Monastery of Saint Gertrude

In 1990, the Monastery of St. Gertrude appointed a Stewardship of the Land Committee to explore the community’s relationship with and responsibility for, its 1,400 acres of land; to compose a long-range land management plan; and to articulate a statement about land use that would be acceptable to all members of the community. This process took three years. In 1993, the Philosophy of Land Use was adopted. One year later, the Sisters succeeded in getting 1,000 acres of their land certified as a Stewardship Forest and developed a comprehensive forest management plan designed to balance sustainable productivity with wildlife habitat protection and aesthetic pleasure. In 1998, the Monastery became a member of the American Tree Farm System. It received the Idaho Tree Farm of the Year award in 2001 and was a western region finalist in the 2002 national competition. The Monastery’s recent “Plant a Forest” campaign raised $35,000 to plant 70,000 trees between 1999–2002. Another 12,000 seedlings were planted in the spring of 2004.

Philosophy of Land Use
“We recognize our sacred responsibility to reverence and care for our land and to make proper use of the resources it provides. In order to live in harmony with the Earth and to promote responsible stewardship we commit ourselves:

1. To choosing a lifestyle that will give witness to our love of the earth
2. To joining with other people who are endeavoring to heal the wounds that have been inflicted upon our planet
3. To providing ourselves with ongoing education in ecology so that our decisions regarding the use of the land will respect the balance and interdependence found in nature
4. To utilizing the land for financial profit in a responsible manner—always seeking to maintain the quality of soil, air, water, and the healthy balance of animal and plant life
5. To keeping in mind that the atmosphere of peace and prayerfulness provided by our surroundings is to be shared with all who come to seek God with us.”