SJNS - Sisters of St Joseph of Lyon

Saint Joseph’s Nature Sanctuary

Saint Joseph’s Nature Sanctuary is the result of a unique partnership of local civic and nonprofit organizations who came together in 2021 around a four-acre plot of land owned by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Lyon along the Sebasticook River in Winslow, Maine. Together, these partners seek to create a welcoming place where anyone can share and learn ways of caring for the earth, build community, integrate their own spirituality, or simply enjoy nature’s beauty.

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Our Fundraising Campaign is underway!

Together with our partners, we have made a great deal of progress toward the Sisters’ vision of a nature sanctuary for all to enjoy. Our goal is to raise $20,000 for the above-mentioned improvements to the property and the nature sanctuary.

We are excited about our future plans, which include

* Increasing accessibility by paving the path to Joseph House
* Running electricity to the Joseph House
* Extending the path toward the ash tree guild in the meadow to a small parking and picnic area with views of the property
* Continued maintenance of Joseph House
* The creation of more trails.

We have achieved the following successes since starting our work in 2021:

* Finished construction of Joseph House, a 3-season, screened-in, accessible learning space
* Provided free monthly educational / experiential programs
* Developed a perimeter train around the property
* Planted a vegetable garden as part of a “lasagna gardening” workshop
* Built two brick herb spirals
* Built three tree guilds
* Dug and planted two earth berms / water gardens to mitigate water flow erosion on the property
* Built a small bridge along the perimeter trail