Green Retreat - Environmental storytelling "seed crystals"

Green Retreat - Env'l storytelling "seed crystals"   

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Hi all,
As you know, Steve has encouraged me to keep a running list of "seed crystals" or ideas for stories that could be the starting point for someone to use in their env'l storytelling. It has been SUCH A FUN exercise.  The list keeps growing.  I just added the last four of them based on a Garden Club "Envl Sustainability Course" that I was lucky enough to be part of.  I listened to three other presenters and gathered these seed crystals from them.  Happy reading.  I would love to learn more about each of these and hope someone will dig it and give us more on each one:

1.       Austin, TX’s Freetail bat population recovers thanks to a bridge that invites bat nests, eats insects (Prassede Calabi)

2.       Mystic River Herring ladder – River used to be a herring run, then dammed up and herring would die trying to get over the dam between the Mystic Lakes (bucket brigades tried to help), then in 2012 put in a herring ladder.  Now herring population has more than doubled, eagles and osprey, herons all back in area.  (Prassede Calabi)

3.       Ethiopia had massive famines in 1980s.  Then, government focused on food production system and irrigation.  Population has since doubled but now is a new food exporter. (Farmer Dave)

4.       LED lighting in greenhouses has made them economically feasible and is extending the growing season.  In the Republic of Georgia, their greenhouses are heated by geothermal energy and powered by solar panels and lit with LED lights.  (Farmer Dave)

Candy Dann

SC Green Team Meeting Notes 9-21-2017

SC Green Team Meeting Notes 9/21/2017

Present: Mark Bohrer, Candy Dann, Susan Johnston, Fran Fink, Steve Fink, Kate Jagger

Away: Iric Rex, Terry Ebner, Bill Schroeder, Janet Clarke, Marty Mason

Mark to add Marty Mason to Green Team committee mailings!

Next meeting: Possibly Oct 1^st at Bohrer’s?

1)      Kate Jagger special guest - representing Giving Committee (and Trustees too)

·         She requested us to include Nora in all minutes and key information communications so that Nora is up to date with our activities, and can help with our communication

·         Kate asked about budget needs – we should keep this in mind

                                                               i.      for example – does the Green Team ever have a child care budget need?

·         Giving Committee requested to have the minister(s) deliver the giving message

·         Two funds in church could support Green Team activities, if money is an issue:

                                                               i.      Seeds of Faith Fund and Science Fund

2)      Harvest Dinner

·         Same format as last year - Mark – send out program draft to group

·         Advance prep – Fran, Susan to make and bring pesto

·         ACTION: Mark – contact Dana – request announcement about Harvest Dinner on 9/30, talk with her about speaking, and Giving group announcement, need pasta makers!

                                                               i.      Talk with her about Earth Day Service spring 2018

                                                             ii.      Talk with her about Green Retreat plans for Oct 2018

·         Action: Mark – need guitarist to play song before dinner – TBD – Martin M or Steve L?

·         ACTION: Mark – make and post posters for Sunday 9/30

                                                               i.      IF YOU HAVE A PASTA MAKER – call Steve

·         ACTION: Fran / Emily – make a Giving Garden picture slide show

·         ACTION: Steve: sign up past makers

                                                               i.      Heather Abourjailly has one

                                                             ii.      last year: Finks, Rex, Danns, Shaws, Audes,

·         ACTION: Steve – find a Ted Talk or other content. Neil deGrasse Tyson video?

·         ACTION: Mark – See if a rehearsal dinner on Sun 10/1  5:30PM?

3)      Retreat Planning - Green Retreat for the Future 2.0

-          Highland Center Date set: Oct 5^th – 7^th – Columbus Day weekend 2018

-          Steve to organize retreat committee, and to have flyer for Harvest Dinner

-          Retreat - Similar format & structure, Explore area, Science projects, Guest speaker

o   Steve presented the Why/How/What for the retreat (include)

-          Market as Family Christmas gift December 2017

o   Retreat theme: Successes, inspiration, stories!

o   start with a family environmental project, what is the story?

-          Everything good that’s happening that we don’t always think about

-          For example: Candy talked about how acid rain was solved

-          For example: Steve presents about his house, with pictures

-          For example: kids show what they’ve done, what they care about << this is powerful

o   kids especially have moral authority

-          For example: Bill tell the story of MIPL, what, why, who

-          Have readout afterwards on the stories at church, at a service

Parking Lot

Plans for Earth Day 2018

-       have a green/solar house tour.

-       invite North Parish, Christ Church, many congregations

-       See if there is a local solar tour

-       ACTION (Mark): contact staff – date for Earth Sunday in Spring

Church Greening

· Creeping non-environmentalism

 Was is there a mini-kitchen in library? Refrigerator, microwave, coffee makers...when kitchen is not so far!  Steve will talk to Alex.

Church Divestment (last updated June 2017)

-       Trustees of the Trust Funds are receptive to the topic, if there were funds with low overhead expenses that were fossil free

 There are a number of fossil free ETF funds run by State Street Funds

-       How should we move this forward this year?

 Can we advance this with the church year, to get the membership onboard, to lay the groundwork for a church vote?

 Candy’s Recommendation: Ask Ron Hill (an investment advisor), to get him onboard early

-       What’s the ask of the TOTTF? Is this an action done over time (say 5 years)? Like the UCC General Synod

-       Put together a handout about how the church might do this (options)

-       Dialogue about church members personal portfolios