Newsletter for April 15, 2026
With so much hate and racism surfacing in our country and in other parts of the world, it’s a joy to learn about some people from different faiths in Morocco who are sharing a mutual respect and love for each other. They are preserving old Jewish cemeteries while enhancing the communities and the environment on adjacent land with organic nurseries, solar panels and water wells. It has opened doors for jobs through tourism and the sale of local crafts. I hope you will enjoy this lovely article as much as I did. It’s from Reasons to be Cheerful, a nonprofit online magazine that is tonic for tumultuous times.
— Sara Loeppert from Fairmont United Methodist Church in Raleigh
Contents
Click on the blue link to go directly to the article, or keep scrolling.
(1) Recycling 101 Webinar- Earth Day Reminder
Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22- and in honor of the occasion, we invite you to revisit (or discover for the first time) ICCT’s popular Recycling 101 webinar.
(2) Spring Walk at Umstead Park
The Spring Walk in Nature is a new initiative sponsored by ICCT’s Earth Friendly Practice action team. Imagine immersing yourself in the wonders of Umstead Park on a Sunday afternoon with like-minded friends and lovers of creation.
(3) ICCT Advocacy: Climate Groups Call for Lee Zeldin to Go
ICCT’s Advocacy team has joined with others on calling for the resignation or dismissal of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
(4) Youth Leadership Initiative: HBUMC Climate Bears
The Hayes Barton UMC youth-led “Climate Bears” join together to pick up litter and and around the Eastgate Park Lake.
(5) Art Exhibit: “Call Me Mara” at Duke Memorial UMC
Duke Memorial United Methodist Church in Durham is hosting Call Me Mara, an art exhibit focused on environmental justice, and we invite the ICCT community to attend the opening reception.
(6) Documentary Screening and Conversation with NC WARN
Join Pullen Baptist Earth Ministry and NC WARN this Earth Day for a screening of The True Cost of Power: Duke Energy’s Climate Deception, followed by a conversation with NC WARN Executive Director Jim Warren and Climate Justice Coordinator Gabi Paterson.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) Recycling 101 Webinar – Earth Day Reminder
Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22 — and in honor of the occasion, we invite you to revisit (or discover for the first time) ICCT’s popular Recycling 101 webinar.
Confused about what you can recycle? Wondering if recycling is still “worth it” these days? Frustrated with all the plastics in your life?
If you were not among the 78 people who joined the Recycling 101 webinar live on April 29, 2025, it’s not too late to learn how to recycle more effectively. On the recording, John Wilson, an energizing and informed advocate for recycling, reveals the latest about the City of Raleigh, Wake, Orange and Durham Counties and other recycling programs, as well as an exciting new way to increase recycling of plastic bags and film, the NexTrex Challenge!
Watch the recording at: https://
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(2) Spring Walk at Umstead Park
Sunday, May 17 | 2-4 pm | Route I-40 entrance Harrison Avenue
Isn’t Nature awesome! The Spring Walk in Nature is a new initiative sponsored by ICCT’s Earth Friendly Practice action team. Imagine immersing yourself in the wonders of Umstead Park on a Sunday afternoon with like minded friends and lovers of creation.
Walks in nature will be offered each quarter with the simple goal of getting together to enjoy the gift of creation. While this first walk simply aims to encourage participants to slow down and take the time to experience the park through all five senses, hopes are to explore themed walks in the future, like forest bathing, and garden walks.
For our initial walk together at Umstead Park, let’s meet at the first parking lot through the Harrison Avenue Entrance Gate (see the map below). From here we will have direct access to restrooms, benches, pavilions, and these trails:
| Trail Name | Blaze | Length | Difficulty | Trail Use | Accessible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company Mill Trail | orange squares | 5.8-mile loop | Moderate | Hiking only | No |
| Inspiration Trail | blue diamonds | 0.4-mile loop | Easy | Hiking only | No |
| Loblolly Trail | blue squares | 2.7-mile one way | Moderate | Hiking only | No |
Questions? Contact Pat & Paul Kelly at ICCTriangle@gmal.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(3) ICCT Advocacy: ICCT and Climate Groups Call for Lee Zeldin to Go
As part of Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle’s advocacy work, we’re signed onto a letter led by the Climate Action Campaign and Moms Clean Air Force calling for EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to leave or be fired after more than a year in which he put polluters – not the best interests of the American public – first.
Zeldin has systematically dismantled the agency’s core mission to protect public health and the environment. The letter was released on March 24, 2026. See the full text and the full list of 163 signatories at GameOverZeldin.com.
If you would like to send a letter as an individual asking for Zeldin’s removal, go to this link: https://actionnetwork.org/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(4) Youth Leadership Initiative: HBUMC Climate Bears
Youth Leadership Initiative – Hayes Barton United Methodist Church Climate Bears for the Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle. This group on March 14th engaged in cleaning the Eastgate Park Lake within Eastgate Park in Raleigh by picking up litter found in and around the body of water. The Climate Bears have adopted this stream through Raleigh’s Stormwater engineering services department and are responsible for clean up at least twice a year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(5) Art Exhibit: “Call Me Mara” at Duke Memorial UMC
Celebrating Creation Through Art: “Call Me Mara”
Duke Memorial United Methodist Church in Durham is hosting Call Me Mara, an art exhibit focused on environmental justice, and we invite the ICCT community to attend the opening reception.
Opening Reception
Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
Time: 7–9 PM
Location: The Gallery at Duke Memorial UMC, 504 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham
The exhibit brings together visual art exploring themes of environmental justice and creation care. At the opening reception, guests will have the opportunity to participate in a postcard-writing activity — a chance to put your convictions into action by writing to elected officials in support of creation care and environmental justice. Guidance and materials will be provided at the event.
Whether you come for the art, the advocacy, or both, this is a meaningful way to mark Earth Month. We hope to see members of the ICCT community there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(6) Documentary Screening and Conversation with NC WARN
Join us this Earth Day for a screening of The True Cost of Power: Duke Energy’s Climate Deception, followed by a conversation with NC WARN Executive Director Jim Warren and Climate Justice Coordinator Gabi Paterson.
Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026 (Earth Day)
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Pullen Memorial Baptist Church
The event is co-hosted by Pullen Memorial’s Earth Ministry group, part of the church’s long history of Creation Care. The Earth Ministry’s mission is to raise awareness among church members of Earth care as an expression of faith.
NC WARN (NC Waste Awareness and Reduction Network) is a Durham-based nonprofit focused on energy and environmental justice, with particular attention to Duke Energy’s impact on our region and the transition to clean energy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check out the ICCT website:
Contact us:
|
