St. John’s Episcopal Church members pose with a table full of items relating to birds. Photo provided by Mendon Public Library
The Very Reverend Virginia Tyler Smith and her congregation wanted to reach out beyond their congregation and make an impact in the community. After much discussion, they established a relationship with the Mendon Public Library and decided to move forward on a plan that would connect us all to our community and the natural world.
Thanks to a gift from St John’s Episcopal Church and support from The Friends of MPL, the library has several new bird feeders, bird books, and is participating in Cornell’s Feeder Watch program.
On Saturday, January 8, 2022, over twenty community members gathered to celebrate this community partnership and learn how to get involved in this citizen science project at the library. An expert from The Bird House – which carries “Rochester’s biggest and best selection of bird seed, feeders, and garden supplies” – presented a program to help patrons attract and identify numerous bird species to home feeders.
“We are so thrilled to partner with the MPL on the birding project. As a parish, we love to support people learning about and engaging with nature. This project was a great way to match up our interest in stewarding creation with the Library’s mission to help people learn and engage with their community. Many thanks to Lyla Grills and the Friends of the MPL for putting together such a wonderful program!” The Very Rev. Virginia Tyler Smith, Rector.
