Manistee

​Elana Warsen
Hi, I’m Elana from Manistee. I live on Michigan’s most beautiful lakeshore, but I’d much rather hang out in my backyard than at the beach. Together with my husband Scott, a wildlife biologist, we are slowly transforming our quarter-acre city lot into a haven for bugs and birds. It just so happens that the native trees, shrubs, grasses, and forbs we plant for wildlife also provide endless entertainment for our three small children who–by the way–don’t miss the lawn at all.  Ecological gardening is an important part of my discipleship as a Christian. I believe that God is at work in the world–even during an extinction crisis–and that our efforts to restore wildlife habitat echo God’s reconciling love for Creation. With every square foot of sod that I smother and every patch of dirt that I seed with native vegetation, I’m declaring that I stand for life and diversity and coexistence. In these challenging times, I want the world to know that we don’t have to wait to build a brighter future. The seeds of hope are right beneath our feet.

Read about our planting at Sophia Garden!