Prairie Church

First Congregational Church, Fort Atkinson

On Saturday, June 6, about 50 members and friends of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Fort Atkinson gathered for a "prairie church" service. Hosting the event at their rural Jefferson home were the congregation's moderator, Linda Glendon, and her husband, Jeff.

The Rev. Dr. Sara Rabe led the service, which focused on enjoying and appreciating nature and letting go of (and burning) burdens as a profound act of spiritual release and healing amidst creation.

This marked the congregation's second service in the form of "wild church," an ecospiritual movement that emphasizes experiencing the divine directly through creation. Last fall, church members gathered beneath the church's landmark bur oak tree for worship.

Of course, First Congregational UCC also worships indoors! Summer services are held at 9 a.m. Sundays through Labor Day. The church is located at 33 West Milwaukee Avenue in Fort Atkinson.

The 2026 Annual Environment & Spirituality Summit on September 28-29 brings together visionary leaders to explore what it means to practice grounded resistance. Through thought-provoking sessions, we will engage with nationally and internationally recognized speakers who are helping shape movements for climate justice and transformative hope.

Register today

Watch the keynote session at an in-person gathering! View and RSVP for watch party locations after you register for the summit!

We hope you'll join us on September 28-29 to explore how we can both offer and receive healing from the Earth, creating a healthier and more just world.

See you at the Summit,

The Faith in Place Team

Register here for the Creation Care 5k

Tribes, environmental advocates decry Michigan’s approval of Line 5 permits

Michigan Advance

Critics vow appeals as Enbridge moves closer to building controversial tunnel beneath Straits.

Two state agencies charged with overseeing Michigan’s natural resources and the environment have approved another set of permits for Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project, pushing the Canadian energy company closer to the full approval needed to begin construction.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy announced Wednesday that it had reapproved a set of permits that expired earlier this year, concerning wetlands resources and the Great Lakes submerged lands. It follows a 2024 agreement between Enbridge, EGLE and the Bay Mills Indian Community, where the company agreed to redo its Part 303 and 325 permits to incorporate new wetland survey results

The Department of Natural Resources also approved a Part 365 permit, which will require Enbridge to take steps to reduce its impacts on rare plants and animals while constructing the tunnel. Read more here.

Science, Knowledge, and Democracy – A Call to Action | Part 1

Wisconsin's Green Fire, June 29, 2026

An essay series from Wisconsin’s Green Fire (WGF) exploring the vital connections between science, knowledge, and democracy.

Preface

The following essay, “Speaking Up for Science,” introduces our new Wisconsin’s Green Fire (WGF) series: “Science, Knowledge, and Democracy – A Call to Action.” On July 4, 2026, we celebrate the 250th birthday of our American democracy and look to the future. There is a lot at stake. Clean water, clean air, healthy communities, nonpartisan investment in scientific research and natural resources management, just to name a few. This series features the voices of WGF experts and their views on big conservation problems facing our state and country.

We hope these essays inspire you to take action and use the power of your voice for conservation. Our goal is to seed a movement of Wisconsinites demanding that policymakers re-engage with facts, science, and an inclusive democratic process to create long-term environmental, social, and economic good. Notably, such a democracy in pursuit of knowledge—which is often produced via Western science methods—must also embrace information and perspectives provided by Indigenous communities.

We ask you to join us. Share these essays and ideas broadly, including with policy leaders who must uphold an ethic that includes care for all people and the planet we depend on.

Speaking Up for Science

by Terry Daulton, WGF Founder and Board Member

edited by Carolyn Pralle, WGF Communications and Outreach Coordinator

“On a journey, if you know where you’ve been, it may help you decide where you’re going.” Bradlee Fons, Drive $mart Wisconsin

In 2016, I created our faith-based outreach, Driving in God’s Garden (DiGG), to bring the secular message of D$W and Tools for a Lifetime to people of faith who believe they are Stewards of our Earth, God’s Garden. Since then, we have tabled and presented to thousands of people from various religious backgrounds and have worked with area church leadership to promote stewardship of our Earth.

D$W continues to reach out and touch people's lives, encouraging them to change and become responsible transportation members of our society and faith communities. We largely do this for free and do not seek recognition; we just ask our 1,247 D$W members to pay it forward with their knowledge and expertise. We are often thanked, and sometimes even in writing.

Over the past two decades, we've shown that a vehicle is more than transportation; it's a tool, and with the right skills, every driver can use it more efficiently and confidently. Thank you to everyone who has supported Drive $mart Wisconsin over the last 20 years. Here's to the next generation of $marter Eco-Driving! Read the complete story and view more photos here. 

Recent Q & A

from an email John Helt received

Question - I have a friend who wants to build an environmentally friendly house. Do you have a recommendation of where she should start?

Answer - 

Assuming you're talking about someone who wants to build in Wisconsin and hasn't done any designing yet, here are a couple quick thoughts: 

Focus on Energy has a way to search certified builders.

There's also a Wisconsin Green Built Certification that has a way to search participating partners.

That's a more localized version of the US Green Building council's LEED certification.

There's also Passive house, which is a building method that is super-insulated so that there are very very small energy consumption needs.

All of the above are for those who want to ensure building quality and performance through certification. There are plenty of ways to build "green" without that, but they can be a good start for someone looking for a directory of professionals. 

Can also go the route of connecting with an architect. We don't have any specifics as there are tons of architects in Wisconsin with an eco-friendly bent. 

Clean Wisconsin Intervenes in Oracle Lawsuit Against State

Clean Wisconsin is taking legal action to protect more than a million energy customers in the state as AI data centers cause demand to skyrocket.

Clean Wisconsin is taking legal action to protect more than a million energy customers in the state as AI data centers cause demand to skyrocket. This week Clean Wisconsin intervened in a lawsuit filed by Oracle against the Public Service Commission (PSC) over the agency’s strict new credit and collateral requirements for data center owners and operators in We Energies territory. The tech giant is pushing to relax those new financial requirements as construction continues on its 672-acre data center in Port Washington.

“These financial requirements for the largest energy users our state has ever seen are incredibly important,” says Clean Wisconsin attorney Brett Korte. “This is about protecting We Energies’ other customers—families, small businesses, schools, manufacturers—and shielding them from the risks associated with these enormous energy users.” Read the complete press release here. 

Celebrating the Power of the Sun

In the nonprofit world, we spend a lot of our time planning how we will continue to fund our mission—similar to how many people spend much of their time planning how they will make ends meet.

In some cases, for those who can’t make ends meet on their own, there are nonprofits to help. They feed, house, educate, and even protect us. Through RENEW’s Solar for Good program, we have the unique opportunity to help other nonprofits, as well as schools and houses of worship. Read more here.

Renew June Blog