Grant Award to Enable Progress on Saint Stephen's Native Plant Project

Saint Stephen’s is blessed to have members who volunteer all over our Birmingham community.  Lanier Gartland is one of several church members who choose to volunteer at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens working with native plants. “One of our goals has been to restore native plants to communities in the Jefferson County area,” says Lanier. “Many areas of the county have been overrun with invasive non-native plants that are keeping native plants from thriving.”  Parts of the Saint Stephen’s property are affective by these invasive shrubs and vines and plans are underway to hire a brush clearing company who can identify and clear out the invasive species so volunteers can replace them with native plants.  This effort would benefit the existing native flora and fauna and generate aesthetic appeal for the Saint Stephen’s property.

Thanks to the efforts of Lanier, The Jefferson County Master Gardener’s Association has awarded Saint Stephen’s a $2,000 grant to help carry out the plans of the church’s native plant project.  Work has already begun in some areas of the church grounds.  It will be an ongoing project for the future and any church members who are interested in helping with a project of this kind are welcome.

The rapid housing and commercial growth in the Cahaba Heights community is impacting the habitat of native birds, insects, and other wildlife. The restoration of native flora on our church property can help off-set this impact while we honor the call to be good stewards of our land.

“God took ‘Mankind’ and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.” Genesis 2:15 The Message (MSG)

“God took ‘Mankind’ and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.”

Genesis 2:15 The Message (MSG)