could beauty and wonder be the first step to social justice? I’ve found the answer to be “yes,” as I practice the art of noticing and receive God’s gift of beauty in creation.

We are all familiar with the beauty of nature that is clear and obvious—a variegated sunrise or a lush garden. But sometimes the beauty of nature is also hidden. This is the beauty that sparked my interest in ecology, but it takes some learning to grasp and fully appreciate. Here are two of my favorite examples: fungi and dirt. Imagine walking through your favorite park or forest. We look around and above. We hear birds and breathe the crisp freshness of the air. But we rarely look down at what’s below. Beneath our feet there is a whole network of communication guided by a dense network of fungi. Through membrane branches, fungi enable communication and connection between plants and other parts of the ecosystem. This network, known as fungal mycelium, delivers nutrients, provides chemical signals, and exchanges information. You can learn all about this and experience it on a mushroom foraging adventure at the Catholic Ecology Center! (View Upcoming CEC Events HERE).

After participating in a CSA (community supported agriculture), I also became more interested in soil. We can’t think about eating well without understanding soil. Through regenerative and sustainable agriculture, farmers are trying to cultivate rich and healthy soil, which solves other problems in addition to food quality, like pollution drought, erosion, and climate change. As a farmer and writer, Wendell Berry has long been interested in the importance of dirt, not just for our food, but also for the sake of our communities and homes. In The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture, Berry writes, “The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community because without proper care for it we can have no life.” This is the beauty of ecology. It opens up a path for us to think about and connect God’s creation to the essence of the very relationships that sustain our life. 

When we were picking apples at a beautiful orchard last Fall, my husband wondered aloud: They must have really good soil here. After he said this, I thought about the hidden work behind these apples—the labor of the bees, soil, microbes, sun, water, and, of course, people. When we start to reflect on what is beneath us, we learn how to appreciate mystery and the beauty of God in all its forms and in every encounter. This is a perspective that changes who we are and how we interact with the world. As Pope Francis writes in Laudato Si’,

By learning to see and appreciate beauty, we learn to reject self-interested pragmatism. If someone has not learned to stop and admire something beautiful, we should not be surprised if he or she treats everything as an object to be used and abused without scruple. If we want to bring about deep change, we need to realize that certain mindsets really do influence our behavior. Our efforts at education will be inadequate and ineffectual unless we strive to promote a new way of thinking about human beings, life, society and our relationship with nature.

Laudato Si’, No. 215

A gaze of appreciation protects us from the power of consumerism that devastates our culture. Our consumer culture is grounded in a belief that things are to be used and discarded when they no longer serve their function or bring us pleasure. Nature resists this framework because it bespeaks beauty and points to the Creator. In his Hexameron homilies, St. Basil proclaims, “I want creation to penetrate you with so much admiration that wherever you go, the least plant may bring you a clear remembrance of the Creator. . . . One blade of grass or one speck of dust is enough to occupy your entire mind in beholding the art with which it has been made.” Let us nurture our sense of the beauty that is unseen, hidden, and beneath our feet.

-Jody C. Benson is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of Behold: A Reflection Journal Where Wonder, Creation, and Stewardship Meet. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children. Learn more at jodycbenson.com.

At the core of the Catholic Ecology Center’s mission is to integrate our faith into a love and care for the creation around us. There is infinite beauty and depth within the rich history and tradition of our faith and we attempt to bring that to our visitor’s experience on the CEC property.

We have worked hard over the last year and a half to create opportunities for prayer and contemplation right within the context of exploring the natural beauty of the CEC trails.

Stations of the Cross

Children’s Memorial Garden

Trailside Shrines

Heavenly Butterfly Gardens

We have worked hard to not only beautify the CEC property but to also integrate ecologically valuable native pollinator plantings wherever possible. These include:

• a 2.5 acre pollinator prairie planted along the main hiking trail. This also serves a vital role in encouraging native predatory insects to help control pests at our organic farm, Clare Gardens.
• The Elizabeth and Andy Meier Educational Butterfly Garden which highlights 52 native species of wildflower with signage highlighting information about each species including the pollinators that rely on them. This butterfly garden was planted with over 2000 plants!
• The Holy Hen House butterfly garden was planted by Nicholas Hoffman of Troop 49 as part of his Eagle Scout project. 
• Butterfly Gardens were also planted in front of our main building-our Mary Garden, and in front of JPII Hall-our St. Francis Garden. 

These ecological endeavors are already bearing great fruit with the confirmed sighting of an endangered rusty patched bumble bee which is only the 2nd sighting in Dodge County! We have also confirmed 37 species of butterfly including the first county record of a Harvester (the only carnivorous butterfly caterpillar in North America).

See you at the CEC!

Written by Barbara O’Brien; CEC Educator and Clare Gardens Farmer

June has swiftly turned to July and we find ourselves enjoying the fullness of summer life here at the Catholic Ecology Center (CEC). Butterflies, frogs, beavers, blossoming bergamot and yarrow, robber flies, and bluebirds – to name only a small portion of the wildlife abounding on the grounds of the CEC.

But there are other, less wild, kinds of life abounding as well – Clare Gardens is well underway with its first season at its new location at the CEC. Surrounded by prairie grass and woods, the gardens are flourishing with a plethora of fresh, delicious vegetables — and there’s plenty more to come as the season continues!

Last Thursday brought a visit from a group of residents from Trinity Woods, one of the several senior living homes to which we provide our harvests each week. Tom the driver along with other staff members joined the residents for a lunch in JPII Hall followed by a brief welcome from CEC’s Executive Director, Joe Meyer, and Clare Garden’s Farm Manager, Anna Metscher. With sun-hats on, we then set off on a tour of the Clare Garden fields, greenhouses and flower beds — and the Holy Hen House. The day was a fun occasion for both the residents and for us on the farm crew.

Farming is intrinsically connected to sustainability and calls us back to the command God gave our first parents in that first garden on earth. To be a good steward does not only mean growing and maintaining the fruit of your hands, but also sharing that fruit with our neighbors. Seeing these men and women who eat the food we labor to grow and harvest was a great gift. And, speaking for myself, it also gave new meaning and purpose to the sore muscles and long days in the sun. There truly is a special joy to be had in laboring for other’s benefit.

One aspect I love most about farming is how conducive it can be towards thoughtful reflection in the midst of work. Since starting here over a month ago, I have had many such moments for reflection. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the CEC and the ordered space of Clare Gardens, I have especially dwelled upon the wonder of creation and all the riches a farmer can cull from its storehouse of gifts. While there is a great deal of ingenuity, planning, and wisdom needed for any successful farm, there is also a certain trust and humility required in reckoning with forces greater than us. The same wonder I have in seeing the transformation of a caterpillar into a monarch butterfly follows me as I marvel at a tiny seed putting forth a bountiful harvest.

As summer carries on, let us pray that we have a successful season and that we are able to share the fruit of our labors with humility and trust. St. Isidore, patron of farmers, pray for us!

Litany in honor of St. Isidore the Farmer, patron of farmers & workers

Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Isidore, pray for us.
St. Isidore, patron of farmers, pray for us.
St. Isidore, illustrious tiller of the soul, pray for us.
St. Isidore, model of laborers, pray for us.
St. Isidore, devoted to duty, pray for us.
St. Isidore, loaded down with the labors of the field, pray for us.
St. Isidore, model of filial piety, pray for us.
St. Isidore, support of family life, pray for us.
St. Isidore, confessor of the faith, pray for us.
St. Isidore, example of mortification, pray for us.
St. Isidore, assisted by angels, pray for us.
St. Isidore, possessor of the gift of miracles, pray for us.
St. Isidore, burning with lively faith, pray for us.
St. Isidore, zealous in prayer, pray for us.
St. Isidore, ardent lover of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us.
St. Isidore, lover of God’s earth, pray for us.
St. Isidore, lover of poverty, pray for us.
St. Isidore, lover of fellowmen, pray for us.
St. Isidore, most patient, pray for us.
St. Isidore, most humble, pray for us.
St. Isidore, most pure, pray for us.
St. Isidore, most just, pray for us.
St. Isidore, most obedient, pray for us.
St. Isidore, most faithful, pray for us.
St. Isidore, most grateful, pray for us.

Jesus, Our Lord: we beseech You, hear us.
That You would grant to protect all tillers of the soil: we beseech You, hear us.
That You would grant to bring to all a true knowledge of the stewardship of the land…
That You would grant to preserve and increase our fields and flocks…
That You would grant to give and preserve the fruits of the earth…
That You would grant to bless our fields…
That You would grant to preserve all rural pastors…
That You would grant peace and harmony in our homes…
That You would grant to lift up our hearts to You…

Be merciful, spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.

From lightning and tempest: deliver us, O Lord.
From pestilence and floods…
From winds and drought…
From hail and storm…
From the scourge of insects…
From the spirit of selfishness…

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: have mercy on us, O Lord.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

Grant, O Lord, that through the intercession of Saint Isidore, the farmer, we may follow his example of patience and humility, and so walk faithfully in his footsteps so that, in the evening of life, we may be able to present to You an abundant harvest of good fruits, You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

To learn more about Clare Gardens or to volunteer, Click Here

A Reflection from Joe Meyer, Executive Director

Lent is a reflective time and no better time to look back on the first year of the Catholic Ecology Center, a year so visible with God’s fingerprints on our ministry. Like any parent can attest to “It’s been a year already!” Yes, the founding of the Catholic Ecology Center happened 1 year ago today but its ambitious and bold vision integrating Faith and a love for creation started in the summer of 2018. In those years in between, there were tremendous high and lows with everything from fundraising to multiple land deals falling apart. As many of us have learned in the Christian life, God is trustworthy and His timing is perfect. We need to first empty our life of self-interest-submit our will to that of the Father’s-let the Holy Spirit take the reins and then HOLD ON TIGHT… because, let me tell you, you are in for the ride of a life time.

The mission of the Catholic Ecology Center (CEC) really begins with family. Certainly the family of our organization consisting of a unified and mission-focused board of directors and staff. But, at its core- the CEC begins with each family, each person, finding a home in the programs, events and community that the CEC offers. That is most tangible for me in my own family. Beginning the Catholic Ecology Center meant a new chapter for not just me but also my wife and kids. Through prayer and discernment, we recognized that God was calling us to something greater than ourselves- to a mission needed so desperately in our Church and world. This also meant great sacrifice.

In Lent, we talk about the pillars of Lent; prayer, fasting and almsgiving- and as any executive director worth their salt, let me talk about almsgiving:) In my family’s journey with the Catholic Ecology Center, we have found new meaning in giving of our time, talent and treasure. We all have likely heard this words during the stewardship or missionary appeals at Mass, but do we take them to heart. The CEC has enabled my family to find new meaning in these words and invest in things beyond this world and instead in things that build the Kingdom of God. Giving of our time to a ministry that creates time for God in the lives of so many. Giving of our talents, allowing people to have a greater wonder for God in the intricacy of ecology, art, prayer and community. Giving of our treasure in a direct and meaningful way, donating to the CEC’s mission to ensure this vital ministry continues to grow.

Of course, my family is not alone. I am humbled by the amazing partners, supporters, staff and volunteers that have answered this same call to something greater; to build Christ’s Church. May God continue to bless the ministry and mission of the Catholic Ecology Center, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, For the Greater Glory of God. Amen

If you haven’t yet, take a look through our 2021 Impact Report and JOIN US!

So by their fruits you will know them.

Matthew 7:20

It has been humbling to see our ministry grow over the last 5 years. From the simple beginnings of Laudato Si’ Project to the establishment of the Catholic Ecology Center, God’s fingerprints have been especially present in our work in recent years. On March 8th, 2021 we were able to purchase nearly 60 acres of amazingly diverse and beautiful property from the former Girl Scout Camp; Camp Winding River. Our property is also part of a 225-acre preserve complex thanks to adjacent land purchase of what is now Camp SIM. God’s providence also allowed for us to partner with Milwaukee Catholic Home’s Clare Gardens to grow organic produce on site to feed the senior living homes in Milwaukee and also educate people about living sustainably.

Our mission seeks to connect people of all ages and backgrounds to Christ and His Church utilizing the beauty and wonders of the natural world as a conduit to make this connection. Our programs are varied in nature and include retreats, ecology programs, service projects and recreational opportunities.

From March 8th, 2021-September 8th, 2021 We have:
* worked with over 2000 people of all ages
*logged over 2275 hours of stewardship service by over 250 different volunteers
*run 125 hours of educational programming including retreats and ecology programs

Laudato Si’ Mi Signore; Praise Be to you my Lord

Within the first few months after establishing the Catholic Ecology Center, it became very clear that the desire of schools, parishes and families for faith-filled, nature based programming was necessitating our hiring of a new staff member. In June of this year, we were honored to hire Theresa Liebert to become the Program Coordinator.

Theresa grew up in the driftless region of Wisconsin on a small hobby farm. She graduated from Wyoming Catholic College in Lander Wyoming with a bachelor’s degree in the Liberal Arts. Before joining the Catholic Ecology Center, Theresa worked on an organic produce farm and as a CNA for five years. During her time in Wyoming she spent over 70 days in the back country and enjoyed many outdoor activities including rock climbing, white water kayaking, cross country skiing, canyoneering, caving, and backpacking. Theresa has always found beauty to be the transcendental which brings her closest to Christ. She hopes to share God’s first book with others through her work at the Catholic Ecology Center.

From the very beginning of our founding as Laudato Si’ Project and right through the present ministry of the Catholic Ecology Center, our mission is Christ focused and faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. This was exemplified when we held our formal CEC blessing and Mass in July. It was an amazing day beginning with a blessing of the Catholic Ecology Center by Bishop Schuerman of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and followed by fun, family activities, culminating with an outdoor Mass with the Bishop.

I want to thank the generous donors that have made this all possible. Without your support of the vision for the Catholic Ecology Center we would not exist today. I also want to thank all our members. Your membership support allows us to keep our doors open, trails accessible and mission and outreach increasing. Thank You!

Read more about who we are and what we do in these articles:

• Catholic Herald April; Catholic Ecology Center’s New Home
• Catholic Herald April; Helping Kids Discover God in Nature
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Clare Garden’s New Site at Catholic Ecology Center
• National Catholic Register; At Work, Play and Prayer in the Fields of the Lord

Often when we think about Saints, our minds are drawn to the more obvious candidates such as the great theologians, Doctors of the Church, and missionaries. When we think of great scientists and naturalists, people such as Newton, Galileo, Mari Curie, Darwin, John Muir and Aldo Leopold come to mind. But how often do we combine those ideas, that is, saint and scientist? It is a fairly well known fact amongst Catholics that in 1979, St. Pope John Paul II declared St. Francis of Assisi the patron Saint of those who promote ecology. However, very little is known about the more obscure Saints who were greatly involved in the study of nature and promoting its integral beauty. 

In this secular age, which prizes science almost as a religion unto itself, little credit is given where it is due. Most do not know, or perhaps they ignore, the vast amount of information which the Catholic Church safeguarded and indeed, added to the scientific knowledge which we have today. During the Middle Ages, the preservation of philosophical and scientific texts were largely due to the copying of manuscripts which took place within the monasteries. Furthermore, the Medieval monasteries often contained extensive herb gardens. The monks would record their findings about the medicinal properties of plants in a text called a Materia Medica. Not only did the Church contribute greatly to scientific advancement during the Middle Ages, but also into our modern time. 

We, as the Church militant, have an obligation to pray for the Church suffering, but so too should we acknowledge the great sacrifices and accomplishments of the Church triumphant. By elevating these holy souls to the status of saint, mother Church has given us a plethora of figures to emulate and call upon in our daily lives.

Saint Ambrose

While Saint Ambrose is one of the four original doctors of the Catholic Church, he is also the patron saint of beekeepers and candlemakers. Legend has it that when he was a baby a swarm of bees landed on his face and left behind a single drop of honey. His father took this as a good omen, declaring that his son would grow up with the gift of a “honeyed tongue”. The prediction did indeed come to pass and St. Ambrose became an excellent writer and a persuasive orator. 

Saint Ambrose, pray for us. 

Feast day: December 7th.

Saint Valentine

St. Valentine is, of course, the patron saint of love and happy marriages, but he is also one of Catholic Church’s other patrons of bee keepers. As a physician, St. Valentine would often use both beeswax and honey in his practice. Historically, bees have been associated with love, and so in St. Valentine we find the perfect marriage of bees and love. Calling upon the intercession of this great saint was thought to ensure a sweet harvest of honey and protection to those who care for bees.

St. Valentine, pray for us.

Feast day: February 14th

Saint Isidore

Isidore was born in 1070 A.D. to a peasant family near Madrid, Spain. He often came later to work in the fields than other laborers because he would first attend Mass in the morning. Yet his work never suffered and he always met the chores required of him. It was said two angels, one on either side of Isidore, appeared and joined their pious companion in plowing the fields. St. Isidore is the patron saint of farmers. 

St. Isidore, pray for us.

Feast Day: May 15th

Saint Fiacre

St. Fiacre has been recognized as patron saint of gardeners (as well as cab drivers and florists, among other things) since medieval times. Born in Ireland in the 7th century, Fiacre was raised in a monastery. During the Dark Ages, monasteries were repositories of learning, and it is here that Fiacre became a skillful user of healing herbs. As he earned fame for his knowledge of plants and healing abilities, disciples flocked to him. Fiacre sought more solitude and left Ireland for France where he established a hermitage in a wooded area near the Marne River. Here Fiacre built an oratory in honor of the Virgin Mary and a hospice where he received strangers. He himself retreated to a solitary cell, living a life of prayer and manual labor in his garden.

The legend upon which Fiacre’s sainthood rests is this: Fiacre asked the local bishop, Bishop Faro, for more ground on which to plant food and herbs. Faro told him he could have as much land as he could entrench in one day. After prayer, Fiacre used the point of his staff to turn the earth, topple trees and dig up briers and weeds to prepare the land for a garden.

St. Fiacre, pray for us.

Feast Day: August 11th

Saint Gall

Gall was born in Ireland and, after growing up, he became a monk. He traveled to preach the Gospel and help start new monasteries until he became ill and needed to stay in one place to heal and recover. Gall often spent time outside in nature reflecting and praying. Birds frequently kept him company during those times.

Gall miraculously performed an exorcism for a woman who was possessed by demons who hadn’t come out of her previously when two different bishops had tried to exorcise them. But when Gall tried to exorcise them, the demons flew out of Fridiburga’s mouth in the form of a black bird. That dramatic event inspired people to make Gall the patron saint of birds.

Gall encountered a bear in the forest near his monastery one day and stopped the bear from attacking him after it charged toward him. Then, the story goes, the bear went away for a while and returned later with some firewood it had apparently gathered, setting the wood down by Gall and his fellow monks. From that point on, the bear reportedly became a companion to Gall, showing up around the monastery regularly.

St. Gall, pray for us. 

Feast Day: October 16th

Saint Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard was born in 1098 to a noble family in the county of Sponheim, west of present-day Frankfurt. As a child she experienced visions of God, which she described as “living light.” She was given over to the care of a nun at the age of eight, who taught her to read and write, and by 14, she was a nun herself. When her mentor passed away in 1136, Hildegard was unanimously chosen to lead her Benedictine monastery.

In addition to running the monastery, Hildegard also devoted her time to writing musical compositions, poems and plays, as well as theological texts, medical books and scientific essays. She founded two monasteries, and extensively travelled around Germany on numerous speaking tours. All in all, Hildegard was a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and polymath of the High Middle Ages. She is one of the best-known composers of sacred monophony, as well as the most recorded in modern history. She has been considered by many in Europe to be the founder of scientific natural history in Germany. She is the patron saint of musicians and writers. 

St. Hildegard, pray for us.

Feast Day: September 17th 

One of the greatest challenges today is reigniting the faith of our youth. We are seening the result of poor catechesis, tepid Catholicism and the secular culture pushing in from every angle. This is coupled with the disintegration of how to understand faith’s relationship with ecology and the disconnect of how we are called to care for creation. So…what do we do? Laudato Si’ Project and the Catholic Ecology Center’s mission is born. We seek to deepen faith and foster a stewardship ethic through hands-on encounters with the natural world. We bring a message of Hope!

For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.

Wisdom 13:5

The most clear path to instilling faith and fostering a stewardship ethic is through programing that intentionally connects the two. Our ecology programs and retreats are a clear path to showing the beauty of what is around us while catechizing youth about the depths of our faith. Stewardship projects flow from our faith in God and are our response to the many gifts he has given us. Our stewardship projects put faith into action and exemplify a living out of Catholic social teaching, especially care for creation. These stewardship projects include woodland restoration, prairie plantings, wildlife monitoring and more.

Fostering a Stewardship Ethic; Our Faith in Action

Laudato Si’ Project seeks to use the natural world as a conduit to facilitate a quiet place for prayer and utilizes Wonder to deepen faith. We need the stillness offered by nature to heard God’s voice in the whispers and time in nature is always “re-creational”. Opening our eyes to the ecological intricacy of the little things around us can help awaken a child-like Wonder which can then be directed toward God. One doesn’t need to go far to experience this. Here are some examples from the insects that call our prairie plantings home.

Upcoming Events

Get outside and rediscover your sense of wonder for creation

March can be such an emotional roller coaster; warmth and sunshine followed by ice, snow and cold. The landscapes look brown, devoid and lifeless. Yet, God’s life is stirring-up and working throughout the created world.

Maple Sap is flowing to the tops of trees while providing a sweet treat for sugarer’s during this Lenten season. Skunk cabbage, our earliest blooming flower, has already made its way through the ground to bloom (often needing to melt ice by creating heat). Woodcock’s are performing their mating ritual of the sky dance, fluttering several hundred feet into the air only to drift downward in a falling leaf display. Mourning cloak butterflies (our first butterfly to emerge) have spent the winter as a frozen adult and now search for nectar from broken tree branches and sap-sucker holes. These are all amazing indeed, but it is even a more hidden treasure I would like to highlight today.

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God has written a precious book, whose letters are the multitudes of created things in the universe.

Pope Francis

After the first warm rains (and even with nighttime temperatures in the 20’s) our native salamanders and crayfish are heading to the ephemeral ponds and waterways to mate and lay eggs. This is the exact moment when researchers and citizen scientists do their live-trap monitoring.

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Our native salamanders (Wisconsin has 7 including the newt and mudpuppy) are secretive creatures. We may have have found these critters as kids under logs or in our window wells. Three of our salamanders awake with the first rains and head to the nearest fish free wetland and vernal ponds to mate and lay eggs. Setting minnow traps to catch them is a great way to monitor their presence, abundance and breeding.

All water creatures, bless the Lord; praise and exalt Him above all forever.

Daniel 3:79

It is not just the salamanders you discover but many other little treasures along the way; sandhill crane nest, mud minnow, diving beetle and migrating birds.

The other cold-blooded creature moving during the nights may come as a surprise to you; the prairie crayfish. That’s right, not all crawfish spend their life underwater and Wisconsin has 6 native species. I recently discovered a crawfish burrow in the middle of a prairie on a nearby preserve and wondered what kind of crayfish it could be. Let the live-trapping begin!

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Not a lot is known about these crayfish species and much of our knowledge has come in recent decades using live trapping. Like salamanders, the prairie crayfish comes out after the first rains to find water to breed (even with nighttime temperatures in the 20’s!). During the warmer months, they forage nocturnally in the prairies and woodlands for worms and other food. There burrows can be quite elaborate and go as deep as needed to hit the water table, even up to 10 feet.

There are amazing natural treasures all around us all the time. Many are right before our eyes but we need our eyes “focused on the little things” to see.

A special thanks to Dr. Gary Casper of Great Lakes Ecological Services and Ozaukee Washington Land Trust.

God continues to richly bless Laudato Si’ Project‘s ministry and this February our organization will be turning 4 years old! Our mission has reached new levels in the last 12 months with new partnerships, programs and nearly $300,000 raised for the future Catholic Ecology Center land acquisition! None of this would be possible without our generous members, donors, partners and volunteers. Thank You!

2019 By the Numbers:

• Over 1200 students, families and adults took part in faith-based and ecological programming
• 100 hours of educational programs
• Over 465 volunteer hours of stewardship caring for our common home
• 30 hours of recreational outings to get outdoors and explore nature

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For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.

Wisdom 13:5

We are excited for what 2020 has in store for Laudato Si’ Project and the Catholic Ecology Center. Please continue to pray for us that God’s will may be done through our ministry. Keep up with all the happenings this coming year and join us for a program by liking us on Facebook.

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The Bible is full of analogies that use the Earth and its abundance to describe our God and His love for us. It also uses the imagery of farming, scattering seed and harvesting to illustrate our need to cooperate with God’s will, evangelize, die to ourselves and bear virtuous fruit through our actions.

On this feast of St. Francis of Assisi and during this wonderful harvest time of our crops and vegetable gardens, perhaps we are more attune to this connection with God’s creation and our role to be stewards of it.

Fall is also the perfect time to seed a native prairie. That is, of course, after you have prepared the site and removed all unwanted “weedy” species like crown vetch, wild parsnip and Queen Anne’s lace before you seed natives. It is just like our life of virtue in which we must clear a space for the Lord in our hearts and replace our habitual vices with acts of charity or other virtue. Prairie sites can be prepared in 3 primary ways; agricultural tilling, smothering with cardboard, or herbicide treatment.

Laudato Si’ Project has done many such restoration projects over the last 4 years including plantings on preserves, at schools, or for private landowners. The amazing thing about these native plants is their tremendous root systems, sometimes extending over 10 feet down. They seem to heed the Bible’s advice to put down deep roots of faith to avoid quickly abandoning God when hardship or suffering comes along. For a plant, this hardship would be the availability of water and their deep roots solve that very problem.

Everything growing on earth, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever. -Daniel 3:76

Prairies and butterfly gardens not only look beautiful but can have some other important benefits as well; like helping pollinators, increasing infiltration and reducing soil erosion. They are also great places to do educational programs, both in the planting of them but also throughout their life.

Below are pictures from various prairie projects we have done and the many students and volunteers that helped to make them happen. In the words of St. Francis of Assisi Laudato Si’ Mi Signore; Praise Be To You My Lord

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Spring is a time rich with opportunities to get people back outside after a long and cold winter. The last couple of months have been packed with retreats, educational programs and stewardship projects. Below are some of the highlights.

Education: Live Owl Program and Owl Prowl; Care for Creation Pollinator Program

We ran a sold out live owl program for our friends at Tall Pines Conservancy. We learned about all the amazing creatures that are active at night and learned about the adaptations that allow them to be so successful. Thanks to Wanakia Wildlife Rehabilitation for bringing live animals including the american crow, great horned owl, barred owl, saw-whet owl, eastern screech owl and opossum. The educational program was followed by an owl prowl looking and calling for owls on the amazing Camp Quad Conservation Easement. We finished with a bon fire and s’mores.

We also ran a Care for Creation program for St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Milwaukee. First graders through adult learned about topics including our Catholic call to be stewards of creation, prairie ecology and the diversity and importance of pollinators.

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Stewardship: Camp Quad Conservation Easement

Tall Pines Conservancy’s private conservation easement on the 300 acre Camp Quad property is truly a treasure. We spent the morning with Marquette High School student volunteers marking their new nature trails throughout the property.

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Faith: Retreats for St. Gabriel and St. Jude the Apostle

We always enjoy running retreats for the schools and parishes in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. In April we did so for St. Gabriel middle school at the Forest Beach Migratory Preserve in Port Washington. In May we ran a retreat for St. Jude the Apostle 6th graders which took place at the Schoenstatt Retreat Center in Waukesha.

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It has been another great year for Laudato Si’ Project and this February our organization will be turning 3 years old!  There have been so many highlights and adventures in the last 12 months and it is all because of our generous members, donors, partners and volunteers. Thank You.

2018 By the Numbers:

• Over 1400 students, families and adults took part in programming
• 80 hours of educational programs
• Over 650 volunteer hours of stewardship caring for our common home
• 25 hours of recreational outings to get outdoors and explore nature

Education:

In 2018, Laudato Si’ Project ran 80 hours of educational programs! We were able to connect with hundreds of school students ranging from kindergarten up through college. Whether it is speaking at a school, retreat, conference, or out in the woods- education is at the core of what we do. Our School Partnerships have really expanded Laudato Si’ Project’s reach. With our partnerships growing, we are able to work with teachers to help them connect students to the teaching of the Church and Laudato Si’. This ensured they could find ways to get students into nature, sparking curiosity and developing a love for this amazing natural gift.

Retreats

One of Laudato Si’ Project’s most impactful programs are the retreats we facilitate for parishes and schools throughout Southeast Wisconsin. This fall we were privileged to work with nearly 300 students, deepening their faith and calling their love for God into action through stewardship of our common home.

Watch our short video about Laudato Si’ Project Retreats.

Stewardship:

In 2018, Laudato Si’ Project logged over 650 volunteer hours! Stewardship is all about getting our hands dirty. It is our philosophy that is it not enough to just learn about nature, you have to work to help restore it. By allowing students opportunity’s to give the Earth a helping hand- we are instilling a sense of mercy for our common home that they will carry with them throughout their lives. We are very proud of the great partnerships we have struck with multiple organizations including Tall Pines Conservancy, Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, Waukesha Land Conservancy, Catholic Heart Work Camp, Heiliger Huegel Ski Club and Schoenstatt Retreat Center.

Protecting Pollinators

In 2018, we planted 7 different native butterfly gardens totaling nearly 4000 native wildflowers! These gardens are an oasis for our native bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Over 200 students assisted with the plantings and also learned about the benefits of prairies and unique ecology of the organisms that call it home.

Recreation:

In 2018, Laudato Si’ Project created 25 hours of recreation outings. We seek to create intentional recreational opportunities so that students, adults and families can spend time enjoying our beautiful natural environment.

It has been a great year! God has richly blessed our organization again this year and has given us countless ways to spread our vital mission. We look forward to busy and fruitful 2019. Happy New Year.

Upcoming Events:

• Sat January 26th 10am-noon Hartland Marsh Stewardship
• Sat/Sun February 2nd-3rd: Langlauf Winter Carnival
• Sun February 17th 1pm-3:30 Living in the Web of Creation Program and Fellowship

Check our Facebook page for more details

 

 

The 4-part Outdoor Adventure Series will consist of essays written by students who participated in one of Wyoming Catholic College’s COR Expeditions: a 21-day backpacking trip infused with faith, community, virtue and beauty. You can view a video and learn more about Wyoming Catholic College’s COR Expedition offerings HERE

Essay #1: Mt. Geikie

by MaryAnne Speiss

With a slap, cold woke me; I was freezing! The chill of last night’s storm hung on the air of the tent, and trying to pretend it away did no good. I tensed my entire body to combat the frigid air sneaking into everypore and extricated my aching limbs from the thin bag that had so wretchedly performed its function. All my clothes (save the thin layers I wore) were wet; I could not warm myself. The tent dripped on us; I could not fix it. My bare feet, cringing as they slid into clammy sandals, hurt as cold bit them. I was completely powerless to ameliorate the situation. All I could do was grit my teeth and hurl myself, exhausted and rebellious, through the tent flap and onto the wet mountain grass of the windy valley. My stiff body uncrumpled and poised upright, and then I saw it!

Mt. Geikie stood before me, but not the brutal mound of rock that I had summited
the day before. It still retained its perfect shape, climbing and climbing to a double peak, and my feet and hands still vividly recalled the ledges and dark boulder fields discernible from below. But the storm had transformed the sight before me. No longer was it something known and familiar, as it had been in the garish sunlight; it was now something of immense power, almost eerie in its captivation as soft tendrils of cloud swirled white against the dark peaks, mirroring their swaying counterparts in the sky. They flowed in slow succession into all the crannies and crevices of Geikie, almost to the tree-line. If ever a mountain took on the robes of a god, this was the moment! A shuddering thrill: I had stood on holy ground and had not known it! Would that I had knelt upon the peak. What words were whispered between the rugged rocks and soft curling cloud I could not hear, but though the wind swirled hard about my huddled shoulders and bare ankles, I stood stunned, my misery forgotten.

The vision only lasted a few breathless moments before I was filled with such inspiration that I found myself tromping off, still shivering, to attack the camp’s morning duties with a gusto so intense that it rivalled my recent, vicious frustration.

I was shocked! Had this really happened? Had an experience of intense beauty just given me the ability to bear cold serenely (which had never happened before in my life)? Where was the writhing of my soul in the face of my inability to improve the situation? It was gone, not explained away but suddenly absent, crowded out of my small brain by a deluge of beauty. The frustration begin to seep back from time to time over the course of the morning, and with it the vivid consciousness of pain, but whenever I remembered the beauty of my early morning vision it would again vanish. I was intrigued and began a quest of speculation.

I at last hypothesized that pain is comprised of two things, both which we call pain by themselves though perhaps we are wrong in so doing: firstly, the discomfort caused by an inevitable stimulus, and secondly, the impotent frustration that usually ensues. These go hand in hand so regularly that I had not clearly noticed this distinction before. It appeared to me now that the frustration was not inevitable and could indeed be avoided by counteracting it with beauty, either in actuality or in memory, which would then allow for a strengthened and vivacious going-onward with life. So I set out to test my theory, and I soon broadened my experiment not just to physical discomfort but also to mental discomfort.

As painful situations would spring upon me, I was ready for them. At one time my eyes ached from exhaustion; I recalled the crescent moon crested by a planet that I had seen the night before, and, sure enough, I found that I could go on invigorated, my frustration dissipated. At another time, I found myself on the verge of cursing at an annoying situation; I looked up and saw some fresh-cut flowers and returned to a place of inner cool. In no case did the exhaustion or annoyance magically disappear, but they lost the edge that made them feel unbearable, and I could then attack or tolerate problems with considerably more ease and courage. St. Paul might have meant something far more immediate and tangible than I had ever realized when he famously penned “whatever is lovely … think about these things.” (The Holy Bible, RSV, Phil. 4.8). So far my vision of Mt. Geikie had only lead me to confront lesser manifestations of the problem of evil. Little did I suspect that through it, and through my speculations on the nature of pain, I would get a glimpse of a deeper answer I had been seeking for years.

 I, (and I know that I am far from alone in this), have long been locked in close combat with the problem of evil’s most affronting manifestation: the suffering of innocent victims. I was aware that my impotent rage at this injustice was etching itself deeper and deeper into my heart. The older I got, the more it threatened to shatter me. I could follow the arguments of theologians like C. S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain as they used logic to explain how such outrage could be allowed by a good God. I could even intellectually assent to such arguments; only, I could not come close to inward peace on the subject. I had no concrete example to draw upon in order to comprehend how somehow, someday, it could be possible to accept a reason for innocent suffering without experiencing devastating inward rebellion. Indeed, I had several times considered whether I should “most respectfully return [God] the ticket” (245) to heaven, alongside Dostoevsky’s Ivan Karamazov.

But then I saw it! Of course! Everything suddenly came clear; my image of Geikie was the example I needed! For an intense, flashing second I saw a metaphorical Geikie, not the mountain of stone but now representing the whole of history. It too was swathed in clouds, the clouds of all innocent suffering since the fall of man. If, thought I, the very clouds that caused the misery on the freezing morning were the things that redeemed it in the end — with beauty and not explanation — then it is possible, just possible, for the same to be true of innocent sufferings when seen from the end of time.

I stand stunned, my heart at peace.

 

This Fall has presented countless opportunities to connect with nature, grow in faith, and care for our common home. Over 300 people, ranging in age from 3 years old to 80 years old, took part in Laudato Si’ Project events this Fall! These included educational programs, retreats, recreational outings, and stewardship projects.

Education:

Programs with Saint John Vianney 7th and 8th grade, Woodside Elementary, Families at Schoofs Preserve, St. Gabriel Flea Market and Schoenstatt Families

Laudato Si’ Project was also honored to have executive director Joe Meyer awarded Ozaukeee Washington Land Trust’s Michael Frome Education and Outreach Award.

 

Stewardship:

Programs with Cristo Rey High School, Woodside Elementary, Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, Casa Romero Center, Marquette High School and other hard working volunteers.

Recreation: Nothing beats time spent in nature. Student groups find that hiking and exploring in our natural world is truly Re-Creational.

Laudato Si’ Project seeks to utilize connections with nature to instill a sense of wonder and begin to create a stewardship ethic rooted in faith. The summer months present great opportunities to do just that. Using small mammal live traps, snake boards, turtle nets and other ecological monitoring equipment, we are able to let groups get up-close and hands-on with Wisconsin wildlife.

Learning about the beautiful treasures of creation is not limited to the daytime. Few people experience the diversity of our nocturnal animals: bats, lightning bugs, and moths. We use ultrasonic microphones that hook-up to your smart phone that detect feeding bats overhead that are using echolocation. Even though you may not see them, the device makes audible their echolocation and auto-id’s the species of bat. Although Wisconsin’s 8 bat species present great opportunities for discovery and topics of conservation, our hundreds of species of moths should not be overlooked.

We make this great diversity of moths accessible through live moth trapping. By

making a homemade moth live trap you are able to make visible all those amazing bugs that move about while we are asleep inside. All you need to do is turn the black-light on in the trap before you go to bed and in the morning feast your eyes on the treasures it has collected. If you really want a project, purchase a Peterson Field Guide to Moths and try to identify some of them.

“Through the greatness and the beauty of creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker”    -Pope Francis Laudato Si’ (Wis 13:5)

 

With Earth Day just this past Sunday, we thought we would share all the great happenings within the last week. If you haven’t read the article about Laudato Si’ Project in the National Catholic Reporter, you can view it HERE. We also had the opportunity to speak about Care for Our Common Home on Relevant Radio’s Morning Air. You can listen to that Conversation HERE.

This week we also had the privilege to work with 2 middle schools in the Archdioscese of Milwaukee, St. Alphonsus and St. Jude the Apostle. We helped St. Alphonsus 7th graders with a service project and teaching them about how our faith connects with Care for Our Common Home. We continued with a woodland restoration at our Schoenstatt project area removing invasive species and putting up bluebird and kestrel nest boxes.

Laudato Si’ Project also led the 6th graders of St. Jude the Apostle in their retreat focused on Respect, Peace and Acceptance. This is part of a continued partnership with Marquette University High School, Laudato Si’ Project and middle schools in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The weather could not have been better and the students were able to experience a fun, faith-filled retreat that drew them closer to God, one another, and Creation.

Lastly, we have finished installing our Bat Boxes on several properties in Washington County. These boxes will serve as a day-time roosting site for our many bats that call Wisconsin Home. You can learn more about helping bats at https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/bathouse.html

Butterflies in March?

Even with snow on the ground, adult mourning cloak butterflies emerge from their winter slumber spent under leaves or loose bark. They are one of only a handful of butterflies to overwinter as adults. To keep from freezing, mourning cloaks reduce the amount of water in their blood by as much as 30 percent and then thicken it with a sugar solution of sorbitol. Biologists in Alaska found that mourning cloaks do not freeze until the temperature reaches minus 220°F. Once they emerge, they need to quickly feed, so they often seek out running tree sap or rotten fruit. Mourning cloaks win the award for greatest longevity among butterflies, living 10 or 11 months. Search the woodlands near you this spring.

Maple Syrup

February and March can be tough months, with some warm days followed by a snow storm. One way to sweeten this emotional roller coaster is to experience the maple syrup season. Even when nature seems asleep, maple trees are sending sugary sap up to the branches where the buds will use the sugar to make leaves in a few weeks. In my experience, having days around forty and sunny with nights below freezing produces the best sap flow. When temperatures reach high forties and fifty the flow actually stops. The sap is about 2-5% sugar and will be boiled down to about 66% sugar which we then call syrup. This boiling can be slow going as you may have to evaporate off 50 gallons of water to get 1 gallon of syrup! Sugar Maples are the most common tree used for syruping but other maple family trees can be used; silver, red, and boxelder. In Alaska, without maple trees, they utilize the sap of birch trees to make syrup!

Small Mammals

Some of our mammals began to awake from their winter slumber in March but many

mammals were active all winter. Laudato Si’ Project is beginning some small mammal survey’s using live traps in order to gain understanding of what lives in certain areas and how many. The goal is also to create programs open to the public so they can see many of these amazing critters close up. It also demonstrates ways in which research scientists monitor and study these animals. Our target species include: meadow vole, short-tailed shrew, meadow jumping mouse, woodland jumping mouse, deer mouse, 13- lined ground squirrel and flying squirrel.

Spring Avian Arrivals

Many of us look forward to the first calls of red-winged blackbirds, robins, and sandhill cranes, but there is another bird species that begins its unique mating dance in March, the

 

American Woodcock. On these spring evenings, just before dark you will begin to hear the “peenting” call of the male Amercian Woodcock. Without knowing this, you might write it off as a silly insect buzz but what follows is truly a spectacle of nature. The male continues his “peenting” call for several minutes before taking flight. Then begins a circular flight into the sky, during which you will hear a high pitch noise as they fly made by the sound of their wings. They continue these concentric circles until they are several hundred feet in the air and then continue with their “falling leaf” display. This consists of erratically falling through the air while making high pitch vocal tweets. Their sky dance ends with them swooping silently to the ground where they originally took off and continue their “peenting.” This mating display continues well into the night and sometimes in the morning as well.

February and March is also a great time to cleanout your bluebird nest boxes for the arrival of the Eastern Bluebird. These gorgeous birds arrive early in the spring and begin to choose nest sites; tree cavities or nest boxes. American Kestrels also begin choosing their territories and picking out nest boxes as well. Laudato Si’ Project is helping to boost both bird populations with the installation of dozens of kestrel and bluebird nest boxes in Southeast WI. Many of our bird houses are made from scrape lumbar reclaimed from construction sites. Volunteers and Boy Scouts are placing them at several sites including Schoenstatt Retreat Center, Daniel Boone Conservation League, Tall Pines Conservancy’s Camp Quad Easement, Heiliger Huegel Ski Club and several other private land owners with appropriate habitat.

 

“The poor and the earth are crying out.”                                                                                               -Pope Francis Laudato Si’

As we embark on this Lenten season, we do so with the structure of the 3 pillars of lent; Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. These actions of self denial orient us toward the Creator who is the source of all life and true happiness. Many of our transgressions against God and one another stem from a distorted understanding of our place in this world. When we forget our rightful place as creature and not Creator, we focus only on ourselves and neglect our prayer life, our role as stewards of creation and service to one another. We can also use the 4 Cardinal Virtues as a guide to reflection about our personal stewardship ethic.

Justice:

What is owed my neighbor? What is owed to generations yet to come? How are we going to hand on this Creation that we have been called to steward?

Temperance:

One of the hardest but most impactful of virtues. How can we restrain our consumption and always wanting more? How can we simplify our lives to make more room for God?

Prudence:

This virtue allows us to discern the true cost of our actions. Our consciences need to be formed by our Faith. This will allow us to guide our families and those around us to more sustainable choices and lifestyles. We can also give thanks for what we have been given.

Fortitude:

The virtue of fortitude gives us the perseverance to live more simply and the courage to be counter-cultural. It also gives us the strength to remain hopeful amidst the hardships and injustices in our world.

Prayer:

In your prayer this Lent, take time to pray for Our Common Home and those which depend most intricately on it, the poor. Click Here for a great prayer by Pope Francis

Fasting:

In an effort to rid our hearts and lives of that which is not essential, the Church calls us to simplicity through fasting. Much of our environmental and social degradation is due to a “throw away culture.”  This Lent, fast from those wasteful habits in your life.

Almsgiving:

The paradox of Christianity is clear; less is more, give and you will receive. By detaching from our money we more clearly can experience God’s love and freedom in our lives. There are so many wonderful organizations helping Humanity and our Common Home. Consider supporting Laudato Si’ Project this Lent.

Further Study:

You can find a Laudato Si’ Study Guide and other resources on our Website

Sign up Here for a Lenten Guide to fast for creation

Guest Reflection by Woodside Elementary Kindergarten Teacher Peter Dargatz

Some of my earliest and favorite childhood memories are my experiences with nature at Underwood Creek, catching frogs at Menominee River Parkway, and rock hunting along the shores of Kohler-Andrae State Park. Nature has always been a place of peace and passion in my life. No matter what else was going on in life, nature was a constant. Living in Wisconsin means amazing seasonal variability and wonderful access to nature. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. As I grew up, I knew that nature would continue to be something I enjoyed personally. I never expected it to be something I could enjoy professionally. Fortunately, I can now do both. I am ecstatic to be able to continue sharing my passion and love for the natural world with my family and my students.

Teacher burnout is a real thing. I love educating children, but after years of teaching, I couldn’t help but feel that change was needed. I saw my students excelling academically but falling short in other areas. The change I needed was not a new job, but a new direction. That direction led me back to my love: nature. Initially, my rejuvenation began with the creation of the Tyke Hike program in my volunteer work for the Ice Age Trail’s Waukesha/Milwaukee County Chapter. These monthly hikes along a segment of the trail focused on more unstructured exploration and nature play combined with some service learning and emergent learning opportunities. Seeing how excited children were at being able to observe, explore, and play in nature inspired me to find a way to bring that enthusiasm to my classroom. I found that way with the nature kindergarten concept. Being in a public school, there were many potential hurdles. However, with tremendous support, access to land, and a seemingly endless supply of energy and enthusiasm, it soon became a reality. My students receive daily interactions with nature with a nature-infused curriculum bursting with project-based, personalized, and play-based experiences.

 

The Tyke Hike program and my nature kindergarten classroom are extremely important to my family. Besides the substantial support and assistance with the responsibilities these activities require, my family is my inspiration for my continued development as a teacher and nature steward. My daughters inspire me to create a classroom community that would make them proud. My wife inspires me to follow my dreams and try new things. We constantly share our own nature experiences and making new nature memories together. My wife and I want our girls to experience and celebrate nature so that they will appreciate and honor it on their own.

Whether it be visiting my outdoor classroom, walking through the nature preserve at the end of our block, or visiting one of our many favorite nature spots throughout the area, nature is and will always be an essential element of our lives. We don’t learn about nature. We learn from and in it.

In my three years as a nature kindergarten teacher, I have worked to revamp and rejuvenate my instructional practices by enhancing my curriculum with opportunities for my students to dig into nature, both figuratively and literally. We engage in a diversified set of activities aimed at creating a well-rounded whole-child experience. Place-based learning is crucial to this. I want my students to more deeply understand their community and more importantly, their place and role in that community. While there are a variety of specific activities and experiences we use to deepen our connection to the natural world, the first and far most valuable resource is time. Time to explore, observe, and play. Every day. Mother Nature is a much better teacher than I could ever be so giving her control allows the students to see their world with a different perspective.

This different perspective aims to create and instill a passion for appreciation and love of the land. I want my students to experience the land, understand their place in it, and preserve it. For example, students learn about invasive species. With garlic mustard being easy to find and just as easy to pull out, it is a natural choice to use as a learning tool. We learn about what garlic mustard is, what it does, and why getting rid of it will be helpful for our land. Once we learn that, our daily interactions with nature include garlic mustard picking. It becomes so motivating for kids. I have received many correspondences from parents stating how their child spent hours at home and in the neighborhood pulling out plant after plant. Similarly, to diversify the land, we work on prairie restoration. Using old donated tarps, the students choose a spot to kill off the bland and homogeneous grasses. Later on, they remove the tarp, move it to a new location, and plant prairie plants in that spot. They also distribute native seeds and study different plans to purchase. Additionally, the students do a variety of things to help our animal friends. Whether it be building bird feeders or setting up winter dens, we learn about nature by immersing ourselves in it.

Read a great article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about Peter and his classes HERE

 

Laudato Si’ Project was thrilled to help run the high school retreat for St. Catherine of Alexandria in Brown Deer. We began in the morning with a presentation and discussion

on Living Laudato Si’. Topics included: What the Church teaches in regards to Care for Creation, what are the major themes of Laudato Si’, and how to we live a Laudato Si’ stewardship ethic day to day.

After a great morning session, it was time for lunch and then out into the sunny 40 degree January weather! We were off on our faith-based ecology hike to explore the amazing beauty of the Holy Hill segment of the Ice Age Trail.

Joining us for our walk was volunteer educator Steven Schwartz. Steven earned his Bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and wetland science and is currently taking Master’s classes at the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences. It was a blessing to have Steven’s faith and expertise on our hike. We discussed some of the unique geological features that can be found in the Kettle Moraine and heard insights for great Saints like St. Kateri Tekawitha. It was truly a wonderful day for the youth and it ended with the sacraments of Reconciliation and Mass at the Holy Hill Basilica. A special thanks to Lorrie Maples who is the Formation Director for St. Catherine of Alexandria.

Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded. -Pope Francis, Laudato Si’

Well, it’s hard to believe that were are wrapping up 2017 already. It has been another big year for Laudato Si’ Project and this February our organization will be turning 2 years old!  There have been so many highlights and adventures in the last 12 months and it is all because of our generous members, donors, and volunteers. Thank You.

The summer of 2017 was the 2 year anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Pope Francis also made “care for our common home” a work of mercy 1 year ago in 2016! (see New Work of Mercy). This solidified Laudato Si’ Project’s mission and gave us even more momentum moving forward. As our mission states, we are dedicated to restoring humanity’s connection to the natural world through education, stewardship, and recreation.

Education

In 2017, Laudato Si’ Project ran 70 hours of educational programs! We were able to connect with several hundred school students ranging from kindergarten up through college. Whether it is speaking at a school, retreat, conference, or out in the woods- education is at the core of what we do. Our School Partnerships have really expanded Laudato Si’ Project’s reach. With over a dozen partnerships and growing, we are able to work with teachers to help them connect students to the teaching of the Church and Laudato Si’. This ensured they could find ways to get students into nature, sparking curiosity and developing a love for this amazing natural gift.

“The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains – everything is, as it were, a caress of God.”  -Pope Francis, Laudato Si’

Stewardship

In 2017, Laudato Si’ Project logged over 600 volunteer hours! Stewardship is all about getting our hands dirty. It is our philosophy that is it not enough to just learn about nature, you have to work to help restore it. By allowing students opportunity’s to give the Earth a helping hand- we are instilling a sense of mercy for our common home that Pope Francis has called us to.

“We must hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” –Pope Francis, Laudato Si’

Recreation

In 2017, Laudato Si’ Project created 25 hours of recreation outings. We seek to create intentional recreational opportunities so that students, adults, and families can spend time enjoying our beautiful natural environment. “Less screen time-More green time”, that’s our modo. We are very proud of the great partnerships we have struck with multiple organizations including Tall Pines Conservancy, Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, Heiliger Huegel Ski Club and the Schoenstatt Retreat Center. These organizations own large amounts of land and gives us the ability to connect people with meaningful educational events, stewardship projects, and recreational outings.

It has been a great year! God has richly blessed our organization again this year and has given us countless ways to spread our vital mission. We look forward to busy and fruitful 2018. Happy New Year

“LIVING OUR VOCATION TO BE PROTECTORS OF GOD’S HANDIWORK IS ESSENTIAL TO A LIFE OF VIRTUE; IT IS NOT AN OPTIONAL OR A SECONDARY ASPECT OF OUR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.”  -POPE FRANCIS, LAUDATO SI’

 

Laudato Si’ Project has ambitious goals for 2018 to help this species recover.

Few birds of prey in WI can rival the beauty of the American Kestrel. At roughly the size of a Mourning Dove, it is North America’s smallest falcon. Unfortunately, it has declined nearly 50% over much of its range since the 1960’s.  Reasons for the decline are varied

but include continued clearing of land and felling of the standing dead trees these birds depend on for their nest sites. The American Kestrel is also losing prey sources and nesting cavities to so-called “clean” farming practices, which remove hedgerows, trees, and brush. An additional threat is exposure to pesticides and other pollutants, which can reduce clutch sizes and hatching success. For kestrels in North America, a larger problem with pesticides is that they destroy the insects, spiders, and other prey on which the birds depend.

Laudato Si’ Project is responding to kestrel decline the same way we responded to blue bird decline- the installation of nesting boxes (See past blog post Bluebird Nest Boxes). LSP has already begun the construction and hanging of Kestrel nest boxes. Kestrel’s prefer open habitat where they hunt for rodents, grasshoppers, and other insects. This presents great opportunities for LSP to work with landowner’s in Southeastern Wisconsin installing nest boxes and increasing nest success. Nest boxes can be placed 10-25 feet up on non-utility telephone poles, lone trees or barns. Farm’s, pastures, and preserves managed by our partners provide countless opportunities to help a species in need. These nest boxes also create monitoring and educational opportunities for both students and adults.

Help us create a house for an American Kestrel 

Sponsor an American Kestrel Box for $25. Great gift idea for the nature lover in your life. We’ll send you an Adopt-A-Kestrel Certificate and in the Fall inform you of the number of hatchlings your box made possible. Donate securely online HERE

Cool Kestrel Facts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

• It can be tough being one of the smallest birds of prey. Despite their fierce lifestyle, American Kestrels end up as prey for larger birds such as Northern Goshawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barn Owls, American Crows, and Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks.
• Unlike humans, birds can see ultraviolet light. This enables kestrels to make out the trails of urine that voles, a common prey mammal, leave as they run along the ground. Like neon diner signs, these bright paths may highlight the way to a meal—as has been observed in the Eurasian Kestrel, a close relative.
• Kestrels hide surplus kills in grass clumps, tree roots, bushes, fence posts, tree limbs, and cavities, to save the food for lean times or to hide it from thieves. 
• The oldest American Kestrel was a male and at least 14 years, 8 months old when he was found in Utah in 2001. He had been banded in the same state in 1987.

 

 

Guest Reflection by Steven Schwartz; Member of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish 

We have been given a world of wonders.

That’s the only conclusion I can reach when I find myself admiring the beauty of nature. That’s the only conclusion I’ve ever been able to reach, from the time I was looking at the bugs found from overturning rocks as a little kid to pursuing a degree in Wildlife Ecology as an adult. The world around us is beautiful, infinitely complex, fascinating, sometimes intimidating or horrifying, but amazing in its features nonetheless.

This is the world God has given to us. Whether you look at the charge given from God to Adam in Genesis or the sheer influence we have over the natural world through our numbers and technology, like it or not, we are the stewards of this planet.

Which makes it more painful to me when I see people not only completely ignoring that duty, that sacred duty, but seemingly embrace decidedly non-Christian principles in regard to the world around us. Greed in many ways has become the norm, and anything impeding the acquisition of more wealth is increasingly subject to scrutiny. This, among other things, includes nature itself. People in power bear false witness in order to try and make themselves appear as if they are doing no harm in spite of what they are actually inflicting on our mother Earth. What’s worse is that people, through their own ignorance whether willful or no, believe them.

We have been given a world of wonders, yet we can see only money. For this challenge, we must all embrace an awesome stewardship in which we live as examples of giving all to Christ who has given all to us.

In truth I think many of the teachings of Jesus do connect themselves to our treatment of nature, just as they do to humanity. For we are, all of us, part of nature as a whole, connected to the world around us as surely as any other plant or animal. Doing unto others as you would have them do unto you stretches to, as the saint who Pope Francis took as his namesake often said, our non-human “brothers and sisters,” in my opinion. Another aspect of St. Francis was his radical poverty, his life itself a dramatic prayer, and his denying self to glorify the Lord.  Being mindful of greed, just as our Lord warned, rings just as strongly when looking at the actions of powerful industries as they did when looking at the actions of the corrupted powerful in Roman-occupied Israel in Jesus’ time.

It is with great happiness then that I read for myself just how invested and informed Pope Francis himself is on the topic of preserving and protecting the environment. He reminds us in his Laudato Si encyclical that it is often the poorest among us who continue to suffer the most at the hands of ecological degradation, whether it be through air pollution or drought worsened by global climate change. He’s really given me hope that the Catholic Church can do some good in this conflict.

This and the desire to educate are a now a part of why I continue to try and do my part to protect the natural world, whether it’s through education or through physical efforts. I genuinely believe, on top of this, that we cannot be cut off from the wonder of life, its diversity, its beauty, while we still have the means to protect and cherish it.

For we have been given a world of wonders. With God’s help, let’s act like it.

 

This past week, Laudato Si’ Project helped put on the St. Dominic middle school retreat, as well as, a stewardship work day on the Schoofs Preserve for St. Theresa of Calcutta young adults group. For the stewardship work day, chilly temperatures were no barrier for this group. The Schoofs Preserve is a 51-acre preserve owned by the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust and our group was focused on removing invasive species like buckthorn and honeysuckle from around the pond to allow regeneration of native species like red-twig dogwood and elderberry. Thanks to all the young adults from Theresa of Calcutta for their hard work!

Laudato Si’ Project, in collaboration with MUHS and CMH, put on a great retreat for the St. Dominic middle school. Students were lead through a day of prayer and contemplation around Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si: Care for the Common Home. They participated in activities that helped them to better appreciate their relationship with God, one another, and creation. Students came to understand our interconnectedness to all parts of creation and ended the day making a commitment to care for our common home. Each received a prayer card, badge, and sticker to remind them to be the hands of Jesus to one another and to the world! Thanks to all the high school student and adult volunteers that made this a great experience for St. Dominic students.

We had a wonderful Wednesday with the 7th grade class of St. John Vianney at Schoenstatt Retreat Center. Laudato Si’ Project has partnered with Marquette University High School and St. John Vianney for our Common Home Explorer Program. We were privileged to work with St. John Vianney’s youth minister, Claire Hoffmeyer, in the planning of the retreat which had a focus on prayer, relationships, and stewardship.

The morning started with Mass and witness talks by SJV pastor Fr. Miniatt and MUHS student/SJV graduate Phil Volkert. Students were split into groups to discuss prayer, trust, and relationships. Students then took part in a skit about St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of Creation. This was used as a springboard into our afternoon which focused on Care for our Common Home.

The afternoon activity included a reflective group walk up to our woodland restoration site. Students helped with our ongoing project by removing and stacking invasive buckthorn trees. The amount of work that 34 motivated 7th graders can do is truly amazing. Temperatures in the high 40’s didn’t seem to negatively impact this group at all. We finished the afternoon by hiking a trail that loops much of the beautiful retreat center property.

Here is a brief video clip showing our land stewardship.

Canticle of Creation: St. Francis of Assisi

O Most High, all-powerful, good Lord God, to you belong praise, glory, honor and all blessing.

Be praised, my Lord, for all your creation and especially for our Brother Sun, who brings us the day and the light; he is strong and shines magnificently.
O Lord, we think of you when we look at him.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Moon, and for the stars which you have set shining and lovely in the heavens.

Be praised, my Lord, for our Brothers Wind and Air and every kind of weather by which you, Lord, uphold life in all your creatures.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Water, who is very useful to us, and humble and precious and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Fire, through whom you give us light in the darkness: he is bright and lively and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Earth, our Mother, who nourishes us and sustains us,
bringing forth fruits and vegetables of many kinds and flowers of many colors.

Be praised, my Lord, for those who forgive for love of you; and for those who bear sickness and weakness in peace and patience – you will grant them a crown.

Be praised, my Lord, for our Sister Death, whom we must all face. I praise and bless you, Lord, and I give thanks to you, and I will serve you in all humility.

We had an incredible afternoon Friday planting a butterfly garden at Milwaukee Parkside School for the Arts. We started by doing an educational program with the K-5 students about prairie, what factors shape it, and why it is important.  We discussed the role of fire in shaping this unique ecosystem, as well as, how bison and elk in WI also shaped the landscape. Students were able to feel the hides of those animals and even try on an elk antler. We also looked at the amazing roots of prairie that can go as deep as 15 feet! This helps prairies survive and benefit from wildfires and also help the plants during droughts. Students were able to lie next to a banner showing the actual size of big bluestem and lead plant roots. We talked about WI butterflies and pollinators that will benefit from the prairie planting.

We then got our hands dirty planting 150 native prairie wildflowers and mulching the area. This diverse wildflower planting will provide a nectar and pollen source for butterflies and other pollinators from May to October. Thanks to Erin Dentice and Jessica Maxwell for there leadership at Milwaukee Parkside and our amazing student volunteers from MUHS. We look forward to several planting projects with Milwaukee Parkside School for the Arts this Spring.

Check out this short video about our educational program and planting

“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”   -Mark 10:13

This beautiful Fall weekend was truly a Living Laudato Si’ weekend. It was packed with action starting with our stewardship work day at the Schoenstatt Retreat Center. Student volunteer groups from both Cristo Rey High School and Marquette University High School helped with various projects on the Schoenstatt property. The first was the seeding of a 2 acre Oak Opening Prairie. These unique prairie ecosystems historically covered much of southern Wisconsin and have unique species that depend on them including many types of insects and birds. There are actually classified as the most endangered ecosystem type in the World (more than rainforests)! Thanks to the generosity of several donors, we were able to purchase and collect a diverse mixture of prairie wildflowers and grasses that do well in situations ranging from shade to full sun.

We mixed the seed in an old landscape pond with a filler called vermiculite. This acts as a carrier for the smaller seed and helps you to seed more evenly. The trickiest part is to ensure that your seed lasts the entirety of the site and you don’t use it up too early. To avoid this, we set up flagged grid patterns and work methodically back and forth, spreading seed evenly to ensure good coverage.

If you have visited the Schoenstatt Property and are wondering where these sites are, refer the brochure map below. This map was created this summer as part of a pamphlet given to people on retreat. The brown arrows show the 2 sites.

After seeding the prairie, we headed across the property to our woodland restoration site. It was here that we continued maintenance on our nature trail and continued with invasive species removal. See our post from an Eagle Scout who made this site his project  

On Sunday, Laudato Si’ Project was invited to give a presentation to the parish on the encyclical Laudato Si’ and how to Live Laudato Si’ everyday. After mass, parishioners were invited to a hot breakfast followed by worship music and our presentation. Some religious education classes came to the presentation including their junior class of Confirmation students (who agreed to dress as characters of St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of Creation, from which Laudato Si’ gets its name: see picture below)

October 4th is the feast day of St. Francis, patron saint of animals and the environment. Many of us have seen his statue adorning gardens or quite places for reflection in nature. Our current Pope took his name to reflect the need to live simply, care for the poor, and find God in His Creation. Pope Francis’ encyclical named Laudato Si’ references St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon which begins “Praised be You my Lord…” (Laudato Si’ means Praise be You in medieval Italian)

Pope Francis also calls for a World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on September 1st every year. It was on September 1st last year that he announced a new work of mercy in the Church, “Care for Our Common Home.” He then called for several week span to pray and reflect upon God’s gift of Creation for us in what he termed the “Season of Creation.” This Season of Creation comes to a close with this feast day of St. Francis of Assisi.  Let’s pray the prayer St. Francis wrote “Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon”. While praying, realize that St. Francis was near his death upon writing this prayer, suffering greatly in his health and from the stigmata.

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord, All praise is Yours, all glory, all honor and all blessings. To you alone, Most High, do they belong, and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, Who is the day through whom You give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor, Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, And fair and stormy, all weather’s moods, by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water, So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire, through whom You light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister, Mother Earth who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs. Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon for love of You and bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those who endure in peace, By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death, from whom no-one living can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.

No second death can do them harm. Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks, And serve Him with great humility.

Learn more about this amazing Saint Here

Below are pictures with our MUHS student group Caring for Creation by do water quality testing on the Menominee River in Milwaukee, WI.

“It was a great time away from the pressures of the world to think about God’s Creation” -Adam

“I believe this experience has brought me closer to God and my faith. I learned that I can just sit in nature and listen to God” -Anonymous

“We need to care for and protect the intricate works of God in nature” -Sara

Laudato Si’ Project had the privilege of helping plan and lead the 8th grade retreat for St. John Vianney School.  Our new partnership with St. John Vianney is the result of a program created by Marquette University High School and Laudato Si’ Project called “Our Common Home Explorer Program.” Laudato Si’ Project worked with St. John Vianney’s Youth Minister, Claire Hoffmeyer, to create a retreat experience focused on Care for Our Common Home. We wanted to create a retreat that would be prayerful, transformative, and fun. We call it “Contemplatives in Conservation.”

“I learned that caring for God’s Creation can affect others in a positive way” -Katie      

“It was very reflective and a good time to collect my thoughts. God was telling me to be thankful for Creation. I learned that God needs us to care for Creation.” –Anne  

“I heard God speaking to me about Care for Our Common Home”  -Joe

“God needs our help to care for the Earth” -Amelia

“I can praise God with everything I do and with my talents” -Bridget

The retreat took place on the beautiful wooded grounds of the Pallottine Retreat Center in Elkhorn, WI. The retreat began with an intro to Laudato Si’, witness talk, ice breaker, and group activity about finding God through beauty. In that activity, student groups searched through magazines to find images of people, places, and nature that struck them as beautiful and reflected God in some way. They presented their collages explaining the beauty in each image and created a group prayer.

“This retreat helped me see God in nature” -Conor

“One take away is to be a good steward of this Earth” -Julian

“Everyone needs to pitch in to help our world” -Andrew

“This retreat was faith-filled and peaceful” -Annie

“One take away is that I should take time out of my day to pray” -Morgan

“My experience was reflective, peaceful, and fun. I liked it a lot and it was a great time to hear God.” –Theresa

The remainder of the morning was spent outside doing various stations focused on forming a relationship with God and His Creation. Stations were titled: Be Still, Pray, Meditate, Give Thanks, Imagine, and Mercy. At the end of the stations, students reflected upon their experience and received a Care for Our Common Home patch as a visible sign of their retreat experience. A wonderful lunch was provided and the day concluded with mass at the retreat center. Special thanks to all the St. John Vianney teachers and MUHS student Henry Rohmer, for helping make this day a memorable one for students.

“My experience was fantastic and I was blessed to have been here” -Erin

“It was really fun to connect with God. I heard him speak to me about how to serve him and to go out and do things for the needy” -Michael

“God spoke to me and told me to never lose faith” -Ainsleigh

Over the past several weeks, Laudato Si’ Project has led numerous outings in order to tag monarch butterflies on their way to their Mexican wintering grounds nearly 2000 miles away. The small stickers, with a unique serial number, are affixed to their wings and when these butterflies are caught again in Mexico, knowledge of migratory pathways are better understood. You can take part in this citizen science research by visiting monarch watch.org

Holding monarchs appropriately ensures that you are not damaging their wings. Unlike other butterflies that do not migrate, monarch wings are sturdier. Monarch populations have declined by 80-90% over recent years and ensuring your yard has wild space for both milkweed and flowers will keep their populations strong in WI.

Monarch’s begin their migration around mid August in Southern WI and catching them

can be an unpredictable affair. Finding their favorite prairie plants helps increase the odds you will see them feeding. Monarch caterpillars are milkweed specialists but they are not alone. Milkweed tussock moth caterpillars also feed on milkweed and like monarch caterpillars, become distasteful to predators as a result. Whenever we take a group out looking for monarch’s, you always find other amazing species that call the prairie their home.

View our video below highlighting a prairie in late summer. It shows the diversity of plants and pollinators that a prairie holds. Contact Us if you would like a prairie planting, big or small, at your home, school, parish, or business.

“Sun and moon, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Stars of heaven, bless the Lord; Every shower and dew, bless the Lord; Cold and chill, bless the Lord; Light and darkness, bless the Lord; Lightning and clouds, bless the Lord; Let the earth bless the Lord, Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; Everything growing on earth, bless the Lord; All you birds of the air, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.”   – Daniel 3 (adapted)

 

 

September 1st marks the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. On this day last year, Pope Francis announced that Care for Our Common Home will be added as a Work of Mercy in the Catholic Church. In his address last year, Pope Francis wrote:

As a spiritual work of mercy, care for our common home calls for a “grateful contemplation of God’s world” (Laudato Si’, 214) which “allows us to discover in each thing a teaching which God wishes to hand on to us” (ibid., 85). As a corporal work of mercy, care for our common home requires “simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness” and “makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world” (ibid., 230-31).

This day also begins the ecumenical  “Season of Creation”  which runs until October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

 

Laudato Si’ Project also recently began its partnership with Chesterton Academy of Milwaukee. Students were on retreat at the Holy Hill Basilica for the morning and in the afternoon were led by Laudato Si’ Project’s director, Joe Meyer, on a hike through the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Faith, ecology and stewardship were integrated into the beautiful natural scenery as students and faculty hiked several miles of the Mid Kettle Moraine.

 

Prayer from Pope Francis on 2016 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation :

“O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned
and forgotten of this earth,
who are so precious in your eyes…

God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
God of mercy, may we receive your forgiveness
and convey your mercy throughout our common home.”

Praise be to you! (Laudato Si’)

Amen.

The full message released about Care for our Common Home as a work of mercy can be found Here and a also Video of press conference about the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation

What an amazing day! As part of the Green Alliance, Laudato Si’ Project helped plan Saturday’s Sustainability Fair at Lapham Peak. We were blessed with great weather and 500+ people were able to discover, connect, and engage with how to live more sustainably.

Laudato Si’ Project created a Nature Discovery Zone to engage visitors with the natural world, impart a sense of wonder, and encourage them to live lighter on the Earth. So many great conversations took place about connecting faith with Care for Creation. Laudato Si’ Project also gave a presentation on “Planting Native Prairie” and our volunteers led 2 guided activities: “Beginning Birding” and “Prairie Bugs Kids Hike.” Thanks to all our amazing volunteers for helping make this event such a success!

With over 40 vendors and exhibitors at the fair, people of all ages could explore sustainability topics ranging from recycling to land conservation. 30 presentations happened throughout the day and over 10 guided activities.

If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder… our attitude will be that of masters, consumers and ruthless exploiters.              -Pope Francis, Laudato Si

 

 

Saturday was our prairie ecology hike at the Heiliger Huegel Ski Club near Holy Hill. Laudato Si’ Project has partnered with the ski club for multiple projects and events including this 8 acre prairie planting in 2016. The ski club maintains beautiful hiking trails around the property for member use in the off season and nordic ski trails in the winter.

We had a wonderful group of people join us for the prairie hike including members of the Wild Ones-Menominee Chapter. The tour of the prairie planting was led by the executive director of Laudato Si’ Project, Joe Meyer. Joe did the technical planning of the prairie project and assisted with its planting in 2016. This prairie is only in its second growing season and is doing very well. Not only does the planting help reduce soil erosion and fertilizer runoff into the Oconomowoc River watershed, but it is a haven for many types butterflies and pollinators. Our hike today was full of butterfly species including Monarch, Viceroy, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and Giant Swallowtail.

The site of this pollinator prairie was corn field prior to its planting. The pictures above show the contrast between the agricultural site before and after planting. See our past blog postings to learn more about this prairie project: HH Prairie Planting and Fall Projects and Fun. Our hike took us through the prairie, learning about different plant species and their ecological role in a prairie. If you are interested in doing a native planting in your yard or at your school/parish, Contact Us. 

 

The New Schoenstatt Retreat Center Trail Map 

We have just completed our latest partner project with the Schoenstatt Sisters and their retreat center in Waukesha, WI. The natural beauty of the retreat center property is truly amazing and Laudato Si’ Project saw a need to better assist those on retreat to experience God’s glory through His creation. The end result, a trifold brochure that will be placed in all retreat center rooms and available to all that visit the site.

Over the past 2 years, Laudato Si’ Project has partnered with the Schoenstatt Sister’s to better care for the ecological aspects of the property and to increase access to its natural beauty to those on retreat through nature trails and informational signage. To see these Schoenstatt Retreat Center projects visit our past blog posts: Bluebird Nest Boxes, Woodland Restoration at Schoenstatt Retreat Center, Woodland Trail and Restoration, Fall Woodland Restoration, MUHS Faculty Respond to Work of Mercy: Care for Our Common Home, Stewardship with Cristo Rey High School.

 Besides a property map showing the retreat center campus and the nearly 2 miles of nature trails around the property, we also included information about Laudato Si’ Project’s stewardship work, the habitats found on the property, and its natural history. A special thanks to LSP graphic designer, Andrea Meyer, for all her amazing work.

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; he calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing. – Isaiah 40:26

Written by Joe Meyer: Executive Director of LSP

Meat eating plants, really?!?! That’s exactly what we found on our recent family trip to Spruce Lake Bog State Natural Area in WI. The bog sits around a 35 acre lake in the heart of the
Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest and contains numerous plant species that are bog specialists. There is a short 1/4 mile board walk that leads you through what would normally be an impassable ecosystem. The WI DNR classifies bogs as acidic, low nutrient “wetlands” dominated by Sphagnum mosses that accumulate over time as peat. These conditions are what drive the specialization of some bog species that I will highlight below.

Bug Eating Pitcher Plants:

Pitcher Plants have adapted to low nutrient bog life by capturing flies, ants and other prey through a water filled “pitcher”. Insects are attracted to the color and smell released by the pitcher’s hood but the slippery top causes them to fall into the pitcher. Downward pointing hairs prevent escape while enzymes in the water digest their meal. Several hundred species of pitcher plants make their home all over the world in low nutrient environments. Watch this You Tube video of a pitcher plant catching its prey https://youtu.be/z2C3ChaRyVQ

Bug Eating Sundew Plants: 

The less familiar sundew is another carnivorous bog specialist that uses a different strategy to capture its prey. It has dozens of sugary drops of “sundew” on its head, attracting insects that get stuck on the sticky excretion. Unlike the trigger mechanism of the venus fly traps, the sundew then folds up onto its prey. It is much smaller than pitcher plants and easily overlooked, so you need to keep your eyes peeled for this amazing plant. Watch this time lapse video of a sundew catching its prey https://youtu.be/h9NnctZVrvk

Beauty in a Bog- Pink Lady’s Slipper Orchid:

This beautiful flower makes its home in many bogs. The “slipper” shaped flower takes several years to develop from seed and is pollinated by bees. There is also a white flowered variety, equally beautiful, and it is no wonder why Minnesota chose it for their state flower. Orchids are always under threat by people who wish to bring their beauty home by digging out wild plants. Unfortunately, because of the specific conditions needed by these plants, most don’t survive.

Other species you can expect to see in a bog are pictured below. They include sphagnum mosses, tamarack trees (our only conifer to lose its needles in winter), Skunk Cabbage, and Royal Ferns.

Besides Spruce Lake Bog, you may also wish to visit Cedarburg State Natural Area. It is Wisconsin’s first State Natural Area and can be explored in both summer or winter. See our past post from a winter visit with MUHS students to Cedarburg Bog State Natural Area HERE

This weekend was packed with educational fun. Two Parishes and 3 days of Laudato Si’.

St. Leonard’s Parish

On Friday, Laudato Si’ Project taught a Care for Creation program at St. Leonard’s Parish in Muskego, WI. It was the last day of their Vacation Bible School and the gym was packed with the energy of k-4 through 5th grade students. Thanks to their student and adult volunteers for helping make the morning such a wonderful experience. It is great to see young people so eager to learn how to Care for Our Common Home.

St. Gabriel’s Parish 

It was Sustainability Weekend at St. Gabriel’s Parish in Hubertus, WI. The parish Laudato Si’ Project team had spent months planning this wonderful event. The goal was to engage the parishioners with tools to live more sustainability and learn more about our Catholic call to be stewards of this planet. Partnerships with the adult formation program, St. Gabriel School and the human concerns committee helped make this event possible.

The parish hall was arranged with stations addressing a wide variety of topics.

•  St. Gabriel School display highlighting efforts at the school to live more sustainably and connect the students to their faith and the natural world.
• Prayers and resources for parishioners interested in learning more about our Catholic call of stewardship.
• Waste and Recycling display with information on where and how to dispose of e-waste and recycle materials of all kinds.
• Green Cleaning Products were available for parishioners to look at thanks to a representative from Shaklee

• Sustainable Foods display highlighting CSA’s in the area where you can buy farm fresh, local food. There was also an activity on the Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen and handouts on being a more conscious consumer.
• Water Issues display focusing on southeast WI with ways to save water and reduce fertilizer runoff.
• Backyard Chickens display on how/why to raise your own chickens.
• Native Prairie Plants display explaining the benefits of pollinators and the ecology of native prairie plants. Free honey sticks were available to sweeten the visit.
• Recreation display with maps and events to encourage parishioners to explore our beautiful area. A kayak was brought in to allow kids to sit in it along with rental information from KT kayak rentals. 
• Composting display with loads of “how to” information for the home composter. Various methods of composting were on display.

• Nature Discovery Zone with many hands on animal specimens and plants from around the world.
• Scavenger Hunt for kids to visit the various displays and earn a Care for Our Common Home Patch.
• Food, of course. All items with a local, organic, fair trade focus. Actual dish-ware was used to avoid the one-time use waste of styrofoam and plastic.

Thanks to the many hands who made this event a success.

If your parish is interested in hosting a Sustainability Weekend, Contact Us.

A great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge stands before us, and it will demand that we set out on the long path of renewal.  -Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ 202