The Creation Care Ministry has created a Story Sharing Project to allow parishioners to share actions they are taking related to Creation Care, as a way for parishioners to share their good work and to encourage others to help reduce climate change. Stories can be about any action you are taking, large or small, to care for creation and mitigate climate change. Stories can take the form of a brief written essay, a video, a photo album, an infographic, or a piece of podcast-style audio. Sharing these stories can help others to learn, lead to new ideas about what to do, and be an inspiration for others to take action too. See guidelines to submit your own story here, or share a response or idea by simply using the "reply" box below! 

Check out previous submissions to the Story Sharing Project!

• Volume 1
• Volume 2

Nature On Her Own Terms

It was our 43^rd wedding anniversary. We set out on a dirt trail in Pipestone Canyon, a remote wilderness in the Methow Valley just South of Winthrop in Eastern Washington. We encountered Nature in all Her glory: a flock of migrating Cedar Waxwing, a Western Bluebird feeding her babies in a nesting box, the royal blue lazuli bunting, a bird we had longed to see all our lives. We were in heaven.

Then, my husband, John, looked up from the trail to point to a luminous pink-and-lavender Lewis’s Woodpecker. A rattlesnake, hiding in the arrow leaf balsam root, reached out and bit him on the ankle! How could this happen? Only a moment ago, we were in a magical, benevolent world.

In the ensuing hours in the ER when we were laser-focused on getting anti-venom into John’s body, I was reminded of the wisdom of Ed Yong’s best- selling book, An Immense World. Every living creature possesses a unique Umwelt, from the German word for “environment.” But an Umwelt is the entire perceptual world of an animal, each creature a uniquesentient entity. Our human Umwelt is not exalted over every other species. We are all inside looking out. What does this say about our human arrogance to waltz into a world that the rattlesnake calls home?

My ultimate takeaway from a 43^rd anniversary we will never forget, is gratitude---that pre-bite, we had the experience of God’s glorious creation. Gratitude for the anti-venom that saved John’s life. And gratitude to the rattlesnake for reminding us that we are but one species with our own limited Umwelt on a planet of many living beings loved by God.

Changes Big and Small

We have done a number of things to care for creation. A decade ago, we replace our lawn with much, shrubs and ground covers. On an ongoing basis, we have used fabric scraps to make comfort quilts or for other projects with the Cathedral Quilt Ministry, and anything we did not use was recycled with Ridwell. When we have extra books, we donate them to the Friends of the Seattle Public Library so they can resell them to raise funds or distribute them to others. And in 2023, we took the big step of installing solar panels and a heat pump. Along with mitigating climate change, these change have made our lives much more enjoyable.

— Sue & Ed Tierney

Saying NO to a Second Car

After I totaled our second car, we had to decide whether to replace it. I had purchased an e-bike for my husband the year before and we shared it. Minor squabbles about placement of panier bags and handlebar mitts aside, it worked very well. I would often ride the bike with one of my two pre-teen aged daughters on the back, recalling the days of my youth when I rode on the back of friends’ bikes. However, it turns out that most bikes these days are not made to carry more than 60 pounds on the back rack.

When I saw that Rad was selling a bike with a jump seat on the back for a second rider and was designed to carry up to 300 pounds, we had an opportunity not to be missed. Despite the challenges of ordering the bike, my Radrunner Plus has been a reliable road friend. Paired with a neon helmet and vest, I feel safe on the roads. Riding with one of my two children, both now teens, has an extra special benefit. As they enjoy the fresh air and traveling more slowly on the back of a bike, they sometimes open up and share details of their day with me. This is a very big gift.

So, we don’t have a second car. We did sign up with ZipCar as an option, although we haven’t tried it. We take a bus or walk when distance and time allows. And in a pinch, we have used a taxi—using some of the money we had saved for a new car to pay for the rides. We have gotten a ride or two from friends, that’s for sure. But we have remained independent when we can. For a family of four, we are trying to stick to having only one car. So far, the ride has definitely been worth it!

—Alexandra Thompson

Watch this space for more to come!