St. George Episcopal Church in San Antonio Awarded United Thank Offering Grant for Pollinator Garden
(SAN ANTONIO, TX, July 29, 2025) St. George Episcopal Church and School, San Antonio of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, has been named as one of 27 recipients to receive a United Thank Offering Grant (UTO) Grant supporting innovative mission and ministry projects focused on water-related issues around the world. The Grant will provide close to $11,000 in funds to support St. George’s Pollinator Garden.
St. George’s new Creation Care Ministry is launching its first project by transforming an underutilized landscape bed into a vibrant pollinator garden that prioritizes water conservation. Inspired by community interest in sustainability and ecological challenges like drought and soil erosion. The Pollinator Garden, a 200 sq. ft. sustainable and drought-resistant landscape, is designed to prioritize water conservation in San Antonio’s extreme summers, which often feature triple-digit temperatures and drought restrictions.
The garden will feature native, drought-tolerant plants like milkweed, sage, and frostweed creating a water-smart habitat for pollinators and fostering biodiversity. This initiative directly addresses water conservation with local environmental challenges while promoting education, stewardship, and community engagement.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. David G. Read, D.D., Bishop of West Texas shared, “It is our duty as Christians and inhabitants of Earth to be good stewards of our precious environment. I’m pleased to see this blessed addition to St. George and give thanks for the tremendous work being done at the church and for other ecological projects at churches across the diocese. We offer thanks to UTO for recognizing this work and generously providing funds that support the Pollinator Garden.”
To strengthen engagement, St. George will introduce Water Awareness Day to the chapel and integrate the UTO’s Waves of Gratitude curriculum into elementary science classes, educating students and families about water stewardship. Middle school students will also mentor younger students while deepening their own understanding of environmental responsibility through their existing mentorship program, Dragon to Dragon.
The garden will also pursue Monarch Waystation designation, establishing it as a sanctuary for pollinators and a valuable community resource. By addressing local water issues and inspiring conservation, this project will serve as a model for sustainability and environmental education.
“We are thrilled to be launching our first Creation Care initiative”, stated the Rev. Ramiro Lopez, Rector at St. George. “Our members, students, and parents have expressed great excitement surrounding the garden and our commitment to protecting nature. We offer thanks and give all glory to God who has blessed us with the resources of time and talent, and we are most grateful for the financial assistance provided by UTO.”
Click here to read the UTO Grant announcement.
Access photos of the Pollinator Garden.
Learn more about the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas and visit St. George Episcopal Church.
Media Contact:
Meg Grant
Meg.grant@dwtx.org or 210-723-7073
