Biodiversity Working Group at ECEN statement and useful questionnaire
ecen-church-biodiversity-questionnaireForest Chapel
The ECEN Working Group on Biodiversity and Nature Protection had three 1.5 hour workshops in which to
- Share presentations (see end of this post)
- Write a report, and recommendations to the whole Assembly (report shown immediately below)
- Plan future work.
They met at the European Christian Environmental Network 9th Assembly – at Elspeet, Netherlands.
They were one of the five working groups at the assembly. Here is their official report to the assembly
Judith Allinson, Kurt Aufdereggen, Dave Bookless, Elisabeth Bücking, Ilona Muzatkova, Otto Schäfer, Robin Sautter, Bernard Sorel
The working group met during the 9. ECEN-Assembly during two sessions. Our meetings made us aware that the contribution of the churches to Biodiversity and Nature Protection involves the following five actions. Churches are invited to contemplate, to act locally, to support global initiatives, to educate and to take public stands on Biodiversity and Nature protection.
Contemplation
First open all the senses and re-learn to see, to hear and to feel.
After this open your heart and re-learn to feel all the love with your soul / or your “seventh sense”.
Contemplation drives us to respect, the respect leads to action and the action to celebration.
Bernard Sorel, Belgium
Act locally
Act practically to conserve nature in church yards and buildings.
Kurt Aufdereggen, Switzerland
Support global initiatives
1. Habitat loss is leading to species extinctions.
2. Saving rainforest is the most cost effective way of preventing further climate change. Therefore we would like to invite all church congregations to raise money for a “Save a habitat project of their choice. e.g. 400 Euros can save a hectare of rainforest.”
Judith Allinson, Great Britain,
See more information on a project to encourage Churches to act to save habitats at Christian Ecology Link https://www.greenchristian.org.uk/archives/2724
Educate
ECEN encourages churches to educate ourselves, our clergy and church wardens (sextants), church members and young people to see the richness of nature in our surroundings and how to conserve it.
Ilona Muzatkova
Take public stands
Modern technologies in agriculture, genetic engineering and patenting of organisms, the degradation of the soils and the increased land use by our way of life all contribute to the erosion of biodiversity. The churches should engage in political responsibility and action.
Elisabeth Bücking, Germany
In short:
ECEN encourages all church congregations to support and take part in biodiversity projects 1) to educate themselves and others and 2) to save endangered species and habitats.
Proposals to the ECEN network
1st proposal: We want to put the following questionnaire on the ECEN-website
( Added later: click here to download a user friendly printable A4 version of the questionnaire .)
(Added later:- Click here to see a page showing how the questionnaire can be used)
Please respond in a simple way to the following questions. It will take you about ten minutes.
- Find and name five plants growing around your church / in your churchyard.
- Find and name five non domesticated animals you have seen during the last month.
- Would you mind bats and birds living in your church tower?
- What kind of plants and animals were on your lunch plate today?
- Have you ever had a naturalist invited to your church to speak about biodiversity?
- Name two good and two bad things about having a large variety of plants and animals in your church surroundings?
Please put down the name and place of the church where you come from and your age.
Thank you very much!
2nd proposal: ECEN invites congregations to raise money to save a hectare of rainforest
Habitat loss is leading to species extinctions. Saving rainforest is the most cost eff
As a result:ective way of preventing further climate change.
ECEN invites all church congregations to raise money for a “save a habitat” project of their choice. 400 Euros can save a hectare of rainforest.
1 September 2012.
——————————————————————————————-
In the first workshop, Ilona shared an activity with us.
She gave us some pastel crayons, (which began to make our hands messy as we drew) and asked us
“Draw your idea of a forest. Then later we will compare them”.
We did this.
Then she said “How do you feel?
Well what would you say if you had hands like this?
Messy.
Then she reminded us that many people in our churches would look on the environment and the grounds in the church as a place where you might get your hands dirty.
We green enthusiasts had to remind ourselves that other people in our churches are more wary of the environment – and that we need to treat them sympathetically.
Our drawings did indeed provide a good source of discussion. .. But I won’t tell you what it was – try it out with a group of people yourself.
Next: Reflections on trees
Previous: Amsterdam’s Red Light District – A good place for a Green Christian?
Comments on "Biodiversity Working Group at ECEN statement and useful questionnaire"
PEW NEWS 7TH APRIL 2013, EASTER 2 | Gerrans Parish news:
[...] By doing this, either as individuals or as a group, we will 1. Learn and encourage others to learn a little bit more about wildlife – plants and/or animals 2. Show to others that wildlife is important 3. Send in data so we can compare churchyard wildlife round the country. The questions were written by the Biodiversity Workgroup at the European Christian Environment Network (ECEN) Meeting in August last year. https://www.greenchristian.org.uk/archives/3767 [...]
PEW NEWS 31ST MARCH 2013, EASTER SUNDAY | Gerrans Parish news:
[...] By doing this, either as individuals or as a group, we will 1. Learn and encourage others to learn a little bit more about wildlife – plants and/or animals 2. Show to others that wildlife is important 3. Send in data so we can compare churchyard wildlife round the country. The questions were written by the Biodiversity Workgroup at the European Christian Environment Network (ECEN) Meeting in August last year. https://www.greenchristian.org.uk/archives/3767 [...]
PEW NEWS MARCH 24TH 2013, PALM SUNDAY | Gerrans Parish news:
[...] https://www.greenchristian.org.uk/archives/3767 [...]
Gerrans Parish news:
[...] By doing this, either as individuals or as a group, we will 1. Learn and encourage others to learn a little bit more about wildlife – plants and/or animals 2. Show to others that wildlife is important 3. Send in data so we can compare churchyard wildlife round the country. The questions were written by the Biodiversity Workgroup at the European Christian Environment Network (ECEN) Meeting in August last year. https://www.greenchristian.org.uk/archives/3767 [...]
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