Native Planting, COP28, & Upcoming Webinars No images? Click here Waynesburg University students on a visit to A Rocha USA's Florida project. Dear friend of A Rocha, It’s good to have you with us as 2024 kicks off! We’re anticipating a full year at A Rocha USA and are eager to share it with you. But, first, a huge THANK YOU to all who gave so generously at the end of 2023. We’re still crunching the numbers—stay tuned!—but it’s shaping up to be one of our strongest years to date. This is tremendously encouraging and critical for launching us into this new season for creation care. We thank God for you and your generous support, prayers, and involvement! If you haven’t been able to respond yet, it’s certainly not too late to make a gift to get us closer to the $350,000 goal that we shared about in this proposal. So, what is this new season shaping up to look like?
So, stay tuned and know that we greatly value your ongoing prayers, support, and involvement. Amidst all the interconnected ecological, social, and spiritual challenges we face, may God’s work in and through A Rocha be an enduring source of inspiration, encouragement, and blessing to us all. Onward, Rev Ben Lowe (守仁), PhD ![]() Act LocallyCoast Live Oak, photo by Autumn Ricksecker Hope the Size of an AcornBy: Autumn Ricksecker When you think of Southern California, what plants come to mind? Perhaps it’s palm trees lining the streets of Los Angeles, citrus orchards cascading across Orange County, or eucalyptus groves offering a fragrant canopy on college campuses. However, these trees are not native to the area and sometimes do more harm than good, representing a form of botanical conquest that is anything but natural. It’s the oaks that are the cornerstone of life in this region. On a walk in Pasadena last spring, I smiled at the sight of a Coast Live Oak growing horizontally out of the side of a towering Mexican Fan Palm, probably grafted there by an industrious Acorn Woodpecker. With the beginning of a new year, I resolve to be more like the woodpecker–a cheerful and hardworking cultivator of oaks. Since reading Doug Tallamy’s book, Nature’s Best Hope with A Rocha USA’s Love Your Place book club, I’ve been reinvigorated to do my part in grassroots conservation. Calling attention to the massive decline in global wildlife populations, Tallamy offers a fairly simple solution: native plants. These plants have co-evolved with animals, fungi, and microbes to form a complex web of relationships. They are the best-suited plants for their climate and soil type, meaning they don’t need supplemental water or fertilization, and they provide the maximum number of benefits to an ecosystem. Plus, they are easy to grow by anyone! ![]() Think GloballyFaith Pavilion panel during COP28, photo provided by Renew Our World. From Agreement to Action: A COP28 Reflection By: Autumn Ricksecker For the first time at a UN Climate Conference, the burning of fossil fuels was officially acknowledged as the key cause and driver of climate change. Will this signify a new era of climate action? At the end of 2023, representatives from 200 countries met in Dubai, UAE for COP28, the United Nations’ annual climate summit. While the purpose of this gathering is to push for more ambitious climate action, many were concerned about COP being hosted by a country that continues to advance the fossil fuel economy. Yet, on Wednesday, December 13th we received news that a “historic” agreement had been reached with the issue of fossil fuels firmly at the center for the first time, thanks to the hard work of many committed climate activists, scientists, and more. Ultimately, there is much to be celebrated in the “global stocktake” that was reached, (known as the “UAE Consensus”), but also much to be desired. Regardless, good and meaningful work took place throughout the conference, long before the UAE Consensus was finalized. A Rocha was part of the first-ever Faith Pavilion in UNFCCC COP’s history, where faith-based organizations engaged with each other and country delegates to “catalyze more ambitious, effective, holistic and just climate action.” ![]() Get Involved: A Rocha opportunitiesJoin Us in a New Season for Creation CareIf you haven’t been able to check out our proposal to see where God is leading us this year, and how you can support us at this critical time, read our 2024 Proposal, A New Season for Creation Care. It’s certainly not too late to make a gift to get us closer to our $350,000 goal! Webinar: Cultivating Wonder with KidsJoin us on January 23 at 1 pm EST to learn about Wild Wonder, A Rocha USA's VBS-style curriculum. Wild Wonder invites kids to delight in God as creator, redeemer, and sustainer of all things by immersing them in the wonders of the created world through daily devotions, nature study, and play. In this webinar, you'll hear from someone who has used the curriculum for years and from children's ministers about how Wild Wonder serves the kids in their church communities. There will be time for Q&A. RSVP and invite a friend to this event! Webinar: Why Science and Faith Need Each Other in These TimesWe invite you to join us on Saturday, January 27, at 1 pm EST for the American Scientific Affiliation's annual Winter Symposium on "Why Science and Faith Need Each Other in These Times." Featured speaker Elaine Howard Ecklund is a distinguished sociologist of religion, science, and work. Her research explores the intersection of science and faith, with a focus on social change and institutional transformation. This free 90-minute virtual symposium is open to all, with time for Q&A. U.S. residents can receive a copy of her book (while supplies last). Lenten Workbook Study February 14 - March 29Mark your calendar and join us for a 6-week Lenten study using the Liturgies of Restoration workbook as our guide (written by Liuan Huska in collaboration with the Au Sable Institute). This group is for people who want to develop daily habits and everyday practices that point us to our true identity and calling and tell us God's story. There will be opportunities for online interaction and a live event with the author. Join Rick Faw (A Rocha Canada) and Liuan Huska, author of the Liturgies of Restoration workbook, for a conversation about how our habits can shape us into people who serve, protect, and restore God’s earth at the Church Earthkeepers Monthly Meeting on January 30th at 8 pm EST. Making a World of DifferenceA Rocha International’s Head of Theology, Dave Bookless, has worked with Renew Our World to create a short book, "Making a World of Difference" to equip church leaders around the world to respond to the climate and biodiversity crises. With its timely launch at the COP28 climate summit Faith Pavilion, we hope this resource will be a catalyst for Christians to become part of the solution. ![]() Supporter Spotlight |