The Earth Ministry Committee shares environmental stewardship practices for Earth Month and every month.
This month–and especially this Earth Week of April–many groups are organizing events designed to get you up and out to your local parks to help nature. It may not surprise you that many are taking the form of beach and park clean-ups. We include a local list below.
All this spring cleaning can serve as a reminder that another Earth friendly step you can take in your home and life is to reduce your use of disposable items. Try substituting glass or even hard plastic containers for zipped plastic bags when storing items or packing a lunch. Substitute rags for disposable cleaning cloths. You can wash the rags and use them again and again. Food packaging is another single-use culprit, so shop with an eye on the container your food comes in. For produce, you can bring your own reusable mesh bags instead of grabbing the plastic ones at the grocery. Remember as well that cereal bags and stretchy plastic (plastic in which you can make a thumbprint if you stretch it) can be recycled at the grocery store if it’s clean and dry (it cannot be put in your curbside recycling). Use a metal water bottle and a reusable coffee mug or carafe. Cups from coffee shops are lined with plastic and cannot be recycled. Preventing plastic pollution needs to be one of our first efforts.
Events:
April 21-May 4: City of Evanston Earth Month Activities
Friday & Saturday, April 22 & 23: Two Day Celebration and Educational Events free, open to the public) Celebrating the Launch of the Center for Ecological Regeneration and McClean Chair Installation – Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary (We are especially excited about opportunities these two days to partner with the Garrett community and celebrate the installation of Tim Eberhart of the First Church congregation as the new Center’s first chair!)
Saturday, April 23: The City of Evanston encourages residents to form their own cleaning crews and sign up to clean a park. Join a First Church team from 10-11am on Saturday, April 23rd to clean up Lunt Park (on the corner of Church St. and Sheridan, aka our Worship in the Park spot) and, if time permits, the nearby Lake Michigan Shore. April 23 Park Clean Up
Saturday, April 23: Friends of the Park/Chicago Park District – Clean Up events
Sunday, April 24: Earth Day Celebration and Educational Event at Emily Oaks Nature Center in Skokie.
Take a photo of your participation in any of these events to share with the congregation,and send it to mary@faithatfirst.com.