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DEN Enews
Twentieth Week after Pentecost
Unashamedly getting your attention. Here’s what you will find in this week’s enews.
The Parish of Port Dufferin is ACTing for Creation
AST course on Eco-Anxiety
Save our Old Forests is at Nocturne
Fungi, Lichens & Citizen Scientists is on Youtube
Goats listen to floral voices. Grandmother Birch tells the story
Petitions so you can ACT for Creation
Grandma’s going thrifting
The Healthy Coastline Project - a project of the Parish of Port Dufferin in partnership with DEN and Dalhousie University
The following is an explanation sent to us by Ann Turner Martin from the parish:
Our Healthy Coastline Research Project - what can I say?
The proposed project landed on our doorstep just as the parish was looking at how to reach out beyond the church walls in a way that would meet the needs of the communities we serve. The communities of the Eastern Shore were just recovering from Hurricane Fiona.
Climate change arrived well before that and it plays out every day in our lives. It has initiated a serious conversation between us and mother Earth, pushing us to understand connection between science and the spiritual. Guiding us as we seek to understand our role in caring for creation, including all fish, plants, birds and each other, to do our part in sustaining Mother Earth.
Humans have changed the planet so familiar to us in large and fundamental ways, our familiar globe, causing melting, drying, acidifying, flooding, and burning in ways no human has ever seen before.
As Bill McKibbon, an environmentalist says: "Due to the relentless burning of fossil fuel and deforestation of the world climate has become disrupted and unstable. over the last 50 years 60% of the planets, mammals reptiles, birds and fish have been wiped out by human land development and habitat destruction .more than 1 million species are on the way to extinction. Oceans are acidify and warming. Fish are being displaced by plastics. Sea levels are rising, coral reefs are dying and ecosystems collapsing ."
Even as local lobster fisherman in our area this season, who have experienced an abundance of catch in the past, the south shore, where the water is now much warmer had poor catches. With water warmer in one area, fish will migrate to cooler waters to be sustained. Record breaking weather patterns are increasingly, deadly droughts, floods, storms, and rising temperatures, fires raging, food supply disruption due to weather events, water storage and unpredictable seasons will only increase. Deadly micro plastic is a common every day word now. Apparently, a litre of bottled water includes 240,000 tiny pieces of plastics .
Is this the time right to get involved with ecology rooted in faith? Absolutely, for me!
And here is an opportunity, time for this amazing project to link the community and church,. The community, parish, and Marine Drive Academy are acting on the 5th Mark of Mission, caring for the planet. That includes supporting teacher, Jonathan‘s Oceans 11 course. And that's just a beginning. We now have the opportunity to be leaders, teaching others to be citizen scientists.
As a missional parish, we are exploring issues of food storage and insecurity in our community, homelessness, and affordable housing, the health care crrisis, the benefits of immigration to our province, sustainable energy, and how to reduce energy consumption, and use energy wisely.
Our Healthy Coastline project can be a spark igniting opportunities and our obligation to act on the Fifth Mark of Mission.
Citizen Scientists
L - R: Robin Metcalfe, Murray Monroe, Leon Levy, Rev Mike Foley, Stewart Turner, Ann Turner Martin, Camillo Botero
SOOF @ Nocturne
Date: Saturday, October 19 Time: 6pm - Midnight Location: Halifax/Kjipuktuk
Free
Save Our Old Forests will be taking part in Nocturne’s Art-At-Night festival on Saturday October 19! Click HERE to find us at the festival.
Fungi, Lichens & Citizen Scientists - A film by Haeweon Yi
Limited Online Screening: Friday October 18 (10am) to Sunday October 27 (7pm)
Available: youtube.com/@saveouroldforests
For a limited time only Save Our Old Forests will be streaming Fungi, Lichens & Citizen Scientists on our YouTube Channel! This short film by Haeweon Yi captures the work Citizen Scientists have been doing to protect the Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area. You can use the link to get to our YouTube channel and check out some of our other videos in the meantime. Haeweon’s film will NOT be available for viewing until 10am on Friday October 18!
This story shared from her newsletter
I’ve been observing goats now for well over a decade. And I’ve come to the conclusion that goats – unlike most modern humans – never lost their ability to communicate directly with plants. They speak each other’s language. How else could a goat know that up until a week or so ago the stunningly gorgeous asters in our field were not ready to be nibbled. And no matter how appealing a clump of asters appeared to me, it was as though they didn’t exist to my goats. Rather then was the time of goldenrod, brambles and raspberry leaves. And before that apple and serviceberry spoke. Other animals I’ve met have this ability too.
How humans ever amassed any knowledge about which botanicals could be eaten and which ones could not, it is speculated, is the outcome of trial and error. Like some great, great cousin of long-ago ate this certain plant and got really sick and died; and some other cousin happened to observe that and told great-grandma.
But goats apparently know things differently. Goats, it would seem, listen to the floral voices we no longer can hear. And when an aster whispers her readiness to become a gift, goats are able to graciously receive. That’s what I think anyway. I wish so much that I could be more like my goats and understand, with their fluency, the language of plants.
with thanks to Eva Evans & Jesse Hamilton
It is discouraging and appalling that the province broke its promise to Nova Scotians and shelved the CPA in favour of a three-year plan that essentially offloads the government’s responsibilities to individual landowners and municipalities. To then try and sell this as a win is nothing more than political gaslighting. Our province is set to have higher sea level rise than any other province in Canada, and increasingly severe storms could cost taxpayers millions of dollars. We are in a highly active hurricane season, that has seen the earliest category five hurricane ever recorded. As a coastal province, we know we need to adapt swiftly and meaningfully. At the same time, over a decade of work, hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars, and input from government, coastal community members, municipalities, academic experts and environmental organizations have gone into the development of the CPA. It is the long overdue, and very much needed, first step in legislation regarding coastal climate change adaptation. A fragmented approach from individual landowners and municipalities is not enough, nor do they have the resources and capacity to take on this responsibility. Please tell the NS government that you want the Coastal Protection Act made into law.
French oil giant TotalEnergies is wreaking havoc in a protected elephant sanctuary in Uganda. Oil drilling is disturbing wildlife in Murchison Falls National Park; Uganda’s largest and most-visited protected area. The company is drilling, exploiting, and forcing animals out of their home into surrounding populated areas. Five people have already been killed by elephants fleeing the drilling vibrations. Noise pollution is driving animals away and the bright lights from the drilling rig are disrupting the nocturnal life. In this protected park and precious ecosystem, there is now a drilling rig, well pads, roads, electricity lines, and pipelines to transport oil. Sign your name to tell the Ugandan government to prevent a major catastrophe by stopping these operations in elephant territory!
Our planet is facing a severe environmental crisis with issues ranging from climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) are the driving force in advocating for urgent actions to address these problems. There is a heavy price for this leadership, and this petition is a chance to help counter some of the weight. Global Witness reports that at least 2,100 environmental defenders were killed between 2012 and 2023. Join in on calling for a permanent, global, multi-stakeholder dialogue to exchange information, find best practices, and coordinate efforts which shape global and regional policy solutions and ensure a safe environment for those fighting to protect our world.
The increasing demand for octopus meat is promoting the cruel breeding of this solitary and highly intelligent animal. On October 5th, a demonstration in front of the Spanish Congress in Madrid took place demanding that the Spanish government deny Nueva Pescanova permits to build its octopus farm. Nueva Pescanova is a seafood giant who knows octopuses feel pleasure, pain, joy and fear, but this is its way of turning a huge profit. There are countries and regions who have already said no to octopus farming, and there are scientists and activists who are trying to talk sense and compassion into the industry. It is not possible to humanely raise octopuses in captivity at a commercial scale. If enough of us add to the pressure, we can stop the world’s first octopus farm from happening and exchange cruelty for respect towards our natural world and these amazing creatures.
60 years ago, there were about 100,000 wild black rhinos roaming free! Today, they are critically endangered and number around 6,000. This situation was caused by poaching, habitat loss, and hunters gunning them down for sport. Lippie and Willem were two critically endangered black rhinos who were slaughtered by U.S. trophy hunters. These hunters are seeking permits to import the remains into the United States. This petition is not only about denying this request, but about stamping out the act and import of trophy hunting endangered species.
with thanks to Claudia Zinck
Thrifting – Re-use - Purchasing Second-hand Products.
Another news story announced that more folks are buying things second-hand this year. It amazed the news station that so many people didn’t go to a big box store for everything they needed. Grandma smiles as old practices save money.
For years Nana and I traveled during summer to St. Thomas in Musquodoboit Harbour where a thrift store was operated on Saturdays.These days Mission Mart in Bayers Lake is easier to get to. Wherever it is, finding a new pair of jeans for five bucks still gives me a thrill.
Here is where I find fabric at good prices. Flat sheets are available, allowing quilts to be made for the homeless.
Saving money is always at the forefront of most people’s minds, however, there are other advantages.
Buying local benefits the village you live in. For St. Thomas, I am sure it was added to the Parish general funds. It also allowed people to volunteer their time. Maybe they get to know new people in the area or visit with returning folks who went to school there. That feeling of community is needed for our mental health.
Did you know it takes about 1800 gallons of water to make that pair of jeans I want? If I get a second-hand pair of jeans, I will save the Earth’s natural resources that much water waste. Humm, I wonder how many pairs of jeans are made each year. (x times 1800 gallons of water equals …)
New products typically have some sort of packaging. This could be as small as tags or come to you in a plastic bag or even those shipping boxes that you may need a crowbar to open. Second-hand items are usually given to you in a paper bag if you didn’t bring your reusable one.
Best of all you can find unique items. When the youngest granddaughter came, I wanted to make her a sunbonnet. I could not find a pattern anywhere. On a thrifting trip, I found a bonnet. She did wear it after Grandma used it for a pattern.
If I had to make a list of the best things to buy second hand it would contain:
Clothes and/or fabric and sheets.
toys (washable),
books, (call me silly but they go to the basement and are sprayed and stay a week)
pet items (like bowls you can scrub)
Musical instruments
Holiday items (I like light-up glow-bulb Frosties and Angels and more)
Glassware, especially casserole dishes
Sports equipment like skis or bikes
Fitness Equipment (My non-treadmill walking machine was $50, 6 years ago. Used every winter)
Gone are the days when thrifting was shameful. Today it is the badge of a smart shopper. What buys did you find?
A Garden Hack
I am borrowing this from the Sustainable Facebook Page. I am always thinking of some grand “when the rain falls” water-gathering system that would involve at least a gutter system if not large gathering materials. Instead, find a place for a small line. Place a barrel just out from the line a foot or two. This plastic may be greenhouse weight but try a large trash bag. Clothes pins might work but I would use my bigger clamp pins.
This could be adapted easily for any size collector container. That clothesline could be low. All that is needed is an area for the rain to hit and then flow with gravity to the container. This is another of those “Brilliant” moments. So simple and it works.
Tin Can Lanterns - It is such a fun and easy craft.
Save a few tin cans. Paint them if you can. Fill them with water and freeze them.
When solid assemble a towel, a hammer and a nail.
Place the frozen can in the middle of the towel with the towel ends folded double. (Keeps the can from rolling away.)
Make two larger holes in the can at the top, across from each other to attach a handle.
For the first lantern, just tap holes all over the can.
When you finish tapping the can, the ice has melted enough to come out. If you do this in the summer, place these mini ice logs in your garden for a slow drip irrigation as they melt.
I use floral wire or a lightweight gauge wire for the handle.
This Grandma gets electric tealights so there is no worry when the lanterns tip over. Letting the grandbabies run around with lanterns at night will surely have a few upsets.
Now that you have the idea, could you tap out pictures on the cans? Maybe a sailboat or a flower. Have fun!
Something to Eat
It has been a busy time here. Getting the last garden things in, all the canning involved and then pulling wagons of seaweed from the beach. With few rainy days for baking, I am running out of deserts.
These peanut butter oatmeal bars are held together with honey.
They are gluten-free, celiac comfort food.
Peanut Butter Honey Oat Bars or Balls
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
coconut
I first tried bars (minus the coconut. Put it in the fridge for an hour and they came out sticky.
Then I poured some coconut into a bowl, then turned the squares into balls and rolled them in coconut.
They look better and are easier to handle.
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We invite you to:
Pray for those who are most vulnerable among us and who are most impacted by climate change, including those who have already been displaced.
Pray for the waters, the plants, all living creatures and the earth with gratitude, that we may recognize their sacredness and participate in their restoration.
Pray that we will find the motivation to respond to climate change in our own lives, congregations and communities.
Pray for local, community and business leaders to help make communities healthier and greener while centering those who are vulnerable. Pray that our political leaders and world leaders would become more active in reducing carbon emissions worldwide.
Pray for the youth and future generations, who will live with the growing consequences of climate change