Editorial

What Does Hope Mean for the Health of Our Planet?

Penny Washbourn

I have just returned from two intense days of the 37th annual Bioneers Conference in Berkeley, which draws in hundreds of young and old environmental advocates from across the country and beyond. This conference is notable for the large number of Indigenous attendees and programs as well as over 400 young leaders, some of whom presented keynote speeches. This community has been developed over the years by the active vision of Bioneers founders, Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons. Where else can you go to talk to the young Indigenous woman part of the group who first paddled down the Klamath river in Oregon over 300 miles after the four dams were blown up in 2024?

Last year we saw the video of the dam explosions. I remember, people cheered. This year, while salmon are making their way up the river again, we are reminded the water is still polluted, algae blooms from toxic runoff from agricultural land are still occurring and threats to the river continue.

The keynotes were from luminaries with their recent books, such as Michael Pollan with his A World Appears, A Journey into Consciousness (2026). I was looking for hope from the energy of the young people, and stories of success of tribes claiming Indigenous sovereignty and efforts to protect their rivers and lands by building coalitions. 

Yet the tone of several presentations was dark, reflecting the despair of the environmental community over the current roll-back of climate legislation, for air, water and animal species, land protection and human health. The decades-old structures are collapsing, as Nina Simons stated, and we don’t know what will come next.  Where does she find Hope...?

In the ordinary citizens of Minneapolis, in the millions of people who turn out to rally, in the beauty of Spring. Importantly, she asks herself the question, “How can I contribute to healing as my choices and actions now affect the future? How can I raise up the next generation of leaders?" She describes an image from starling murmurations where hundreds of birds coordinate their flight by spacing themselves next to their sixth closest neighbor. Together they move as one and outmaneuver the peregrine falcons who bombard at them at 250 mph, but 80% of the time miss their target. This mirrors the people of Minneapolis who recently came out to serve their neighbors, formed a beloved community of kin and were not scared by fear tactics.

“Like seeds, what we plant now will grow gradually, what we plant now matters. We must collectively, mid-wife the future. We must learn about innovative work: the roadmaps are already present emerging from many communities to meet this momentous time." (N. Simons 03/28/2026 paraphrase.)

At his Keynote speech I learned from Brett KenCairn, Director of the Center for Regenerative Solutions Boulder, Colorado, that years-long focus on better technologies to combat climate change has missed the major point. It is all about the soil: what we grow and how we grow it. The loss of biodiversity in modern agricultural practices reduces the ability of the soil to hold carbon and water. We can literally change the weather by practicing regenerative approaches (without artificial fertilizer or pesticides).

His final message.. go grow something you can eat! So I will need to plant my tomatoes again this year and to save my dish water to water them.

In Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness (2009), Lyanda Lynn Haupt writes, “Hope is our positive orientation toward the future, a future in which we simultaneously recognize difficulty, responsibility and delight. Hope is not relative to the present situation, nor is dependent on a specific outcome. It has everything to do with the renewal of the earth, whatever shape that will take. Hope is not the antidote to despair, or a sidestepping of difficulty, but a companion to all of these things" (217).

CED Sets New Priorities for 2026-27

At its Annual January Retreat held in a Tree house, surrounded by the peace of the forest and views of Tomales Bay (Thank you Katharine Mitchell) the Council began a process of discernment: Where do we go from here?

 As readers of this newsletter, you will be familiar with the efforts of our small cohort concentrating in facilitating book studies and film discussions led by CED members, coordinating Fall Eco Retreats and proving resources to our local and broader communities for ecological knowledge and advocacy. We have preached at the Sundays in Creationtide, published a quarterly Newsletter and followed the four pillars of our CED Mission of Refugio, Resources, Resilience and Resistance. What next? While some of these activities will remain, what is ours to do, now? 

We are struck by our awareness that all ecological action must begin locally. How are we tending to our own land, the very 8 acres of our St Columba’s Church and Retreat House? Our attention as a church necessarily has been to care for the fabric of the building and make it more sustainable, protect it from wild- fires and to make our practices in our Retreat House and kitchen more “eco- friendly."

As you may also be aware, a great deal of tree clearance has happened over the last 2-3 years, removing dead trees or those too close to our buildings, all with a goal of achieving defensible space. We have torn down decrepit structures and opened up space. Now there is a great sense of openness as you come onto the grounds.

With this opportunity for ecological restoration of the grounds of St Columba’s, we now propose a comprehensive assessment of the whole property, including the architectural plans for replacement of the deck and new handicap ramp and parking lot, working with the Bishop’s Committee. 

The CED voted to endorse a project for 2026 and beyond, we name “The St. Fiacre project,” named after St. Fiacre who is best known as the patron of gardeners. He died on 18 August AD 670, and his body was interred in the local church of the site of his hermitage complex, which church became his original shrine. His feast day is observed on August 30th.

We plan to ask how our Four-Rs relate to the St. Fiacre project:

• Refugio: Refuge not only for humans but for wildlife both plant and animal native species
• Resources: Working with Creation as “contemplative practice” and resource for others (as in the Hilde-Garden project)
• Resilience: Establishing a sanctuary for wildlife helps to create a more resilient environment for flora and fauna (and thus for humanity)
• Resistance: Bring collaboration from other organizations to help identity needs and carry out work in community partnerships. We become a model for church-land stewardship for others to learn from.

Main Goals, Initiatives, and Objectives:   

• Stewardship of the Land (8 acres)
• Reduction of Invasive species, regeneration of healthy local wildlife + orchard? Prayer space?
• Creative projects: Community St. Hilde-Garden? Bee Hives? Outdoor Temple for “Two Books” Curriculum
• Creation as sacramental (reciprocal healing): Growing of herbs to use as healing balms, teas, salves, etc.
• Two-Books Theology: Tending to land as spiritual practice. Learning to listen, give to the land (not just taking from it), reading the landscape and creatures as “words” of God.
• Introducing cultivation as contemplative practice
• Working with outside organizations who will assist with project at little or no cost: Provide guidance, people-power, connections, resources

Our first step has been to walk the property with a renowned landscape architect who offered his services pro-bono and we will get his assessment. We are already receiving ideas from across the community from a pollinator garden to a sensory garden. Keep those ideas coming! To be continued...

FAQ's on Composting

Very frequently parishioners and visitors to St Columba’s ask questions and notice changes in our attempts to be as ecologically responsible as possible as well as protect our aging infrastructure, use less water and protect our septic system.

They notice that we no longer use paper napkins but send napkins out with table cloths, kitchen towels and bathroom towels to a commercial service (We do still wash our bed linens for the retreat house in house).

The question comes up: Why do we not use china plates and cups and wash them in the dishwasher after coffee hour?

So Anna asked Chat GPT to do an analysis of our particular situation and here is the answer: "Because our site is water-limited, septic-based, and served by a compost system designed for pressed paper fiber, using pressed paper compostable plates for meals has a lower total environmental and infrastructure impact than washing reusable dishware.” Chat GPT 02/26/2026

Another Question: Which paper products are compostable in West Marin?

Unfortunately, as is often a conversation around the trash, recyle and compost bins, what happens here is not necessarily the same as what happens in your municipality. The paper coffee cups are trash. You will notice they have a waxy coating on them. They are not compostable. The paper plates we use are compostable in our local compost systems, as are paper towels.

Question: Are the thin green plastic bin bags used in counter top or larger bins for compost them selves compostable as they claim on the packaging?

They are made out of resin. The answer is No, in Marin, but depending on your local waste system, they could certainly be, yes, so check. Bigger cites may have a more commercial grade composting system, so it is worth a phone call. 

Question: Is it better to rinse your dishes before leaving them in the dishwasher as I do till I wait for a full dishwasher?

I confess I have been guilty of this as it may take me 2-3 days to run a full load. Recently I decided to experiment. I left some soiled soup bowls in the dishwasher for several days and rather than use the eco-cycle or one hour cycle as I normally do, I used the longer sani-cycle. The dishes and glasses came out sparkling. Now the ultimate test will be peanut butter! In terms of saving water, I should have been trusting my dishwasher all along.

IN THE NEWS

In this section, we highlight one organization that is contributing to the health of the planet

Why should we recommend the Audubon Society as a critical leader in combatting the effects of climate change? Audubon’s work is not just for bird lovers, but for all of us.

Birds are indeed “the canary in the coal mine” forgive the pun. Since the 1970s in the US we have lost 70% of our bird populations. The causes are many but the loss of habitat for feeding and breeding, the effects of agricultural practices using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, the reduction of wetlands, the cutting of forests all these effect birds. I have witnessed it in my own back yard when a large tree died and was removed by the HOA, gone too were the little finches, juncos, hummers who used to visit.

Audubon also has documented successes for conservation and restoration. Read their newsletters. And the pictures are magnificent.

What America's Birds Face Now

Climate change

endangers two-thirds of all North American birds

Conservation rules and

policies that must be restored,

protected, and strengthened.

Critical landscapes for birds are at risk from

development & drilling

Photos from right to left: Jacqueline Deely/Audubon Photography Awards; Tania Simpson/Audubon Photography Awards