Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
July 10, 2002
Wildflowers give families way to combine love of creation, Creator
Learning about wildflowers nurtures respect for other forms of nature
By Nancy Frazier O'Brien
Families looking for an activity that adds a spiritual dimension to their love for the outdoors might want to try planting and promoting wildflowers, as some followers of St. Francis of Assisi have been doing for years.
Since 1996, the Secular Franciscan Order USA had been the sole sponsor of National Wildflower Week, observed each year during the first full week in May.
But more recently, the week has blossomed into a wider observance with 10 sponsors, including Franciscans International of North America, the North American Coalition on Religion and Ecology, the Religious Campaign for Forest Conservation, the National Council of Catholic Women and the Environmental Alliance for Senior Involvement.
"Wildflower gardening brings us closer to God as we come to recognize the intricate value and beauty of his creation, and the peace and joy we derive from it," said Charles G. Spencer of West Springfield, Mass., founder of National Wildflower Week and chairman of the National Ecology Commission of the Secular Franciscan Order USA, a lay association of followers of St. Francis.
The aim of National Wildflower Week, according to its literature, is to "encourage the observation, cultivation and study of native wildflowers as a means of deepening humankind's relationship, responsibility and commitment" to creation and the Creator.
Among the suggested activities for National Wildflower Week are: wildflower walks and lectures; plantings at homes, schools or other public buildings; wildflower arts and crafts programs; photography, poster, essay and poetry competitions; lobbying efforts for legislation that protects and preserves open space, critical habitat and endangered species; and, proclamations of local wildflower weeks by political leaders.
In South Plainfield, N.J., Dorothy Miele and her daughter, Sarah, convinced Mayor Daniel J. Gallagher to proclaim National Wildflower Week in the borough.
They also helped organize the planting of two meadow gardens at the entrance of the high school, the landscaping of the new senior center with native perennials by middle school students, special exhibits and programs at the local public library, "wildflower walks `n' talks" by the Friends of the Highland Woods Environmental Education Reserve, and the stocking of wildflowers by local garden centers and by sponsors of the annual Mother's Day plant sale.
On its Web site — www.nationalwildflowerweek.com — organizers also offer for sale to those living east of the Rockies two types of wildflower gardens, complete with instructions.
There are an estimated 300,000 plant species in the world, with 272,000 of them having botanical names. Of these, 18,000 live in the United States and Canada. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists 597 U.S. plant species as "endangered," and another 145 plant species as "threatened."
The study of wildflowers can add to people's respect for various other forms of nature, according to Peter Bernhardt, author of "The Rose's Kiss: The Natural History of Flowers."
"Without pollinators, there would be no wildflowers," he wrote. "Knowing this, we can better appreciate hummingbirds, hover flies, butterflies, moths, bees, desert bats, hairy beetles, fungus gnats and wasps."
In a letter promoting the observance, Spencer recalled that years ago nature field guide writer Donald Stokes "suggested to me that nature is not so much broken into four seasons, but hundreds and hundreds of seasons."
"He then went on to list the skunk cabbage season, hepatica season, and on and on and on, flower after flower, many I heard for the first time," the lay Franciscan said. "His description reminded me of waves constantly rolling in off the sea, and brought me to look more closely at creation as it unfolds. Hopefully, his statement will incite your curiosity in the same way."
Contact Us
