At St. John Neumann Parish in New Hampshire, the community has been exploring new ways to live out Pope Francis’ call to care for our common home. This spring, parishioners came together to create something beautiful and life-giving in the form of a pollinator habitat.
With wetlands lining the back of the parish property, they had the perfect location to support bees, butterflies, and other essential pollinators. One key ingredient for a successful habitat is access to a nearby water source, which the adjacent wetlands naturally provide. On May 25, after careful planning, generous seed donations from the New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, and a parishioner’s hard work tilling the soil, they planted a 20×20-foot pollinator plot.
But what happened next surprised everyone.
Two weeks after planting, parishioners discovered that another member of God’s creation had taken an interest in the pollinator project.
“A mother snapping turtle had selected our freshly turned earth as the perfect spot to lay her eggs'” said Mary Beth Raven, a parishioner and coordinator of this proejct. “Six large holes, her nesting sites, dotted the garden. It was a powerful reminder that when we care for creation, we’re never the only ones involved. Nature has its own plans, and sometimes, those plans include a turtle nursery right in the middle of your pollinator garden.”
In the end, their efforts were not just for the pollinators, but for all creatures great and small. The parishioners have planted seeds for bees and butterflies, but God used that space for another kind of life-giving purpose.