Celebrating God’s Creation and Stewardship of Marywood Grand Rapids, Michigan
by Rebecca Marquardt, Landscape Designer
April is Earth Month! April invites us to special reflection and care for our common home, even as Dominican Sisters, Associates, and others engage in this commitment throughout the year.
Enjoy photos of friends from Aquinas College and Academy Manor, our land stewardship team, and Sisters in the gallery.
“Our acres of land are a way of preaching care for creation now and in the future,” wrote Sr. Mary Navarre, OP, after attending the April 16 spring volunteer kick-off information session in Chapel of the Word Marywood. Later at a Pax Christi West Michigan meeting, Sr. Mary mentioned “how valuable and meaningful it is to have so many Sisters interested in continued learning about ecology and Care of Earth.
Spring Volunteer Kick Off for Land Stewardship & Gardening in Mary’s Woods, Prairie, and Gardens
In order to grow a more sustained community of supporters and volunteer service commitments from friends and neighbors of the Congregation, we need to continue raising awareness about this significant vision and mission of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids.
It was a pleasure to introduce the habitat gardens and natural areas of Marywood that will be the focus and priority this season. We are excited to give volunteers an opportunity to choose the type of ecological environment they want to learn more about and help maintain. We are mostly trying to grow the community of people who, as part of the ecology of this place, want to learn from and heal the land together.
Meet some of our returning and new volunteers who enjoyed the April introduction and look forward to contributing in a variety of ways: Kathy Stevens, Lisa Mead, Katherine Kane.
Kathy Stevens, Wild Ones River City member, lives in Lowell on a well-studied and botanically diverse pond. Profs. Garrett Crow and Dave Warners at Calvin College frequently study with students because the pond is one of the sites that famed botanist and Grand Rapids educator, Emma Cole, surveyed/inventoried in the early 1900s.
Lisa Mead, my friend & fellow gardener, East Town resident, and Trinity Lutheran Church Garden Committee Chair), offered to donate her services as well as a wild bee hotel made by her husband. She knows how to properly maintain these habitats so that bees are safe, and even overwinters some in a quiet environment at her home.
Katherine Kane, neighbor and blood sister of Sr. Justine Kane, has a great deal of enthusiasm for this work and hopes to help share information with more neighbors.
Aquinas Students Learn About Spring Ephemerals and Help Remove Invasive Plants in St. Francis Sculpture Garden
On Friday, April 24, we also had an impressive team of land stewards from Aquinas College join our Marywood Land Stewardship Team for a service day in the St. Francis Sculpture Garden woods.
Our morning stewards learned about blooming spring ephemerals, including invasives, then with shovels and hands diligently helped remove these troublesome plants.
Our afternoon stewards helped our Marywood Land Stewardship Team haul and spread bark around the perimeter of the pond. They worked so hard!
We certainly appreciate their labor, but we also hope these lessons will inform and inspire their own ecologically sound landscape planning, gardening, and willingness to caretake public lands and parks in the future.
The preparation and supervision of volunteers is a team effort. Land Manager Ian Todd, Landscape Architect Rebecca Marquardt, and Groundskeepers Griffin Robertson and David Robertson meet and prepare before each land stewardship events: identifying priorities, plant identification, weeding and planting directions, and locations that need attention.
Volunteer Land Stewards Learn About Ecology and Plants
Our Marywood grounds include planned ecological sections including these locations: Sedge Meadow, Riparian Buffer, Pond Gardens, Aquinata Courtyard, North Courtyard, Mary’s Hope Garden, Prairie, and Woods.
This ephemeral yellow flower is deceiving. While pretty, it is extremely invasive. It’s hardy root system easily crowds out the more desirable White Anenome shown in the next photo.
Become a Volunteer Land Steward at Marywood!
Volunteer stewardship opportunities happen through all seasons. Each month, workdays are scheduled in the natural areas and gardens at Marywood. We fondly refer to this land as Mary’s Woods, Prairie, and Gardens as it encompasses the various areas of the campus where intentional ecological transformations are taking place.
Form your own Volunteer Land Steward Group: Individuals, faith groups, Laudato Si’ action teams, and friends and family groups are welcome to form their own groups. Contact Rebecca Marquardt to find out more.
Come see and explore the locations of our focus for the 2026 land stewardship and gardening season. Our Marywood grounds include planned ecological sections including these locations: Sedge Meadow, Riparian Buffer, Pond Gardens, Aquinata Courtyard, North Courtyard, Mary’s Hope Garden, Prairie, and Woods.
visit photo gallery
Educator, Naturalist, and Foraging Teacher Lea Sevigny identifying plants, photographing, and uploading to the iNaturalist App to share with researchers and naturalists.
Do you want to contribute research with photos and information about the plant, bird
and animal life found at Marywood? You, too, can help. Download the iNaturalist app and help identify and upload photos of what you see around around you.
