Rewilding the Church

Introduction

For years, the land adjacent to St. Augustine’s Anglican Church has been slated for development.  After many great tries, it has become clear that it is not well suited for a large housing structure or other such initiatives.  Instead, the church has decided that the land be re-wilded and designed to serve both the church and the neighbourhood with community green space.  (The Annex building as well will be updated for use as a multi-use space for church and community.)

Guiding thoughts

• The current greatest detriment to the earth is a mass lack of biodiversity.
• All places are intrinsically sacred, and yet both indoor and outdoor spaces may or may not highlight this fact and invite people such and experience.
• We have a great asset in Permaculture which is a practice of high-level design applied to lifestyles and to landscapes.  Permaculture mimics natural systems by working with nature while also creating abundance for human life.  It includes regenerative farming practices, productive systems design, and forest tending.
• The life of St. Augustine’s is centered and funded by folks who are part of the Sunday morning community, but seeks to also be home to a multiplicity of communities: the Sunshine Garden, neighbourhood members, space-users, service organizations, and the arts, so it will make sense to engage members from these communities from the very beginning.
• We do not need to rush a ‘final product’.  The process is the product and success will be found in growing relationships, relationship to the earth, and common learning.

Our first steps are to develop a Vision and Values statement for the land and to brainstorm/imagine design elements that might suit this project. What is your vision for the space? Look at the ideas below and let Jonathan know any brainstorms (rector@staugustinesedmonton.com)

Possible Design Elements

• Memorial benches
• Circular path for seniors/mobility with walkers/wheelchairs with seating along the way?
• Kid trail on the way to school (safety and sightlines)?
• Like we slow water on a landscape to let it soak in, how can we slow people down as they engage the space?
• Create winter community spaces using lights, microclimates, structures, art, etc.?
• Winter events with choir, lights, food?
• Create hill space both for seating for an amphitheater (think about water capture also)?
• Limestone path for mobility?
• Labyrinth either dedicated in circle or as the path system itself?
• Natural playground elements?
• Memorial garden?  Pet memorial garden?
• Reflexology stones (for bare feet)?
• Large stones for sitting / meditating?
• Art and sculpture elements throughout?
• Poetry signs with changeable messages (changed seasonally)?
• Educational elements / signs?
• Permanent lemonade stand table that kids could book and use?
• Small things to invite kids in - sculptures, hidden surprises?

Tree ideas

• Fruit orchard?  (Maintenance the big issue here)
• Memorial trees?
• Old growth forest?
• 1000 year tree project?

Biodiversity Features

• Song bird habitat?
• Aspen forest space?
• Prairie grass space?
• Milkweed for monarch butterflies (sightings in Fulton this year!)?
• Native plants?
• Indigenous elements / medicines?
• Berries?
• Perennial, no maintenance food?

Others Ideas?