DEN Enews

Thank you to those who participated in our DEN Diocesan Strategic Planning Zoom meeting last Thursday evening. Incredible conversations from a diverse group of colleagues; all with a passion for our earthly home and doing what we can to “renew the face of the earth.” Donna Giles, the photographer responsible for the photo we use in all our banners ended the night with this statement:

We need hope. We need to see hope.

Thank you, Donna, for summing up our conversations so succinctly and beautifully.

There is light showing in the darkness with these committed groups and their upcoming events listed below:

Watershed Worker Training Sessions – Register Now

This year, watershed worker training will be delivered through two interactive sessions at Brookvale Alpine Ski Lodge. All watershed groups are invited to attend. Sessions will include presentations, hands-on activities, and opportunities to connect with other groups.

Coordinator/Supervisor Session
📅 Tuesday, June 9
🕘 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
📍 Brookvale Alpine Ski Lodge

Topics include: Workers Compensation Board (working in the heat and youth workers),PEI Invasive Species Council and Dr. Nina Germitsch (Atlantic Veterinary College) on fox tapeworm

Watershed Worker Training Session
📅 Friday, July 3
🕘 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
📍 Brookvale Alpine Ski Lodge

Topics include: PEI Invasive Species Council, PEI Forests, Fish and Wildlife staff with additional details to be announced.

Register here!

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People Not Plunder

It’s been a cool spring but the fire in our hearts warms us as we resist Tim Houston’s dangerous agenda and inhumane budget. The budget cuts negatively impacted all of us and in particular those involved in arts and culture. Artists were in the legislature gallery witnessing the budget debate and created a series of sketches. With their permission we produced a set of postcards featuring their work. Our last work party involved packaging them into sets to sell as a fundraiser; you can purchase them on our updated website: https://peoplenotplunder.ca/ Just select the Shop tab to find the art cards and other PNP merchandise. Upcoming Events Work Party

Our last work party was a success, and there is still more to do. Help us make some buttons on Wednesday, June 10^th, from 7:00 – 8:30 pm., 2081 Kline Street, Halifax. If you plan on coming, it would be helpful if you could let us know via email so we have a sense of numbers for snacks and organizing the work we tackle.

Film Screening

People Not Plunder is organizing a screening of the documentary Fracking the Peace at the Woodlawn library, 31 Eisener Blvd, Dartmouth on Wednesday, June 24^th at 7:00 pm with doors opening at 6:45 pm.  Dr. Cathy Cervin, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment will be a guest commentator.

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The Communion Forest invites you to the second webinar under Ecosystems Series. This is a conversation focused on marine ecosystems. We will hear examples of work done by churches in conserving, protecting and restoring  these ecosystems. We will also hear how land based activities such as chemical use in agriculture, plastic pollution, effluent discharges, among others, impact marine ecosystems and learn how we can all contribute to conservation, protection and restoration of those ecosystems. Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/axcxu4gCRUWsJYf8Bxul7A#/registration

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The EAC is excited to offer an incredible one-day long workshop through the Climate Leadership Badge, part of HalifACT's Climate Commitment Badge program.

 Deadline For registration was last night so reach out asap if interested.
Organizer Training with Organizer X – Fill out form.

Organizing is the practice of taking what we have and turning it into the power we need to build the world we want. This practice has been used by social movements for centuries to challenge the powers that be to deliver justice, dignity, and democracy, and we can use it now to build the power we need to build the sustainable future we want to live in!

This one-day workshop is perfect for anyone who has been working on creating change in their community. Whether you have just joined a community group or you've been rabblerousing for decades, this training will give you space to reflect on what you do and how you do it, meet other people who do similar work, sharpen your skills and learn some new ones. 

At the workshop, we will: Explore what it means to organize, and focus the essential leadership skills needed to organize (ex: public narrative, making a strong invitation to action), Hone your groups' engagement structures for maximum power (ex: leadership ladder, coaching for leadership), And build a shared understanding for the current power structures we're all organizing to change (ex: understanding the current political rupture, confronting corporate power)

Event Details:

Where: The Deanery Project (175 West Ship Harbour Road; Lower Ship Harbour)

When: Saturday, June 13^th  - 10:00 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lunch will be provided. Participants should bring a notebook with a pen/pencil, a water bottle, and anything else you may need to be comfortable during the day (such as your favourite snacks, something to fidget with, etc). We'll be outside regardless of the weather, so please dress accordingly.

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Kairos Canada is offering  Training on Social Media and Event Promotion Monday, June 15 at 10 am. Atlantic Time 

 https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81857515544?pwd=hDDZMvaeFGYv4VlQhA6nnRxmBjApui.1 

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The world’s oceans need our hope and our action. From Greenpeace Canada:

From majestic whales and sea turtles to colourful coral reefs, the oceans are home to extraordinary biodiversity that has been evolving for millions of years. They regulate our climate, produce more than half of the oxygen we breathe and make life on Earth possible.

 But today, the global oceans are under threat. Decades of industrial fishing, pollution, oil and gas drilling, plastic waste and the looming threat of deep sea mining are pushing marine ecosystems into crisis.

 Ocean protection can’t wait any longer.

One of the most important opportunities right now is the Global Ocean Treaty – a landmark agreement that would ensure countries create protected ocean sanctuaries in international waters. But Canada has still not ratified the treaty, meaning it has no voting power in upcoming decisions that will shape the future of ocean protection.

 As a country bordered by three oceans and home to the world’s largest coastline. Canada has a responsibility to lead. Will you help push Canada to act?

 With your support, Greenpeace will:

• Pressure the Canadian government to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty

• Mobilize public support for strong ocean protection

• Push for the creation of marine protected areas in the most vulnerable waters

Together, we can help protect the blue heart of our planet.

The illegal war on Iran puts Canada’s fossil fuel industry in line for a projected $90 billion windfall. Much of this windfall comes directly from consumers in the form of higher gas prices. One estimate suggests the typical driver will pay $1600 more in gas in 2026. Climate change culprits make billions from a tax system that offloads environmental costs to the public and concentrates wealth at the top. In order to stop this profiteering and address affordability, we need to implement a windfall tax on the oil and gas industry. The excess profits being made could become a cash transfer to Canadians and investment in renewable energy. Instead, top executives and shareholders are lining their pockets. The tax system is a key player in Canada achieving its climate goals and lowering the cost of living. Tell our government to cut the cost of living and fight climate change, all by taxing windfall profits now!

BC has some of the greatest diversity of ecosystems in Canada with its old-growth forests, grasslands, rainforests, dry forests, rich valleys, and alpine mountaintops. This comes with responsibility, as well as opportunity. Protection of these globally renowned ecosystems protect our health and well-being, support First Nations cultures, can lead to a more sustainable and diversified economy, and help avert the extinction and climate crises. There are critical policy gaps that threaten BC’s old-growth forests, and the entrenched economic dependency that many communities and First Nations have on old-growth logging is also not addressed. This petition is pushing for effective action in many exciting ways. Add your name to ask to develop a provincial Protected Areas Strategy, a Conservation-Based Economy Strategy, a rapid transition to a second-growth forest industry, science-based targets and solution space funding for First Nations, and closed logging loopholes in conservation areas.

AI Data Centers are being built in record numbers despite a long list of significant and known harms. One of these harms is noise pollution and its impact on wildlife (and humans to a lesser extent). Despite this knowledge, a data center is being build within 50 feet of the Nashville Zoo. This zoo houses some of the most fragile and rare animals in the USA. 3000 unique animals live here! This also affects staff, the surrounding community, the millions of visitors this zoo gets, and comes with other concerns such as electricity and water usage. There are no regulations or safeguards in place, no studies or environmental assessments done. This data center is 69,000 square feet and being built next door to one of the region’s most delicate environments, all based on developers telling the community not to worry. Please join in the outcry against this seemingly deliberate cruelty and foolishness.

The Nicobar Islands are an island chain located in Southeast Asia in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are a distinct terrestrial ecoregion which hosts many endemic species within its rainforests. In fact, The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve is UNESCO-recognized for its centuries-old tropical rainforest ecology. Have you heard of these animals before: the Nicobar megapode, Nicobar treeshrew, Great Nicobar serpent eagle, Nicobari pig, Nicobar scops owl, Daniel’s forest lizard, Nicobar cat snake, or Omura’s whale. They are living examples of endangered species who rely on the Nicobar Islands remaining intact. Right now, India’s government is planning on wiping away nearly a million trees from this sensitive ecosystem. There are several development plans being made, but there is not a plan that can mitigate the massive deforestation, the biodiversity threats, the tsunami and natural disaster risks, the lack of impact assessments, or the displacement of local Indigenous communities. This petition is going straight to the India government asking to save the 960,000 trees of the Nicobar Islands!

 Never Too Old - Grandma Learns About Podcasts

Once upon a time, in a faraway land known as the South Shore of Nova Scotia, there lived a Grandma who liked to write.

Although she was part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, it was never the centre of her life. She simply lived in her community like anyone else: volunteering when needed, helping with church work, enjoying her kitchen, and happily puttering around her garden.

Then one day, her granddaughter stepped out of her closet.

Thankfully, she stepped into a family filled with love. A family where there had always been a Grandma and Nana, Mom and Dad, cousins, aunts, and uncles who cared far more about the person than whatever label the world might place upon them.

About the same time, Grandma and Nana decided they wanted to attend another Pride Parade. With mobility issues becoming a bit more noticeable these days, we thought perhaps a smaller parade might suit us better, so we looked toward Bridgewater and Lunenburg County Pride.

Grandma wrote to them and soon discovered their radio station at GoProud.ca.

Well now.

Conversations began with this wonderfully friendly group, and somehow they learned I write this little column. I sent along a few articles I jokingly called “Queer Family Life.” Their response came back quickly:

“We think this should become a podcast. A lot of kids don’t have a Grandma. In fact, learning that one person is positive about them has really kept the suicide rate down”

That shocked Grandma enough that she was willing to try.

What if our girl didn’t have the support she needs right now? What if there are kids who don’t have a Grandma?

Now Grandma knew absolutely nothing about podcasts.

Off she went to a training session where she learned about a free audio program called Audacity. Then she bought herself a USB microphone and started pushing buttons and experimenting.

A grandson casually informed her that he learned audio programming in high school.

High school!

Apparently the same schools that teach children how to use AI for essays also teach them how to produce what is now called “spoken word” audio. Mercy! The world does keep changing, and every now and then Grandma has to run a little faster to catch up.

So for the last month, Grandma has been:

Learning to speak clearly.
Learning how long thirty minutes truly feels when you are talking into a microphone.
Learning that when you cough or sneeze you stop recording, go back, find the squiggly line where the sneeze happened, delete it, and begin speaking again as though nothing happened.

Let us simply say this has been a learning curve.

A fun curve.
An exciting curve.
And at times, a rather daunting curve.

Eventually Grandma sent off her first episode her “producer.” Yes, Grandma apparently has one of those now. He takes my little MP3 recording and works magic to place it onto the website. He also happens to own a regular radio station out of Lunenburg, our own Lunenburg County Rock station, 97.9 FM Go Rock!

I am still practicing saying that like a proper radio announcer.

So what is the podcast about?

Well, I am a Grandma.

I simply talk the way I would if all my grandbabies were gathered around my kitchen table. When family comes from Dartmouth, everybody piles into the kitchen, chairs appear from nowhere, snacks and drinks arrive, and somehow we end up talking for an hour or more about life before trips to the beach or supper is started.

That is what the podcast feels like.

My biological grandchildren range from age ten upward, so there is nothing in the podcast little ears cannot hear. Mind you, almost any topic can be discussed if it is handled with kindness. This week it was about side hustles and learning how to work.

Our youngest grandson quietly told me that his cousin seemed scared. We explained that she was frightened. She was growing up, discovering who she was, and sometimes that can feel scary.

He decided she needed more hugs.

That day he purposely sat beside her and even held her hand for a while. No, he may not understand everything adults understand, but he knew someone he loved needed support.

And she smiled more that day.

That was a win.

The podcast wanders through gardening, cooking, family life, crafts, and occasionally the challenge of simply learning how to navigate this strange and changing world with kindness intact. It is angled from the 2SLGBTQ1A+ community so there will be statistics from that group.

If this all sounds a little familiar, it should. It is really just an audio version of many of the stories I already write here; perhaps with a little less environmental talk and a little more about living life well.

By the time you read this, the podcast should hopefully be launched.

If you would like to hear Grandmas show just go here ttps://www.goproud.ca and scroll down the page a bit to see Rainbow Grandma.

Honestly, I can truly say: “Lord help me.” Because, well because I never expected to celebrate age seventy-seven by becoming some sort of podcast announcer. Life does surprise us.

So tell Grandma, what new thing are you going to learn this year?

Rain Barrels

The Parish of Blandford works alongside the Board of Directors of the Blandford Community Centre to maintain our community gardens.

This year, the Board of Directors for the community centre applied to the Rotary Club of Halifax for a rain barrel. We were delighted to be selected. It arrived a week or so ago, and yesterday I noticed how nicely it had been installed. Yes another barrel will go to the side, but this showed how well the pipe system works.

This simple addition will make a big difference to our gardens this summer, helping us conserve water and keep our plants thriving during the warmer months.

Renew, Repurpose, Reuse a set of Dressers.

It isn’t a very “new” idea. We’ve had the same dressers since I moved into this house in the 1970s. They were originally passed down to me by my mother, who had acquired them sometime in the 1950s.

They are solid, heavy pieces of furniture. In fact, these days Nana can barely pull the drawers open half the time to choose what she wants to wear.

Enter the new dressers! These have little 12 x 12 fabric bins that slide in and out. They’re lightweight, easy to use, and hold far more than I ever imagined.

The new dressers arrived, the old ones were pulled out, the walls behind them were washed, and the new ones were set up. Hooray!

There stood the two older dressers. They were definitely NOT going to the landfill, but what could I do with them?

For now, One is in the basement holding my supply of canning jars. The second one is in the shed, where they can store gardening supplies such as extra pots and tools.

I thought about turning one into a potting table, but it seems too good for that. Both dressers have numbers stamped on the back. The smaller one is marked 2330, as though someone used a giant rubber stamp. Perhaps it’s a model number, or maybe it indicates the quantity made.

I’ve decided to learn how to make new drawer runners and repair what we have. I may even paint them or apply some Varathane and find them a new home. Younger arms could easily pull those drawers open.

That will be a winter project.

Does anyone have another idea for using old dressers from the 1950s or 1960s? Tell Grandma at [email protected].

Something to Eat

This month's recipe is a repeat. It's just that good, and some things are worth sharing more than once!

It also marks the start of something new that I'm going to try—no promises, but I will do my best. I have a Facebook page called Grandmas Going Green (not exactly the most original name, but it works!). Until now, I've mostly used it to share updates about the projects and activities of our environment group.

Now that Grandma has a podcast, I've discovered that recipes and craft instructions can be difficult to write down while listening to the radio. So, from now on, whenever possible, you'll be able to find recipes, crafts, and other project instructions mentioned in both the podcast and the e-news on the Grandmas Going Green Facebook page.

That way, if you miss a step, forget an ingredient, or simply want to share an idea with a friend, you'll have an easy place to find it again.

The Cracker Dessert

A little bit trifle, a little bit pudding, and completely delicious.

Ingredients

1 sleeve of plain crackers (soda crackers or graham crackers both work)

1 can pie filling (cherry, blueberry, apple, or your favourite)

1 tub whipped topping

Directions

In an 8 x 8-inch pan (or any container of a similar size), arrange a layer of crackers on the bottom.

Spread half of the pie filling over the crackers.

Top with half of the whipped topping.

Repeat the layers: crackers, remaining pie filling, and remaining whipped topping.

Cover and refrigerate overnight, or from morning until the following evening.

The crackers soften as the dessert chills, creating a texture somewhere between a trifle and a pudding. Serve cold and enjoy.

Grandma's Tip: Cherry pie filling is a classic, but blueberry, apple, or even pumpkin are wonderful too.

Remember our editor loves to hear from you. Any ideas or comments can be sent to [email protected]. Have a great week!

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There is hope in the dedication of all those individuals and groups whose work has been highlighted in this week’s enews. We are so grateful for each and every one of you. We need Hope and You help us to SEE HOPE