The first Anti Racism Team (ART) Friday night movie of 2019 watched Harvest of Empire film. It was a documentary reviewing the United States relationship with Latin America, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico since our nation was formed. It was an eye opening, informative history that has present day implications for our immigration/asylum situation. Great discussion led by Nativity member Vladimir Poveda who came to USA from Nicaragua in 2006. Suggestions during discussion suggested using the word undocumented vs illegal as we deal with USA’s broken immigration system. Share the fact that asylum seekers that are “fleeing” their countries to avoid violence and have international law on their side to be processed as asylum seekers. Harvest of Empire helps one understand the history of the violence created by dictators that the USA has often helped place in power and why people are fleeing their country.
Nineteen Nativity youth watched Harvest of Empire the following Sunday! We have embedded the video below for your convenience.

Limited copies of DVD will be at welcome desk.
Next film in this series will be Friday, March 15 at 6:30 showing Immigration Battle.  It looks at how the immigration battle is fought and discussed behind closed doors in Congress.

A group of 19 women with Nativity Women in Action group gathered Sunday 2/10 to prepare postpartum kits for two hospitals in Madagascar. Lorna Larson from Nativity explained the obstetric fistula problem and how the postpartum kits will help women in Madagascar until they can get surgery to repair fistula. The goal is to have Global Health send 150 postpartum kits to Madagascar in October. Look for a second sew-a-Thon later this year to help meet need for postpartum kits.

Nativity Lutheran Church is in the process of redesigning our green space. We want to expand our vegetable gardens to grow more produce for Little Kitchen Food Shelf and transition our hillsides to pollinator gardens.

Our hillsides pose several challenges:

• We have a problem with invasive species and we have steep hills that are difficult to work on.
• Buckthorn is growing in our west hillside between the church and neighboring homes. Buckthorn out-competes native plants for nutrients, light and moisture. It serves as host to pests and it threatens the future of forests, wetlands, prairies and natural habitats.
• Canadian thistle is growing on our north and east hillsides. It is classified as a noxious weed, spreading quickly and displacing native species.
• Our steep hills are particularly challenging. They are hard to work on, prone to erosion if we disturb the soil with weeding and if we were to use chemicals there is a chance the chemicals will flow downhill to our neighbors and into the watershed.

In researching our landscaping challenges, we have found an innovative solution to our problem that will allow us to demonstrate responsible stewardship, expand our outreach and provide a learning opportunity for the youth and adults within our community. Experts in land management are turning to goat grazing to help manage sensitive landscape. Over the past few years, there have been an increasing number of park and watershed managers who are turning to goats to help control buckthorn and other invasive species.

We are bringing in goats to graze our hillsides and serve as a model of responsible stewardship.

• They will draw attention to natural spaces,
• Raise awareness of invasive species,
• Allow us to control our problem without chemicals,
• Begin transition of our hillsides to low-maintenance, native plants which will also serve as pollinator gardens.

We plan to host learning events to provide an opportunity for local preschools and scouting groups. We feel this will be an ideal opportunity to help teach our children about:

1. caring for creation,
2. caring for animals, and
3. invasive species and the importance of biodiversity.

We will hire Goat Dispatch, a family-owned business that provides goats for temporary grazing. The goats will be coming in August and will be with use for 10-14 days.

Stay tuned for updates and an event schedule.

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UPCOMING SUSTAINABILITY/ENVIRONMENT EVENTS

Nativity Garden Vision

Our vision for Nativity front entry: We see a front entry experience that is welcoming, safe, and easily accessible to everyone; where nature spills into the street creating a lovely backdrop for people to celebrate, gather, linger, play, laugh and sit while enjoying nature in each season; with inspiring and interactive lighting and artistic features in a space that reflects a noticeable and dynamic presence that stewards God’s creation and embodies our commitment to love courageously.

You Can Help – Sign up to…

• Weed
• Build another raised vegetable garden bed
• Plant for pollinators
• Participate in a gardening discussion/answer your questions

Phase 1: concept and garden design – engaged landscape architect, moved many perennials

Phase 2: transition garden space surrounding the front entrance, including Peace Pole

Phase 3: transition hillside extending to north parking lot and boulevard

There are many ways you can help…

Sponsor an item:

• Bicycle Rack ($1,000)
• Bench ($5,000)
• Lighting ($2,000)
• Pots ($250 each)
• Plants ($5-$60 each)
• Decorative Screen ($2,000)
• Seasonal Plants ($50-$100)

Volunteer to help:

• Gardeners
• General Labor
• Painters
• Architect
• Cement work / footers
• Electricians

The new garden will feature:

• 16 foot bench
• ADA compliant path
• Focal point plantings
• Easy maintenance plantings
• Peace pole
• Relocated Dragonfly Bench
• Photography opportunities

Nativity supports the Little Kitchen and NEED food. People from the Hunger Outreach Team are looking for fresh produce to give out to food pantry clients. People that visit food shelves love fresh produce as they often find it hard to buy on their limited budget. We are thankful to the Nativity community garden for the fresh produce donated to Little Kitchen. To expand donations please consider donating fresh produce from your home garden, CSA fresh produce, or any produce you might pick up at a grocery store.

A basket will be set out by the welcome desk marked as fresh produce for food shelves and will be picked up regularly and taken to food shelf by Nativity volunteers. Thank you for your donations.

If questions please contact Grace Gee at gracegee50@gmail.com or 218-348-3381.