UUEA Green Sanctuary

We are pleased to share our journey in designing and building a green sanctuary at the Unitarian Universalist Church of East Aurora. As you may have noticed when passing by, we’ve begun planting and preparing areas of the property for future sanctuary development. This page will serve as a place to share the progress of each stage of the project as well as additional educational information accessed by QR codes on interpretive signs. Each section of the sanctuary has been designed with purpose and intention to ensure environmental sustainability, respect for nature, and historical accuracy and homage to those that originally inhabited this land. We welcome UUEA members, friends, visitors and the community to share this journey with us and enjoy this sanctuary.

Features of the UUEA Green Sanctuary will include:

  • Keystone Trees and Shrubs - first installment completed and more coming

  • Labyrinth - completed in July 2024 includes a bench in the heart-center and a small sign to describe its function

  • Pollinator Garden beds - in process!

  • Indigenous Cultures Garden

  • Community Garden

  • Gathering Space

  • Memorial Wall

  • Stroll Garden - heavily-landscaped Japanese-style pathway along a moving water course and sensory areas for autistic individuals

Check out the most recent newsletter for more details on the plans, progress, and future vision of the UUEA Green Sanctuary.

Green Sanctuary Long Term Goals

The development of a “Green Sanctuary” reflected in the initiatives described here will create a more sustainable relationship with Nature and manifest a principled and necessary position toward our current environmental crises. But, building the GS is only the first step in having an impact on cultural change. Consistent with the Indigenous Cultures Garden programs described above, the long-term goal for the GS program is to make our site a model for sustainability, celebrate the different ways that Nature provides for us, and help promote a cultural shift in how we relate to our shared environment.

Understanding that a congregation the size of UUEA cannot develop this magnitude of influence alone, we are building relationships among groups that share our vision. Thus far, our project has solicited information and guidance from several local environmental groups, agencies, horticultural consultants and cultural organizations that include:

  • Western New York Wildway

  • Cooperative Extension and 4H

  • ACES Master Gardener Program

  • Rural Outreach Center

  • Natural Resources Conservation Services

  • Tonawanda Seneca Nation Lessons from Nature (Lyn Chimera)

  • Native Plant Guy Consulting (Ken Parker)

  • Autism Society of WNY

    The long-term plans for program development in the GS will include partnering with these groups and others in ongoing awareness-building and education programs – particularly with youth.

If you would like more information on the UUEA Green Sanctuary project, would like to contribute financially, or volunteer your time, please contact us!