Saint Joseph's Nature Sanctuary is the result of a unique partnership of local civic and non-profit organizations who came together in late 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 sought to create a welcoming place where anyone could share and learn ways of caring for the earth, build community, integrate their own spirituality, or simply enjoy nature’s beauty.

Your donation to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Lyon for the Saint Joseph's Nature Sanctuary will help us reach our goal of raising $36,000 to construct the screened-in space and trail system.

 

Our First Year

Here's what we have accomplished in our first year!

  • Welcomed civic and non-profit groups to meet on the property,
  • Organized free monthly Skills Sharing Workshops,
  • Explored the property via a winter snow shoeing expedition,
  • Hosted expert-led zoom workshops on appreciating nature, principles of permaculture, clean energy options, and more
  • Monthly field work by Master Naturalists helped plan our future educational trail
  • Secured a ‘no-spray’ agreement with Central Maine Power, and
  • Cooperated with the development of a riverside through-trail

 

Our Plans for 2023

  • Offer monthly Skills Sharing Workshops on sheet-mulched gardens, herb spirals, native plant and tree planting, ‘rain gardens’, and more
  • Create an accessible internal trail with pause-points for learning and reflection, educational signage, and comfortable seating, linking with a through-trail along the river.
  • Build a three-season, screened-in, accessible outdoor learning space to expand programming for children and those with limited mobility

Our Founding Partners

The Sisters of St. Joseph are grateful for the support of their partners in this project!

  • Winslow Agricultural Commission,
  • Kennebec/Messalonskee Trails,
  • Citizens’ Climate Lobby,
  • Mid-Maine Permaculture,
  • some Maine Master Naturalists,
  • Winslow Girl Scout Troop 545, and other neighbors and friends.

(Photo: some founding partners gathered for a fall potluck social)