Sisters of Charity collaborate on Community Gardens  

The Community Gardens are a new project and a collaborative effort between Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and the Nelson County Extension Office. Thirty plots were made available on a first come, first served basis. The gardens have become a popular and well-used space on campus. Water pulled from a campus pond is provided for the gardeners to use. The Sisters of Charity have provided the gardens in an effort to carry out their goal of using the campus as a resource to care for the earth.


Nazareth Campus Green Actions

  • Putting educational materials in the employee paychecks regarding issues for caring for the earth (water, electricity use etc.)
  • Posting and follow up actions from the Action Alerts from Global Ministry Office
  • Hosting the annual Arbor/Earth Day program each year for residents, employees, Montessori children and the public; Advertised in the Telegraph Herald
    all who live and work on Campus. We usually plant trees or flowers
  • Recycle everything possible on campus (all kinds of paper, glass, plastics, electronics, cardboard, cartridges, etc) In six months we took 15,560 lbs. of office and slick paper as well as newspaper to Smurfit Recycling Center.
  • Using the water from Peter's Puddle (lake) to water the new trees, flowers, and bushes instead of Bardstown water. (75,000 gallons)
  • Changing most of the lights on campus to the Compact Fluorescent bulbs.
  • Planting trees (Tree City USA for five years now); Also, two of those years, we received Growth Award
  • As a carbon offset of people flying to India for the 2008 General Assembly we gave a large amount of money to plant trees at the Russell Hall site and in other countries we serve in
  • We continue to purchase EnviroWatts. One 100 killowat-hour block of EnviroWatts purchased for a year has the annual environmental benefits of: Planting an acre and a half of trees; reducing foreign oil imports by two barrels; or offsetting the use of 1200 pounds of coal. Nazareth purchases 257 blocks of EnviroWatts yearly at a monthly cost of $2.75 per block.
  • Trees are given as gifts and planted on the grounds
  • We no longer serve bottled water, use only paper cups and plates not styrofoam.
  • The grounds department tests our lakes and streams to monitor them for anything harmful
  • Study the Earth Charter and choose actions that will implement the change we want to see in the world.
  • The Western Province has 14 hybrid cars
  • Russell Hall was deconstructed in green ways
  • Possibly setting up community gardens this year in conjunction with the Extension Office in Bardstown
  • Persons try to keep the temps down a couple of degrees to save energy, save water from showers to flush toilets, plant gardens, etc.
  • purchase recycled goods
  • use of green cleaning products
  • Replace appliances with energy star products
  • replace showerheads and toilets with low water usage products
  • encourages employees and residents to "buy recycled"
  • participate in "Clean Up KY" program
  • support newly opened regional recycling center in Springfield


Members of the SCN Family celebrate Earth Day
4/2008

Members of the SCN Family around the world celebrated Earth Day on April 22, 2008. On the Nazareth Campus, the yearly program took place in St. Vincent Church and then moved outdoors for the traditional planting of the tree. Students from Nazareth Montessori Children's Center helped give the new tree water and earth.

 

During the celebration the children shared a poem, "Our Earth," honoring the efforts to protect and love the environment. Joe Settles, biologist with East Kentucky Power, had a powerful message about wildlife and the environment. He brought some friends along - a snake, turtle, frog and other small animals that live on Nazareth Campus and are important creatures in the cycle of nature.

 

Nazareth, proclaimed a Tree City USA once again this year, houses the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. In their mission statement, SCNs along with lay members of the SCN Family commit to loving care of the earth. 

 

 

Molly Thompson, SCN, greets a friendly snake in St. Vincent Church.

 

A Montessori student shares a giggle while one of the show-and-tell critters rests on his head.

 

 Joe Settles holds a salamander.

 

Pat Hill, SCN, foundress of the Nazareth Montessori Children's Center participates in the blessing of the tree.