About Creation Care at Saint Mark's
The Creation Care Minstry of Saint Mark’s Cathedral strives to faithfully address the crisis of climate change. As stewards of the life-giving goodness of God’s creation, we will work with the Saint Mark’s and broader world communities to educate ourselves and take action together to preserve our shared planet and sustain life for the generations to come.
The Saint Mark’s Vestry has charged all of us to integrate Creation Care within each of our ministries and to identify innovative ways to reduce our institutional and personal carbon footprints. Estimate your carbon footprint at https://werenew.net/kingcountywa. Also check out the resources from The Diocese of Olympia at ecww.org/carbon-tracker, and the robust tool offered by The Episcopal Church at www.sustainislandhome.org. Consider how small changes in your life can make a difference to reverse the effects of climate change.
Saint Mark’s is a member of Earth Ministry (earthministry.org) and Earth Day NW 2020 (earthdaynw2020.org) If you are interested in being a part of this work at Saint Mark’s, please contact ministry leader Marjorie Ringness.
Recent Creation Care Events
Climate Change Forum with Drawdown Seattle: MAY 4 & 11, 7–8:30 P.M., Via Zoom
Led by his faith to be a steward of life on this planet, Scott Henson is the co-founder of Drawdown Seattle, a collection of concerned and engaged Seattle citizens who are interested in enacting proven solutions which create the possibility of reversing the global climate crisis we face. Scott will lead two sessions focused on introducing “Project Drawdown” as well as facilitating the beginning of your personal action plans to help reverse global warming. Through videos and group activities, we will learn about a comprehensive plan to reverse global warming from Project Drawdown—a scientific study that identified 100 solutions that, together, could actually reverse global warming by 2050. These solutions encompass the energy we use, the food we eat, and the cities we live in. Let’s shift the conversation, from “Game over” to “Game on!” By the end you will see the vital role you can play in the movement to reverse global warming.
Resources and references relating to this event may be found here. Videos of both parts of this two-part event are available below:
Creation Care Ministry Meeting Minutes
Cathedral Beekeeping Ministry
Saint Mark’s houses honey bees on the rooftop of the Cathedral House. Leaders have obtained apprentice certification from the Washington State Master Beekeepers Association, and are ready to educate any interested community members who wish to participate. For more information, contact Rob Reid or Brian Sellers Petersen.
Resources
The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia's Climate & Creation Care page contains a number of useful links, including a message from Bishop Greg Rickel.
The Diocese of Olympia's Carbon Offset Cooperative Mission is a joint project between our diocese and the Episcopal Diocese of the Southern Philippines.
The Carbon Tracker is a tool offered by The Episcopal Church to help quantify the impact of our choices on Carbon emissions.
The Creation Care Pledge is offered by The Episcopal Church as a way to commit to meaningful action to to live more simply, humbly and gently on the Earth, and to stand with those most vulnerable to the harmful effects of environmental degradation and climate change.
Partner Organizations
Earth Day Northwest 2020 is a coalition of businesses, non-profits, faith communities, indigenous tribal leaders, and community groups from the Pacific Northwest who have come together to create meaningful change towards the goal of a more livable, equitable, and sustainable city, region, and planet. These effort are focused around the 50th anniversary of Earth Day (April 22, 2020). On the EDNW2020 website, you can learn about local and regional initiatives, take the pledge to take action and empower change, and find a large collection of actions we can take today as individuals. Dean Steve Thomason is a member of the Leadership Council of EDNW2020, and Saint Mark's Cathedral is a partner organization.
Earth Ministry has been a national leader in engaging the faith community in environmental stewardship and advocacy for over 25 years. Saint Mark's members were involved in the founding of the organization in 1992, and the cathedral is a "Greening Congregation" partner.
National Religious Coalition on Creation Care is an interfaith organization with active engagement concerning our world's most pressing environmental issues: Climate, Energy, Forests, Oceans, and Wilderness. The NRCCC's Religious Declaration of Unprecedented Human Emergency is a powerful statement signed by dozens of religious leaders, including Bishop of Olympia Greg Rickel.
The GreenFaith Partnership is a worldwide organization that inspires, educates, organizes, and mobilizes people of diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds globally for environmental action.
Friends of the Saint Mark's Greenbelt. The Greenbelt slope to the south and west of the cathedral is an asset to the entire community that has been entrusted to the cathedral. Friends of Saint Mark’s Greenbelt is a unit of the Green Seattle Partnership which helps maintain and restore the land by removing invasive plants, maintaining the trails and replanting with native vegetation. For infomation about bi-monthly work parties contact:
Joe Roza