The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration have entered into a corporate partnership with the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, making it the first religious organization to partner with the conservancy, officials said.

The Catholic sisters gave $5,000 to the conservancy in December. In return, the conservancy will assess more than 200 acres the FSPA owns on St. Joseph’s Ridge this spring and help them develop a management plan to preserve the natural species and habitats there, said James Falvey, conservancy advancement director.
“As Franciscans, it’s always been important to us to honor the land and the earth,” said Sister Sharon Berger, a member of the FSPA leadership team.

The land includes about 100 acres the sisters rent out for farming, 100 acres of woods, an organic garden and a skilled nursing facility for retired sisters.

“The partnership is significant,” Falvey said, “because it is the first time someone has told us that preserving land is connected to their spirituality in such direct terms.”

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