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Your
Congregation | Greening Resources
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Hands-on Conservation
Hands-on Conservation/Restoration
Greening
Ideas
Educational Resource
Practical Resources
Greening Ideas
Some people get the greatest sense that they’re
helping to care for God’s creation when they roll up their sleeves and
engage directly in hands-on restoration and conservation projects. These projects can especially engage youth.
These projects can lead everyone to greater contact with the natural
world, fellowship with other workers, and moments for reflection.
To strike a balance between action and reflection in these times,
consider having a time for prayer and reflection before and/or after your
work.
Educational Resource
Rev. Sharon Delgado’s Hope for the Earth: A
Handbook for Christian Environmental Groups may help to inspire and
spiritually ground groups planning hands-on restoration efforts.
To order this resource, go to the United
Methodist Church’s web site.
One congregations
experience …
"The Youth Group, Stream
Team"
After a day of stream restoration work with Earth Ministry and People for Puget Sound (a local environmental nonprofit), Earth Ministry Colleague Sharon Kenyon wrote, “Our eight junior high youth from Fairwood Community United Methodist were anxious to get to work, for many were in an environmental class at school and needed to fulfill ‘volunteer hours’ for the class. But their experience went beyond getting volunteer hours. Planting the trees, they said, made them feel like they had really made a difference. They also had fun giving a name to each tree they planted. [“Naming” was a way for them to feel personally connected with each tree – they used the names of boyfriends/girlfriends and even deceased relatives and pets.] Kenneth said that he felt they had made a real difference in improving the habitat for the animals and how one day, as an adult, hoped to return to see the growing trees. During lunch, we enjoyed the awesome experience of seeing … two hawks. We were all in awe and felt at one with nature.”
Practical Resources
· Click here for Puget Sound-area resources.
· The Orion Society produces a quarterly journal, Orion Afield, which highlights the inspiring hands-on work of local community groups around the United States. This journal also posts contact information for nation-wide, grassroots organizations working on projects in which your congregation may have an interest – to connect with there organization, go directly to their Grassroots Network page.
· The “VolunteerMatch” web site can also help you to discover a variety of organizations that have need of volunteers. Although the site often lists opportunities for individual volunteers, rather than groups, you can contact those that interest you and ask about group participation. When you go to you will be asked for your zip code and an area of interest – type “environment” into the area of interest.