PROJECT The Creation Care Committee is renovating the abandoned community garden to create a new Meditation Garden for use by the Parish and local community members. After much imaginative planning, the space will provide a feeling of sanctuary featuring a walking path, small gathering area, benches, and plantings of native and Florida-friendly flowers, shrubs, and trees. The design is meant to serve as a space for passive and cultural use, and habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. Opportunities for walking, gathering, contemplation, reflection, prayer, conversation, education, music, and art displays will be available in a minimal maintenance format. The process of construction offers an opportunity for volunteer participation of intergenerational parish groups, the community, and other churches. With the ability to communicate about the project on a broader scale, we expect widespread participation. TIMELINE Depending on how fast we can raise funds, this project will take 6-12 months to complete. We will plant and construct in stages, allowing for use before project completion. We will save some more expensive items for the later stages and complete them only if funding is available (ex., an ADA-compliant parking space and accessible path). COST Total Cost: approximately $30,000 This all-inclusive figure includes some items and labor that supporters will donate. SUSTAINABILITY/LONG TERM By planting native and Florida-friendly plants and embracing the right plant, right place philosophy, we are selecting the most environmentally friendly, lowest maintenance option. Once we establish the garden, with some seasonal variation 2-3 workdays per quarter will keep the garden neat and inviting without creating extra work for our Groundskeepers.