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Environmental Restoration
Saint Benedict
Center
Middleton, WI
Saint Benedict Center in Middleton, WI, is situated
on 130 acres overlooks the northern shore of Lake
Mendota and the city of Madison, and serves as
home to a 10,000-year-old glacial lake (Lost Lake).
Over the years, rapid urbanization and farming
on lands contiguous to the property contributed
to significant pollution from nutrients, pesticides,
metals and sediment, resulting in the loss of
wildlife habitat and the disappearance of native
vegetation. Further, over 400 acres of land drain
into and through this site, making its health
an integral part of the health of the broader
Lake Mendota Priority Watershed.
In 1995, Prioress Mary David Walgenbach, OSB,
and others in this small community of sisters,
began to reflect on the centuries-old Benedictine
tradition of reverence for all creation -- including humans, other animals, plants, air and
water. Reverence for creation is an integral part
of the community vision of Sisters of Saint Benedict;
they seek to weave prayer, hospitality, and care
for the earth into a shared way of life. The poor
health of the land and its creatures moved the
sisters to take action. They drew up an extensive
long-term proposal, calling for the restoration
of 80 acres to native upland prairie and oak savannah,
dredging 85,000 cubic yards of silt from Lost
Lake, and creating a new detention basin to control
runoff headed for Lake Mendota.
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The small size of the community was not an obstacle
for long, as they effectively formed partnerships
with more than 50 area organizations, and worked
hand-in-hand with hundreds of volunteers of all
ages over the next eight years, including: Boy
Scout and Girl Scout troops, college interns,
civic organizations, schools, and many churches
in the area. The sisters appreciated the community’s
outpouring of support in terms of labor, planning
and implementation, and the cherished the opportunity
to share in the message of justice and care for
all creation in the process.
As you might imagine, this ambitions effort brought
about tremendous success. A new wetland/detention
area eliminated downstream siltation and chemical
runoff from 200 acres of land, significantly improving
the quality of water flowing into Lake Mendota.
The effort returned 90 acres of former farmland
to native upland prairie, which provided a more
expansive sanctuary for endangered wildlife and
created a buffer to urban sprawl. Additionally,
they returned Lost Lake to near its original area
and depth, by removing 85,000 cubic yards of silt.
Walgenbach said, “The sisters and our co-workers will continue to make Saint Benedict Center a place of restoration of the natural environment and a place for renewal of the human heart. In collaboration with other people and organizations that care about the environment, we can make a difference... for present and future generations.” It was a valuable outreach opportunity to raise awareness of care for creation through the local partnerships as well as local, regional, and national news coverage of the work.
Contact person: Neal Smith, Exec. Director, Administration at 608-836-1631 x115 |
