It may be a quiet spring now, due to remaining COVID restrictions, but it will soon get very raucous in Central Ohio. Millions of Cicada’s are waking from their 17 year gestation in the roots of trees for their brief fling at reproduction. According to past emergences, the noise and plague of bugs will be especially intense in Columbus, Dublin and Delaware, really all of Franklin County. You can read more about this fascinating and annoying insect at the Cicada Mania Website.
April 22nd is Earth Day, and Hilliard is celebrating by having a recycling collection of items that are often hard to recycle: electronics and styrofoam. There is also paper shredding, and Habitat for Humanity is collecting building supplies and tools. The collection will be from 10 a.m. until noon at the Hilliard Community Center, 3800 Veterans Memorial Drive. Habitat for Humanity has an online list of what can be donated.
Earth Day may be two weeks away, but in terms of opportunities for environmental education, virtual seminars and convocations abound throughout the month:
April 15, 6 pm Deep Green Faith Webinar: “All the World in a Single Ray of Light: Benedictine Spirituality and Creation Care.” Free.
In this Deep Green Faith webinar … offered by the Center for Religion and Environment and the University of the South (Sewanee), Sister Elizabeth Carrillo, OSB will present and lead conversation about the relevance of Benedictine monastic spirituality for holistic, reverent care of creation. She will help participants appreciate that this ancient wisdom is for everyone, not just for monastics.
April 18-21 Ecumenical Advocacy Days: Imagine—God’s Earth and People Restored $35
EAD 2021 is an opportunity to support the global environmental justice movement centered on and led by the people and communities most vulnerable to climate impacts due to historic racial and colonial inequities. We will worship, delve deeply into the pressing issues of the day, and lift our voices by speaking truth to power on Capitol Hill.
April 22-24, 1-4 pm Global Episcopal Mission Conference: Earthkeeping: Creation Care in Global Mission Free.
What can our mission companions around the world teach us about climate justice, and how can we collaborate with them? This conference will be held online Thursday, April 22 through Saturday, April 24. Each day will have one 3-hour session and the time will be the same each day. Each session includes expert speakers and a chance to discuss and react via Zoom.
April 25, 1-2 pm Episcopalians in Connection event: Christianity as an Earth Honoring Faith—A Call to Public Discipleship.
This event from the Diocese of Southern Ohio features Dr. Adam Clark, professor of Theology at Xavier University as speaker. Dr. Clark will encourage us to examine our call to care for God’s creation not just as concerned environmentalists, but as Christians and followers of Jesus. Free.
You can find this and all the Creation Care blogs for the church website I have written at a consolidating blog I have created: ststephenscreationcare.blogspot.com
Thanks for your interest in caring for God’s creation!
Elliott
