anglican

Church Garden

They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. Isaiah 65:21 Today take a walk to the Church with some other members who are interested in or already take part in greening/gardening at the church. Here are some questions to think about. What is your source of water? Could you improve it – perhaps look at a water tank or grey water? What is already growing? How healthy does it look, does it need more water, fertilizer, TLC? Are there any invasives that should be taken out? Or water guzzling aliens that could be replaced? What additional space could be used for trees, plants or vegetables?What resources do you need (people power/ equipment/compost/seedlings) draft a budgetCould you put in a compost pile? Start small and take one idea at a time. Take the ideas to your priest or parish council , get a team together and do one action -then you can build from there Here is a lovely idea you might want to consider: Create a wildlife ‘hotel” Fill a frame with hollow canes (e.g. sections of bamboo, elder or hogweed, bricks with holes, pinecones, straw, etc.) Pack together lots of different sized holes which bees and other invertebrates will use. Provide a wide shallow dish in a shady place for water which birds can use. Create a wood pile using different sized prunings or sections of felled trees. Add to it whenever you can. https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/biodiversity#na

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Tasty Indigenous Food

And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD Ezekiel 34:27 Try to experiment this Lent! Lose the junk food and try out some recipes made from local products. Indigenous cuisine is food based on products obtained from native species of a specific area. There are traditional recipes but also some modern recipes to try! Africa’s staple diet – Mealie meal: Did you know this is not indigenous to Africa? Mielie meal, comes from the Portuguese milho. It was originally brought to Africa from the Americas by the Portuguese. Sorghum on the other hand is indigenous to the continent’s savannas and there is archaeological evidence in the Sahara of the use of sorghum dating back 8,000 years. Sorghum is as nutritious as maize and has high drought tolerance. This makes it a resilient option for farmers to plant under changing climatic conditions. Ask your Granny! Talk to the older generation and ask about vegetables, especially greens that they eat traditionally. many of these can be harvested for free as they grow. Share your findings with others and start a conversation on social media! Reference:https://theconversation.com/amazing-ting-south-africa-must-reinvigorate-sorghum-as-a-key-food-before-its-lost-185552#:~:text=It%20is%20indigenous%20to%20the,sorghum%20dating%20back%208%2C000%20years.

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Bees, Bees, Bees

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Psalm 19:10 Learn about bees and other pollinators. Why should we care? Pollinators provide about one of every three bites of food we eat. Do you like honey? How about almonds? Raspberries? Peaches? Avocados? Pumpkins? Bananas? Thank a pollinator. We might not starve without them, but a plate of food would be a lot less palatable. Nearly one-third of our food supply depends on insect pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees.. And while it’s true that some plants are wind-pollinated, many fruits, nuts and vegetables rely on pollinators. About 70 percent of all flowering plants depend on pollinators. The fruits and seeds that result from insect pollination feed nearly one-quarter of all birds and mammals. But pollinators are not only critical for the production of food; they are also essential to most terrestrial ecosystems. Bees aren’t the only pollinators. The list of pollinators is long and includes hummingbirds, moths, wasps, beetles, bats and butterflies — just to name a few! Butterflies spread pollen as they travel from flower to flower, feeding on nectar. They tend to prefer flat, clustered flowers which provide a helpful landing pad. Pollinators are rapidly disappearing. Why are bees and other pollinators in decline? Native bee populations are at risk from habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, pesticides, pests and disease. You can help bees (and other pollinators)! Plant a pollinator garden with native flowers that bloom across different seasons, and offer nesting areas to help bees thrive. Referencehttps://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/7-things-you-should-know-about-bees-and-other-pollinators

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Start your own compost

And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; Luke 13:8 Here are five steps to composting: 1. Select your food scraps.Start with fruits and veggies — the skin of a sweet potato, the top of your strawberry. Also tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells, old flowers — even human hair! Don’t keep meat or dairy scraps as they will attract rodents. Some products like ‘compostable bags’ may not decompose in a home compost 2. Store those food scraps.Any container with a lid can be used. Or you can store the food scraps in a bag in your freezer or the back of the fridge. That’s an easy way to avoid odors and insects in your kitchen. 3. Choose a place to make your compost.If you don’t have a garden and still want a traditional composting experience you can take your food scraps to a compost pile that you share with neighbours or a community garden. If you are in a small apartment you could use a Japanese method called Bokashi or a worm farm. If you do have some outdoor space, your compost bin doesn’t have to be complicated. An old trash bin, an old wooden chest — just work with what you have available. or “You could just create the pile naked!” Basically you can just have a heap of compost — but don’t put it up against a wall as it could stain it. 4. Make the compost mix.In the world of composting you will hear about “the greens and browns” — the two main ingredients for your mix. “Greens” (wet)are typically food scraps, like fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, or, if you have a yard, grass clippings. These add nitrogen — a crucial element for microbial growth. Microorganisms are the true heroes of this process, they do the heavy lifting of decomposition. “Browns” (dry) are more carbon rich — think egg cartons, newspapers, dried leaves, and pine needles. It helps to shred up the paper products before putting them in your pile. A good thing to remember is that green materials are typically wet, and brown materials are typically dry. When you’re layering, you want the dry browns on the bottom with the wet greens on the top. Browns are key because they allow water to flow, and air to flow, something called aeration. That will make sure microorganisms can do their job. “If one hundred percent of it is water, then nothing is going on. The microorganisms can’t work. You got this soggy, smelly pile,” And it really is layering — browns then greens, browns then greens. The number of layers depends on your space and your amount of food scraps, but try to keep the layers to an inch or two. You can also put a little bit of browns on the very top to keep away flies and odors. You need more browns than greens. 5. Wait and AerateHow long do you have to wait for decomposition? it depends on the heat – if its hot it might be two months, cold it might take six months. To keep things moving, you’ll want to turn or rotate the pile, perhaps with a stick or spade. When you start out you might be turning the compost once every seven to 10 days. If it smells bad, it probably means it’s not decomposing — maybe your pile might be too wet or you might need to readjust your ratios of greens and browns.when its ready it should have a woody, earthy, but also a sweet smell. Resource https://www.npr.org/2020/04/07/828918397/how-to-compost-at-home

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Celebratory Trees

Each of them will sit under their vine and under their fig tree,with no one to make them afraid, Micah 4:4 Across the Anglican Communion a growing number of churches are integrating tree growing into their spirituality. This might be confirmation, baptism, memorial, wedding trees, etc. If you church is not yet doing this, do some research to find out examples either of other churches in your area or another Diocese that are doing this. Find out what are the successes and challenges. A few things you need to think about: Cost: Does the candidate pay for the tree or can you source donations from government or business? Logistics: How are the trees brought to church and how do the candidates take them home. Education: Everyone who plants a tree needs to learn how to plant it and look after it – who and how will this be done? Watering: A tree needs to be moist for two years – who will water and how? Liturgy: What prayers are said – these can be distributed with the trees – a little leaflet or bookmark Photographs: Who will take photographs and share to social media to inspire/encourage others? Does your church have trees for confirmation baptism , patronal etc?Have a look at some of the inspiring stories being highlighted on the Communion Forest website www.communionforest.org

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