During these months of summer, let's get our kids (and ourselves) outside - for their health, both mental and physical, and to build an appreciation for and love of creation. See below for great ideas, with links to websites with even more ideas. And send us pictures of how it goes!

"Spending time in nature creates 'nature champions'. Time spent in nature as a child, particularly in activities or places that evoke an emotional connection, can foster care and concern for the natural world. Both free play in nature and experiencing nature with a caring adult facilitate such a connection. These experiences can enhance positive attitudes toward the environment, encourage children to learn about environmental problems and solutions, and take actions that demonstrate care for the Earth. An added bonus: children who are strongly connected to nature tend to have better mental health and satisfaction with life."

From the website ChildrenandNature.org

“And that’s what motivates so many of us to act on climate: because it’s a way to love our children—and everyone’s children—through our choices, our voices, and our votes. Loving a child is like placing the most precious possible bet on a better tomorrow: a bet we cannot afford to lose.”

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe

Talking Climate

• Take a sensory stroll - use all your senses. Create a journal of your discoveries using words and/or pictures.
• Set up nature scavenger hunts.
• Do arts and crafts with natural materials - leaf rubbings, paint sea shells, sand art. Check out The Big Book of Nature Art by Yuval Zommer for art project ideas using natural and recycled material.
• Climb a tree...plant a tree!
• Try the Mosquito Bucket Challenge from Homegrown National Park.
• A summer Activity Guide from The Nature Conservancy, and explore more from TNC's Nature Lab.
• Lots of ideas from the Children & Nature Network.
• Tree and forest activities for kids from the National Forest Foundation.
• Experience nature in urban settings with suggestions from Run Wild My Child and National Geographic.
• Garden with kids. Download some great suggestions.
• Visit a U-pick farm with your child. Find a nearby farm with this tool.
• For rainy days - make sure that you have lots of children's nature books on hand. Visit the library to look for nature books or check out these suggestions from the Blueberry award winners list or this list from the Sierra Club. (There are overlaps...maybe those are the ones you especially want to try!)
• Explore ideas from Episcopal Relief and Development's Abundant Life Garden Project. St. Mary's, Andalusia is using the program as the basis for their creation-focused VBS this summer. Stay tuned for pictures in our next newsletter.

On May 13, Saloom Properties, LLC hosted the Classroom in the Forest program, inviting all 5th graders in Conecuh County. They have hosted this event for 20+ years, along with the Alabama TREASURE Forest Association and the Conecuh County Forest Planning Committee, comprised not only of private landowners but also state and federal agencies, all working in collaboration to make this a successful event for our children, with a focus on stewardship and learning our place in God's creation.

Before the actual field day, known as the “Forest in the Classroom" portion, we meet with every 5th-grade class in the county, spending about an hour in the classroom. During this classroom time, students learn about the importance of science as it relates to Alabama’s natural resources and the environment. This includes the benefits of forests as pertains to clean air, clean water, soils, jobs, wood products everyone uses daily, wildlife, recreation, well-being, and aesthetics. During this time with the students, we emphasize the importance of stewardship and being good stewards of God’s creation, which we have been entrusted to care for. There are presentations and discussions from a resource provider, a private landowner, and a stakeholder. This affords a lively conversation within the classroom, with opportunities to blend concepts of spirituality with stewardship. 

The “Classroom in the Forest” portion is the actual field day experience. There are six stations that the students rotate through, with sessions on soils, tree ID, bees, controlled burn, skin and skulls, and black bears in Alabama. 

Submitted by

The Rev. Salem Saloom

Province IV and V Monthly Environmental Gathering

Green Burial Stock photos by Vecteezy

Register now for Iona Collaborative's Fall 2025 Continuing Education program by clicking below, where you will also find course descriptions, dates, and more. Classes are free.

The core mission of the Iona Collaborative of the Seminary of the Southwest is to support the vitality of small congregations by providing Zoom-based continuing education and spiritual formation for small-church clergy and lay leaders, and by resourcing diocesan schools of formation for priests, deacons, and lay leaders serving in part-time and non-stipendiary roles.

Come join in conversation with those steeped in prayer, theology, the wild outdoors, agriculture, and the front lines of pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, and land use. Take time to wander over the acres of the Proctor Center. Come ready to put your feet on the ground and get your hands dirty. And come to contemplate the goodness of the earth and the wonders of creation.

The Episcopal Creation Care Gathering is an annual church-wide event focused on the work of Christian ministry, mission, and living on earth. These gatherings create space for conversation, learning, and practice as we explore the deep relationships that bind together spirituality, justice, ecology, discipleship, and evangelism.

The Province IV environmental network is a co-sponsor of this event. Registration is open!

There will be no newsletter from the Commission on the Integrity of Creation in July. We look forward in August to providing information for the 2025 Season of Creation, which starts September 1 and runs through October 4, the Feast of St. Francis. If you are planning for the Season now, please take a look at our August 2024 newsletter for inspiration. The Episcopal Church Creation Care webpage has posted some updates for the 2025 Season. More in August!

What We've Been Reading

"Forest Bathing Can Boost Your Kid's Mental Health", from National Geographic, with suggestions for how to get started.

"Christian Leaders Unite to Establish Historic Feast of Creation", from the World Council of Churches.

What We've Been Watching

The 10-year-old nephew of Commission member Sonja Crawford recommends the National Geographic documentary series "Secrets of the Octopus", which can be found streaming on Disney and Hulu.

"A Healthy Economy Should be Designed to Thrive, Not Grow," a popular TED talk by Oxford economist Kate Raworth. The talk ends with a message about purpose, participation, belonging and meaning that fits well within faith-based messaging on creation care.

What We've Been Preaching

Lella Lowe preached a sermon at Redeemer, Mobile about our relationship with the land for Rogation Sunday on May 25. Find the text of that sermon here.

How We've Been Advocating

Commission member Lella Lowe made a presentation in May at the Province IV & V monthly environmental network meeting on the topic of Fossil Fuel Divestment and the Episcopal Church Pension Fund. Watch the recording.