72425 Via Vail
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760-321-0694
Here’s an update on progress since the November Sacred Grounds meeting, at which various sub-teams were formed. There are many opportunities for you to get involved, matching your interests and skills. Read about the Native Plants sub-team, the upcoming Weed Pull Party, landscaping, design ideas for the sidewalks and more!
Sacred Grounds relaunches! Seventeen people met after the November 13th service to introduce Sacred Grounds to newcomers, rekindle excitement, and get moving on Phase 1 projects. Enthusiasm was high!
Volunteers jumped in to start planting native species, join the Love the Land work parties on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, staff the patio info tables and communications, and select the material for the paths. As we complete visible projects we should gain more visibility and more volunteers and be able to move forward on the other parts of the Phase 1 projects.
First, a huge thank you to Katie Barrows. The Barrows family of Katie, Cameron, and Colin is the undisputed First Family of our local natural lands. The family business has been protecting our native lands, being stewards, listening to and understanding interconnection of the other species, and inspiring more stewards. Please let’s acknowledge our gratitude to Katie and her family.
Our beautiful area is hurting. The eastern valley
Remember the Sacred Grounds Initiative? After a long Covid hiatus, the Initiative will be starting back up.
History
Oh, didn’t Covid change everything? By March 2020 a large group of congregants had formed the Sacred Grounds Initiative, a vision for our amazing grounds that included support for the native plants and critters, plus nourishing human souls with places for meditation, connection and reflection. The minister spoke from the pulpit, a couple of congregation-wide meetings were held, and a Love-the-Land work party
With the warming temperatures, our three pairs of Desert Iguanas should soon be making an appearance on our Sacred Grounds. First will be the youngsters who hatched last fall and should come out of their burrows for the first time this next week or so. Soon after, as the sand becomes reliably warm, the adults will appear. The Desert Iguanas are one of the last lizards to emerge because they are unable to digest their
Our grounds are one of the few spots supporting the endangered Coachella Valley Milkvetch, which was once prominent on the vast sand dunes before we all built our houses. Our Sacred Grounds provides critical habit for this federally listed species. Most years we get a Fall crop but alas Fall was so dry that nothing sprouted. And with the dry January and February, it appeared this would be our first year with no germination. But those rains a few weeks triggered the milkvetch! We now have perhaps a dozen little tiny plants and one bigger one that is blooming. Blessed be our Sacred Grounds.