Laudato si’ Sanctuary

In July, 2017 the Laudato Si Sanctuary was dedicated to Sister Mary Ann Schmitz, FSE, in gratitude for her many years of caring for the land of the Center and for being the inspiration for the project.

The prairie restoration project began in 2014 as an Eagle Scout Project by Joe Trenshaw, who performed the initial work of selecting the area, preparing the land, and gathering and planting seeds.  Since then various volunteer groups have removed invasive plants and collected seed to expand the prairie area.

Special thanks also go to Chris Baer, a member of the Grand Rapids Audubon Society and an expert on prairie restoration for her help with this project.

Visitors are welcome to stop by from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday through Friday or by appointment at other times.

A booklet that provides more information about the Sanctuary and the plants and birds one can see there is available upon request.