Recover a Sense of the Sacred
“…we will recover our sense of wonder and our sense of the sacred only if we appreciate the universe beyond ourselves as a revelatory experience of that numinous presence whence all things came into being.”
~~Thomas Berry (1914 – 2009) from “The Wild and the Sacred,” in The Great Work.
Berry was a Catholic priest, cultural historian, and scholar of the world’s religions.
[You have an open invitation to submit Creation care-centered quotes, reflection guides and resources for worship, holidays and holy days in your faith tradition. You are also invited to submit information about Creation care activities at your faith community here.]
Dear readers,
This week of Easter and Passover, is an ideal time to contemplate the sense of wonder and the sense of the sacred and to find ways for us and our congregations to care for Creation. An example is to consider transforming our lawns into meadows as a sacred practice. It is our hope that the webinar invitation you see in the first article and others in today’s issue will offer opportunities and inspiration. Whatever you faith journey, have a blessed week.
Table of Contents
- From Wasteland to Wonder – free webinar
Register for a free webinar with Treecologist Basil Camu on Thursday, April 17th, 12PM, courtesy of Homegrown National Park. Learn how to transform lifeless lawns into thriving ecosystems in From Wasteland to Wonder. - Rally to Stop Climate Deception
Rally to Stop Climate Deception, April 26th, 12-1:30pm at the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh! - ICCT Webinar – Recycling 101
Reminder: watch an ICCT webinar on ways to recycle more effectively, featuring documentary filmmaker and conservationist John Wilson, April 29, 7-8 PM
1. From Wasteland to Wonder – free webinar
Register for a free webinar with Treecologist Basil Camu on Thursday, April 17th, 12PM. Learn how to transform lifeless lawns into thriving ecosystems in From Wasteland to Wonder.
The Homegrown National Park concept is a science based solution to address rapidly declining insect and bird populations. It’s based on the fact that millions of acres of yards exist in the US, many of which are lawns that require frequent mowing and use of pesticides and gasoline). By shrinking the size of our lawns and planting trees, bushes and flowers that support insect and bird life, we can dramatically increase bird and insect populations. Leaf and Limb, a Triangle tree care service, is offering their expert help on how to convert lawn into meadow.
Some of the things you can do to increase insect and bird populations in your yard are:
- Decrease the size of your lawn.
- Remove invasive plant species.
- Plant oak, cherry and willow trees, blueberry bushes and wild flower meadows to provide more food for caterpillars, pollinators and birds.
Caterpillars are an extremely important food source for baby birds.
- Use Mosquito Dunks instead of mosquito sprays.
- Replace outside security lights with motion activated lights to protect moths.
- Don’t be overwhelmed. You don’t have to do it all.
- Choose one action and get started. Every little bit helps
Consider signing up for the April 17th webinar with Basil Camu and Doug Tallamay to learn how to do this. See below.
Resources
State of America’s birds: Population declines continue. (News.cornell.edu, March 13, 2025)
- Plants for Birds: https://www.audubon.org/native-plants
- Cornell Ornithology Merlin App- identifies birds by visual descriptions and bird songs
- Cornell Ornithology Project Feeder Watch.
- Camu, Basil. 2024. From his book Wasteland to Wonder, Easy Ways We Can Help Heal Earth in the Sub/Urban Landscape. Leaf and Limb, Raleigh, NC (Offers 1 hr free consultation)
- Tallamay, Douglas.2019. Nature’s Best Hope, A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard. Timber Press Inc. NY, NY.
- National Wildlife Federation. https://www.nwf.org.
- https://www.nwf.org.nativeplantfinder
- South Wake Conservationists, http://southwakeconservationists.org (offers great training for converting your yard to a bird friendly habitat
2. Rally to Stop Climate Deception
April 26th, 12-1:30 at the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh
Stand up for climate justice on April 26th 12-1:30pm at the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh! Join NC Warn and others for the Rally to Stop Climate Deception. This is an opportunity to urge Governor Josh Stein to take bold action and stop Duke Energy from expanding the burning of fossil fuels and blocking the rapid growth of solar power. The time to act is now, not in 2050, when Duke Energy claims it will achieve “carbon neutrality.” Organizers have secured a permit to assemble in front of the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh for a peaceful demonstration.
3. Reminder – Recycling Webinar on April 29
Watch an ICCT webinar on ways to recycle more effectively, featuring documentary filmmaker and conservationist John Wilson, April 29, 7 PM.
Recycling 101, a Webinar with Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle
Tuesday, April 29 from 7:00 – 8:00 PM on Zoom
Confused about what you can recycle and whether it’s still “worth it” these days? Frustrated with all the plastics in your life? Come hear the latest about recycling in Triangle municipalities, as well as an exciting new way to increase recycling of plastic bags and film, the NexTrex Challenge!
Join John Wilson, a documentary filmmaker and conservationist from Chapel Hill, as he explains how to recycle more effectively on Tuesday, April 29, 7:00 – 8:00 PM. Sponsored by ICCT, its Earth Friendly Practices Team, and Orange-Chatham Interfaith Care for Creation.
