Journey to a Green Sanctuary

​                                                     Journey to a Green Sanctuary
                 “Respect for interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”

     One of the goals of UUA’s Green Sanctuary Program is to; “Deepen ties to UU faith and the seventh principle, bringing congregational culture into greater alignment with environmentally sustainable practices.”
 
     In many ways I have been on the green path my whole life through; teaching and living the seventh principle.  As an educator I introduced the world of ecology into my science classes before it was considered appropriate for sixth graders, at least by conservative parents. Each spring my class went camping for a week; at camp they studied                                     different biomes, identified organisms they found and learned how they fit into the web of life.
 
     Long before the plight of Monarch Butterflies and scarcity of Milkweed became the front page of the Wall Street Journal I had been raising Milkweed and Monarch Butterflies from egg or newly hatched  caterpillar to flight. Teaching others to do the same was second                     nature to me.
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     When money ran out for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection I organized my Garden Club and a nonprofit group, Association for Protective Stewardship to take over and teach all the sixth graders from two counties, about water at the ‘Water Festival.’ A staff of 50 ran different hands-on activities six times a day for two days teaching about clean water and the cycle we all depend on.    
 
     It is not too late for mankind to change its way of living. We can learn how to use our natural resources in a sustainable way one step at a time. Start small and grow with each other. Hopefully we will be joined by many others in learning how to change our habits and live our 7th principle.  
 
     Look for suggestions on how to lower your “footprint” during coffee time at the Green Table, read our tips in forthcoming Newsletters and emails, and go online to read more about Climate Change. Ask questions, share ideas and give us suggestions as we change                              together.

~ Audrey Brainard, UUCGV Journey to a Green Sanctuary