March 2022 Creation Corner Column
Upcoming March & April dates for meaningful events
March 31, 2022 On-line and free: A Q&A discussion with climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe on her case for hope and healing in a divided world. Where do we begin? What do we say when people are skeptical? How do we stay hopeful in the face of some overwhelming trends? And what is our call as Christians? AustinSeminary.edu/savingus .
April 22, 2022, Friday is the 52nd anniversary celebration of Earth Day. Look for events in your community, and check for your religious denomination's web sites, and/or see these web sites:
1. "Invest In Our Planet: What Will You Do? theme materials at the earthday.org site.
2. Earth Day activities for churches via progressivechurchmedia.com/earthday2022
3. "Happy Mother Earth's Day: Save Earth to Save Many Lives" via earthreminder.com
4.GodSpaceLight
5.epa.gov.earthday
6. earthdayinitiative.org (virtual stage)
7. greenmatters.com
8. umcmission.org resources from the United Methodist Church
9. sciencemoms.com
10. creationcare.org from the Evangelical Environmental Network
11. LutheransRestoringCreation.org 2022 Earth Day Virtual Worship
12. CreationJustice.org Weathering the Storm with Faithful Climate Resilience stories. 2022 resource download includes Bible stories, sermon starters, a liturgy, and action steps. 10 pages.
April 24---May 1, 2022 (both Sundays) Soil and Water Stewardship Week theme is "Healthy Soil: Healthy Life" sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts, with many educational materials for pastors, Sunday Schools, etc. Go to nacd.net/general-resources/stewardship-and-education-materials/stewardship-outreach-materials-churches/ . In past years materials included a litany and program insert, educator and church leader guides, student booklets, placemats and activity guides, posters and bookmarks.
April 29, 2022, Friday is Arbor Day (always the last Friday in April). The first national proposal for tree planting took place 150 years ago, 1872, in Nebraska, and since 1972 the Arbor Day Foundation has inspired people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Look for activities in your area for this 150th and 50th anniversary. The theme this year: "Trees are Terrific...For Today and Tomorrow." ArborDay.org
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More things you can do to help in the climate crisis (List derived from the "100 Things You Can Do to Help in the Climate Crisis" column "Small Works" by Sarah Lazarovic in the Winter 2022 issue of YES! Journalism for People Building a Better World, with permission). To be continued in future columns. (Note: YES! magazine in 25 years has produced 4 periodicals per year=100 issues).
Buy just enough
Live smaller
Nix "natural" gas
Green your banking
Green your investments
Pay a little extra to purchase clean energy from your utility
Plant for pollinators
Grow your own food
Write climate letters to your paper and call in to radio shows
Demand better climate coverage
Make climate an issue at local debates and council meetings
Minimize municipal red tape to implement net-zero solutions
Volunteer to make your community more resilient
Help those around you find low-carbon solutions
Adopt new technology that will inspire your neighbors
Ask your landlord to make green retrofits
Participate in peaceful civil disobedience (sorry to block the intersection but enjoy our climate dance!)
Learn from indigenous land guardians
Learn about the land you're on
Share emissions data (Psst!, We're the biggest emitters)
Hot new options: Solar, geothermal, a heat pump!
Donate to trusted climate organizations (Q.: R U Legit?, A.: Yep!)
Volunteer! Volunteer! Volunteer!
Organize! Organize! Organize!
Join! Join! Join!
Some of the above are big, some are small; pick your thing, don't do them all. The crisis is large and often bleak, but find your strength with action each week.
Upcoming Calendar Dates to Notice/Observe
April 10 Florida Gopher Tortoise Day
April 22 Earth Day
April 25 Defenders of Wildlife Anniversary, founded in 1947
April 24-May 1 Soil and Water Stewardship Week (nacd.net)
April 25 75th Anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt National Park
April 29 Arbor Day, began 150 years ago, 50 years ago the Foundation for it began
May 6 115th Anniversary of Lassen Volcanic National Park
May 14 World Migratory Bird Day
May 15-21 Bear Awareness Week
May 20 Endangered Species Day
May 22 120th Anniversary of Crater National Park
May 23 World Turtle Day
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Mike Ochs finds common ground between religion and politics in his concern for the environment.
Politically he self-published the first "Greens Bibliography" of the English-language literature on the international Green Party movement (1989), the project for his Master of Liberal Arts in International Studies degree at Lock Haven (PA) University. He also helped plant the seeds for the Green Party of PA at that time, and remains a cyber-activist with it.
For a monthly newsletter of the ecumenical United Churches of Lycoming County (PA), he has written the "Creation Corner Column" since 1997. It became a blog in 2011 at
He received a B.A. degree from Gettysburg College in 1965.
