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The Sacred Grounds project, facilitated by the National Wildlife Federation, promotes planting native plants at home and at places of worship.
Oseh Shalom is participating in the third year of the project (2025/2026). This
program aims to educate faith communities about the importance of, and how to care for, our local waterways and environment by planting native plants. NWF secured a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Prince George’s County to conduct this project. In this third year, we focus on replacing grass/lawn with native plants. Oseh Shalom volunteers joined together to prepare and then install a large garden, over 900 square feet. In October 2026, 20+ volunteers, including Laurel High School students and Oseh Religious school students, planted 900 plants in the garden that used to be grass.
Studies prove that adding native plants to our Oseh Shalom campus and our homes helps local waterways and wildlife and reduces lawn maintenance. Native plants need less care because they are more resilient. Native plants reduce storm water runoff and improve the quality and quantity of water heading to the Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. Native plants also provide food for birds and butterflies.
We encourage everyone to plant native plants at Oseh Shalom and in their personal spaces, home, yard, or containers. Together, by caring for creation, Sacred Grounds will enable us to ensure our children and our community have a clean and safe environment well into the future.
Contact Sue Burger or Linda Solomon at sacred.grounds@oseh-shalom.org if you have any questions.
Humming Bird
Starter Kits:
Pledging to plant native for Spring 2026 has arrived. Are you new to planting native plants, then pledge to plant natives and receive a starter kit (3 plants) from NWF. Plant pickup is May 3, 2026 at 9 AM
Fill out the pledge form: Starter Kit
Restore Nature Kits:
Have you received one or more starter kits in recent years? Are you ready to do more and create a new garden by replacing some of your lawn with native plants? NWF will provide a garden design and 20 plants for the Restore Nature effort. Plant pickup is May 3, 2026 at 9 AM
Fill out the pledge form: Restore Nature
Questions? Contact sacred.grounds@oseh-shalom.org
Native Plants Help the Environment
Enjoy a Beautiful Landscape
Butterfly
The many textures, colors and habits of native plants can be combined in attractive designs. Choose a natural-looking or more formal style. Once established, native plants reduce the time and money on landscape maintenance.
Preserve Maryland’s Biodiversity
Many native bees provide their nests with pollen from flowering native plants, while butterflies and moths eat native species at the larval stage. Birds rely on an abundance of caterpillars from butterflies and moths to feed their young. Going native supports this whole food web.
Improve Water Quality and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Conventional gardens often employ fertilizers, pesticides, supplemental water and fossil-fuel-using machinery – resulting in poor soil health, erosion and polluted storm water runoff. In addition to supporting the whole food web, native plants require less maintenance and can be used to filter storm water runoff. In this way, streams and rivers will be cleaner.
You Can Make a Difference
Interested in planting a Maryland Native tree? Plant one of these native trees:
Red Bud Tree in bloom
Interested in Planting Maryland native perennial flowers? Plant one of these native plants:
Pictures of 9 native flowering plants
More Resources that list Maryland Native Flowers, Shrubs and Trees
Gardening Design ideas:
Garden path with Native plants
On the Web
Videos
Facebook:
Petitions:
Local Native Plant Nurseries
Let us know about other Nurseries promoting native plants. Thanks, in advance.
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