Green Sanctuary June 2024 News

Wednesday, June 19 Green Sanctuary Potluck and Program!

Join Green Sanctuary on Wednesday, June 19 for a Potluck and Program. We will gather at 5:30 pm, with a short program around 6-6:15. After cleanup we will hold our regular meeting. All are welcome to stay for the meeting.

• We will provide childcare.
• Bring a dish to share with 6-8 people with a label listing ingredients.
• In the spirit of taking care of nature, we invite you to also bring your own plates, utensils, and napkins to clean at home to reduce waste and speed the cleanup after the potluck.

Composting Policy

We have set up a composting service. Now we need to ensure we do it right!

• There are green, square, 5-gallon containers in the kitchen for holding compost.
• The containers need to first be lined with compostable bags located (for now) in the trash bag drawer by the entrance to the storage area.
• When they are full, they should be tied shut and placed in the 55-gallon container labeled Compost Ninja located outside in the solid waste corral with the garbage and recycling bins.
• The only items that can go into the bin are:
  • Food waste
  • Compostable table ware, and
  • Clippings from plant arrangements

June Better Together Challenge – Connection

Each month of Better Together we have actions that members of the congregation can take to address climate Mitigation, Adaptation, Resilience, and Justice. Our focus for the summer is Adaptation to the new circumstances created by climate change. One way to adapt is to create and deepen connections.  Below are three different ways to connect. Try the one that fits you best, and if you can, try another.

1. Connect with Neighbors: If you don’t know your neighbors, start by picking one to connect with. Make the first move by just nodding and smiling, and maybe adding a comment about the weather. When your paths cross again, introduce yourself and ask how long they have lived in the neighborhood. Questions can progress to what they do, where they are from, do they have pets, or is family nearby. If you already know your neighbors, ask them for advice about pets, service people, plants, or a nice place to eat. Next level stuff: Consider planning a neighborhood get together so all your neighbors can become better acquainted.
2. Connect with Another Species: Choose a plant or animal you see in your neighborhood fairly regularly and learn more about it. Learn what its common name is, what its scientific name is (the Latin two-part name). Learn about its life cycle, how it reproduces, what it eats, and what eats it. Look for it when you are out and about and make mental notes on its growth or behavior through the cycle of the seasons.
3. Connect with Another Culture: Choose a culture you have wondered about and learn more about it. It can be a place, a music genre, a religion, a type of food, a sport, a fashion, a TV series,almost anything as long as it is different from what you already know. Talk to followers, read a book, listen to a podcast, watch a documentary. Seek to understand what human need this culture meets, and how it shapes the way its followers view the world and make decisions. Then think about the cultures you follow and find the common links.

How to Help Green Sanctuary’s Work (even if you don’t want to come to a meeting)

You can help with our project even if you can’t make our regular meetings.  Projects include ways to engage the congregation, exploring battery backup for emergencies, helping the Center for Worker Justice with a resilience project and the Creekside Neighborhood with an environmental threat, developing a water quality focus, and exploring outreach to elected representatives. To help, just email Jan Weaver at jan.weaver57@gmail.com with your interest, and she will connect you with the project leader. Our next meeting is Wednesday, June 19 at 5:30 pm for our Potluck, Program and Meeting at the Church.

Photo Caption:

UUs “Clean a River” by exchanging good farming practices for harmful ones in our River of Yarn. They removed cows from streams, reduced fertilizer amounts, reduced the number of pigs in a watershed, switched to spring plowing, and added grassy filter strips to stream edges. These five practices help keep soil, fertilizer, and poop out of Iowa Rivers. Learn more from the book “The Swine Republic’ by Chris Jones. The Swine Republic just made the Library of Congress’ 2024 Great Reads list. https://www.thegazette.com/agriculture/swine-republic-makes-library-of-congress-great-reads-list/