Presbyterians Planting for Wildlife

Presbyterians Planting for Wildlife: An Introduction to National Wildlife Federation’s Sacred Grounds Program

Webinar Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Sacred Grounds is a National Wildlife Federation (NWF) program that recognizes congregations, houses of worship, and faith communities who both create wildlife habitat and actively link faith practices and caring for the environment. Participating congregations simultaneously learn to plant and install their own native plant gardens, educate and engage their communities around the importance of environmental stewardship, and contribute to a network of accessible natural spaces and habitats. Natalie and Danielle will share the important role native plants have in building a more resilient environment, give examples from churches actively involved in the program, and outline how to utilize the Sacred Grounds program with your congregation.  CLICK HERE to watch a video spotlight on Sacred Grounds in action in Toledo and Detroit.

PRESENTERS:

Natalie Cohen – Manager of Community Conservation

Natalie Cohen works for the National Wildlife Federation’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Center (MARC) where she is the Manager of Community Conservation. For the past four years, she has dedicated her career to supporting community-driven greening projects in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Wilmington, DE, and Lancaster, PA. As a native plant lover and aspiring naturalist, she spends much of her free time in her backyard as well as public greenspaces throughout Baltimore city. Before beginning with NWF, Natalie was the Environmental Coordinator at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in East Baltimore where she led environmental programming and was a board member of Charm City Land Trusts.

Danielle Wendt – Chesapeake Conservation Corps Member (2022-23)

Danielle Wendt works with the National Wildlife Federation’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Center (MARC) as their Chesapeake Conservation Corps Member. After graduating from McDaniel College with a double major in English and Environmental Studies, she considers herself to be an environmental storyteller. At NWF, she uses her storytelling prowess to create resources for communities and leads much of the MARC’s social media efforts. She hopes to be able to continue building her storytelling skills and helping to increase communities’ conservation capacity after her Corps year ends in August.