Developing an ecotheology of critical hope in Cascadia
About a week and a half ago, I got to work with others to orchestrate and run the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and Oregon Interfaith Power & Light Creation Justice Summit. We held the summit virtually through Zoom, with some pre-recorded content and some live, as well as five workshops. The summit was organized around …
On the final day of my Spaceship Earth class at Peace Village, Newberg, we spent some time reviewing what we'd learned, discussing what stood out, and then making seed pods. (See Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4 if you missed them, and/or download the full Spaceship Earth day camp plan.) Peace Village does …
I'm grateful for the community we have at North Valley Friends, and I wrote about it for the August issue of Friends Journal. This issue focused on the theme of Quaker Spaces, and in my article, "It's the Spirit that Makes It Beautiful," I shared about how our worship space isn't the most up-to-date, or …
Continue reading "Friends Journal, Quaker Spaces, and Civic Ecology"
Day 4 of my "Spaceship Earth" class at Peace Village Newberg focused on the theme of biodiversity, and of the importance of each part, each job, in ensuring that the whole system works well. (If you missed my earlier posts on this, see Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.) For day 4, we talked …
On day 3 of my Spaceship Earth class at Peace Village Newberg last week, we focused on water, soil, and pollution (see also day 1 and day 2). We watched the second part of the Stunning Views – From Earth to Universe and Back Again video. In the first part, it zooms out so that you eventually …
Continuing in my series on curricula for a day camp class for grade school kids (entering 2nd-6th grade), I'll share what I did for day 2 of "Spaceship Earth" at Peace Village Newberg. (Here's Day 1 if you missed it.) Day 2 of Spaceship Earth focused on the theme of food and waste. We did …
This past week I taught a class for grade school kids at Peace Village Newberg on the topic of "Spaceship Earth." Peace Village is an "international nonprofit that teaches the power of peace to children, families, and communities." We have had a Peace Village day camp at North Valley Friends Church in Newberg, OR for …
We visit the North Valley Friends Trail often! It's a great place to go to be outside without having to drive far from Newberg (or at all, if you walk or bike there). It's just north of Newberg, directly north of the Foothills neighborhoods on College St. The trail is about 3/4 of a mile …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in Chehalem Valley: North Valley Friends Trail"
This summer, I've invited others to join me on Friday "hikes" or nature excursions around our small region. Part of this has to do with my church's current emphasis on getting to know our watershed so that we can better take care of the space around us. We can only love places that we know, …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in Chehalem Valley: Champoeg Nature Play Area"
Well, sometimes when you go hiking with kids, you have to admit your failures...at least if you're me! So, we went hiking with my friend Lotus and K's friend N to Magness Memorial Tree Farm (which, by the way, is not a tree farm, but is a demonstration forest with hiking trails, a covered picnic area, …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in Chehalem Valley: Magness Tree Farm"
Cherice Bock 