In 2025, the New York Community Trust awarded the Dominican Sisters of Hope a $100,000 grant to support pollinator conservation on the land at Mariandale.

The grant recognizes the congregation’s longstanding commitment to eco-justice and provides the opportunity for Mariandale to become part of a continuous pollinator corridor, connecting Crawbuckie Nature Preserve and the Croton Point Restoration Project.

 The Pollinator Habitat Restoration has been structured in phases, including first, invasive species removal,and second, planting native, pollinator-friendly plant species on Mariandale land. A final stage involves educational efforts to highlight the impacts and importance of pollinators for the environment.

Removing acres of invasive mugwort at Mariandale is the first step. we are about a year into this process as of late summer 2026. 

More About Mugwort

The mugwort we are remediating at Mariandale is “Artemisia vulgaris.” It came over accidentally around the 16th century in ships from Europe. It was also brought intentionally by various European cultures for teas and medicinal uses.  It is a non-native, highly aggressive plant in North America.

Native mugwort is commonly known as white sagebrush, or “Artemisia ludoviciana.” It exists in most of North America. It is this mugwort that was/is used by Native Americans for traditional ceremonies and medicinal practices.

The non-native mugwort grows and spreads rapidly, crowding out other native plant life and sources of food for wildlife. Learn more about the Earth-friendly (and challenging!) methods we are using to remediate the spread of mugwort, which include large-scale solarization and visiting goats, who consume invasive plant species with great relish. Their digestive systems prevent seeds or remains from propagating. Last year, the goats played and important role in removing the brunt of the invasives on almost 6 acres of land, and worked on the sloped sides of the land, as well. 

“The grant will be used, first, to restore 5.5 acres of invasive, non-native mugwort to native vegetation. Over many years, acres of land at the Center at Mariandale have become overgrown with invasive vines and plants.”

Read more about this exciting award and our plans for Pollinator Habitat Restoration on the Dominican Sisters of Hope website (links below).

Solarization Project to Eradicate Mugwort at Mariandale

Encouraging Growth of Pollinators