We are proud to announce that the national St. Kateri Conservation Center has chosen Sacred Heart Parish to become the first Ark of Biodiversity in the nation. The Ark program takes its inspiration from Noah’s Ark and Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant. The program calls parishes to renew Catholic faith by deepening connections with God and fostering harmonious relationships with each other and all of creation.

As a Parish Ark we are required to conserve 30% of our parish open land for the well-being of people, biodiversity, and climate resilience, through faith, rewilding, restoration, and land conservation. We have already met the minimum requirements, but parishioners are working with the St. Kateri Conservation Center and the Town of Lexington to become a model of responsible ecological stewardship.

This spring, we created a friendship garden filled with native plants to support pollinators (next to the Parish Center) and are working to establish a meditation garden (in the large wooded area above the church).

The St. Kateri Conservation Center set up an iNaturalist Project to track the increase in biodiversity on our property over time. They are also working on plans that will help us reduce maintenance costs, manage drainage issues, and responsibly address our need for additional on-site handicapped parking.

Additionally, the town of Lexington has completed its survey of our land in preparation for constructing a trail through our woodland that will connect to a newly acquired town conservation area.

Sacred Heart will also play a vital role as a pilot project for a collaborative initiative between the St. Kateri Conservation Center and the Archdiocese of Boston, aimed at surveying and tracking land use on Catholic properties across the Archdiocese.

Thank you to all who have joined us in nurturing our environment and making a lasting difference!