Church of the Advocate Awarded Stewardship of Creation Grant from The Episcopal Church

Brendan Murphy on November 15, 2017

Grant to support work on the Piedmont Patch Project

By Diocesan House

The Church of the Advocate, Chapel Hill, was awarded a $9,600 Stewardship of Creation grant from The Episcopal Church for its work with the Piedmont Patch Project, a collaborative social ministry dedicated to restoring native flora and fauna displaced by the rapid urbanization surrounding the property, and cultivating keepers of Creation.

As described on the Advocate’s website, the Piedmont Patch Project “will transform five acres of our site into a food-producing and natural habitat, create a network of involved neighbors and provide numerous opportunities to educate and engage people of all ages and backgrounds. 

The project has an educative component, engaging school children and graduate students and inviting all who are responsible for patches of Piedmont land to learn how to create vibrant native sanctuaries that serve rather than harm God’s creation. Ideally, we can lead other congregations and other neighborhoods to adopt this concept of native sanctuaries, building refuges of hope for native wildlife and havens of peace and beauty for humans one patch of piedmont (and beyond!) at a time. The Project will also include education on invasive exotic species and their removal — why it is important, how it contributes to sustainability.”

The Stewardship of Creation grant from the Episcopal Church is part of a program to help support projects “that focus on local faith-based projects for mitigating climate change and safeguarding the integrity of Creation.” The $9,600 grant awarded to the Advocate will be used to:

  • continue building collaborations with those beyond the church, including civic organizations, the scientific communities of two local universities, an historic African-American community, newly relocated suburbanites, and the PeeWee Homes residents
  • continue the transformation of five acres of the Advocate’s campus into a food-producing and restored native species habitat
  • develop digital and other educational resources for sharing in the community,  the Diocese and across the Piedmont.

The  Diocese is delighted to share this news and looks forward to continuing to tell the story of this collaborative project.