Double your impact so we can double ours! 

Every donation received by midnight on December 31st, will be matched, thanks to a very generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous. That means you have 10 more days to give to Gathering Ground and your impact will be doubled! $100 becomes $200.

Every dollar given to Gathering Ground will go to support our programs, which help connect people to the environment. From long-term science projects with Washington Island middle school students and our summer program for young adults to our community programs like the Farmers’ Market, Island bike tours, and vineyard dinners, we are proud of what we’ve accomplished in 2021. We are looking to increase our impact in 2022.

Take a closer look at what we made happen in 2021, thanks to the support of people like you:

Planted 150 chestnut trees & 1200 seedlings

We continued to grow our chestnut orchard with 150 trees. In addition, our interns planted 1,200 chestnut seedlings in our tree nursery. In the next 3-5 years, we should start getting some nuts and learn more about what trees are best for our climate.

Planted 300 vines & 50 wildlife shrubs

We planted 90 more disease resistant Itasca grape vines and 75 blueberries. We hope to get our first lingonberries and blueberries next year!

150 pounds of food donated

We donated more than 150 pounds of squash to the Washington Island food pantry. As our fruit and nut trees mature, this number will only grow.

6 students • 6 seminars • 6 field trips • 6 weeks of hands-on learning

Wit hour class of 2021 interns, we planted vines, trees, shrubs and cover crops. We learned together, reading articles on everything from organic pesticides to food sovereignty. We did soil tests for community members, tended our flock of sheep, and shared our learnings with the community.

2 new community events

We had our first family fun day – a day of activities for kids at the vineyard – and our first Island Bike Tour of five different farms and businesses on the Island. Even overcast skies couldn’t keep participants from having a joyful day.

3 grants received • 1 matching donor

We received grants from DCCF, the Raibrook Foundation and the Kroger Foundation to invest in making our grounds a more welcoming place and to invest in our summer internship program. Between Giving Tuesday and December 31, one donor will match all end of year gifts! Double your impact and give today!