Creation Care Ministry Meeting Archives

Creation Care Story Sharing

The Creation Care Ministry Story Sharing Project allows 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. Find more details about sharing your own story here.

In the first installment, Elizabeth Clark-Stern reflects on choosing to eat vegan, Marjorie Ringness shares a strategy for saving water in the kitchen, and Richard Hartung writes about buying second-hand.

In volume 2, Judy Raunig-Graham tell the story of her climate-related actions, Carolyn White on clothes-drying, and a delightful video from Nicole Thomson about motor vehicle idling.

In the latest installment, Elizabeth Clark-Stern confronts "nature on her own terms," Sue & Ed Tierney share changed they've made in their house both big and small, Alexandra Thompson talks about choosing an e-bike over a second car... and more stories to come!

Deep Time Walk Reflections

The Deep Time Walk offered by the Creation Care Ministry and led by Richard Hartung on September 22, 2024, was a unique opportunity to engage with the profound history of the Earth, our island home, and our place in it. Mary Koch was one of the participants, and she has published this insightful reflection on her experience. Thank you Mary!

Selected Past Events

Click the images for video and resources of past events:

Winter Solstice Poetry Reading

CLICK HERE for a list of resources and recommendations commended to you by the Creation Care ministry team (pdf).

During Lent 2021, the Creation Care Ministry posted virtual prayer cards once a week to the cathedral's Instagram account. Check out the complete set here (click to enlarge):

The COP27 U.N. Climate Change Conference

In November 2022 the Episcopal Church sent a delegation at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt. The delegation include the Diocese of Olympia's Missioner for Climate Care and Climate Justice, John Kydd. John wrote a series of reports from the event, which can be found here.

One of the greatest achievements of the conference was the creation of the "Loss and Damage Fund," a development which Saint Mark's member Dr. Lisa Graumlich discussed over a year ago, in an article written during the COP26 Conference in Glasgow: "Loss and Damage: Why these two words hold the key to a just transition in a warming world."

Visit the Episcopal Creation Care Facebook page to see this very inspiring video report back from the delegation. More information about the denomination's work can be found here.

UPDATE: The Diocese of Olympia is hosting two online conversations, on Wednesday, April 5, and Wednesday, April 19, featuring John Kydd and Dr Lisa Graumlich among others, offering a report of the conference and connected the developments there to locals actions on the ground here. Learn more and find the link to register here.