Our Resiliency Garden

Our Environmental Action Team spearheaded the efforts to establish our Resiliency Garden.
Once it is fully planted it will be maintained by our Building & Grounds Team.

Our Resiliency Garden is ready to Plant!
An Update April 22, 2025

Our resiliency garden is ready to plant! If you want to help, here are the May dates:

  • Monday, May 5th 10am -12pm

  • Wednesday, May 7th 10am -12pm

  • Saturday, May 10th 9:30am -12:00pm

Due to the garden size we have divided it into Zones.

Please sign up on the Bulletin Board in the hallway outside the Fireside Room plus email Jean atjihana@shaw.ca

To Prepare: Come dressed for the weather.

Bring:

  • garden gloves

  • a trowel

  • knee pads

  • shovels

  • utility knife, if possible

  • your own coffee mug and water bottle

We have two tables of beautiful plants! Let’s create a garden!

~ Jean Prescott, Butterfly Ranger

Resiliency Garden  Update - April 3, 2025

Our Building and Grounds plus Butterfly Garden Teams came together Saturday, March 29th in the showers to move twelve yards of soil for our new Resiliency Garden (see images below).  What a great job effort by all concerned!

The area is ready now, so once our 179 plants have been acquired we will block in the Carlton Landscaping plan and begin strategically planting.  This area is quite large so planting will be done in sections to prevent foot traffic over our own work. By early May we hope plants will be purchased from the various specialty nurseries. 

Watch for more news and sign up sheets for members keen to help with physical planting. 

~Butterfly Ranger Jean Prescott

Resiliency Garden Launch: January 28, 2025

On January 28th we launched our “Adopt a Plant” campaign — a fundraiser to offset the $3,000 price-tag for our Resiliency Garden. As of spring 2025, we are a little more than halfway towards our goal, and are still actively accepting donations to help with this project. (More info below).

Help us re-green a section of our grounds
by adopting a plant in our new Resiliency Garden

Last year, an ageing cedar hedge was removed from the west side of our main building, in alignment with a FireSmart assessment of our property. What was once a heavily shaded zone on the corner of our building is now open to the sky and direct sun.

Our Environmental Action team commissioned a landscaping design to guide us in replanting this area, seeking recommendations of native species chosen because they are drought-tolerant, fire-resistant, and attractive to birds and pollinators. We hope to enhance a corner of the butterfly garden as well. Total cost for this project is $3,000, which includes plants, soil amendments, and plumbing infrastructure.

Adopt a plant for a $30 donation* to the garden fund by talking to a volunteer after the service during February. Find us each Sunday in the back of the Sanctuary, near the landscape design and plant info cards on display along the east wall. Or you can donate using any of these methods:

  • CASH given to one of the volunteers at the back of the Sanctuary on a Sunday in February or in the offering basket (clearly labeled Garden).

  • CHEQUE made payable to “North Shore Unitarians” with Garden in the note line. Deposit it in the offering basket, or mail it to our Main Office.

  • ETRANSFER sent to info@northshoreunitarians.ca with the word Garden in the notes area.

  • TEXT 604-200-3443 with the dollar amount, a space, and the word Garden in the text string. When prompted, enter your bank account or credit card numbers, name, etc.

*Note: You will receive a tax receipt for your donation.

If you have questions about any of these payment methods, contact Janni in our Main Office.

~ Your Environmental Action Team