The Act for the Earth Ministry Team’s mission is to engage the Unity Church-Unitarian community to act to stop climate change, species extinction, and environmental injustice by practical and systemic solutions while grounding this work in our own spiritual and antiracist/justice stance.

In general, the Act for the Earth Team meets on the fourth Sunday of each month, 12:45-2:00 p.m., at Unity Church. This is a great way to get to know the team, the work, and where you might fit in. Come have fun, be part of a community, and support others in this important work!

For more information about the Act for the Earth Team email [email protected].

Ongoing Meetings

Monthly Act for the Earth gatherings are held at Unity Church. All are welcome!
  • Full Team Meeting | Sunday, August 23 | 11:30 a.m. | Garden Tent​
    ​​Act for the Earth’s time to welcome potential new members, celebrate successes, plan, share and be together!
  • Active Hope Practice Group -- ON SUMMER VACATION | Second Monday of the month | 7:30-9:00 p.m. | Robbins Parlor
    ​​This monthly practice gathering features a pressing issue in the New Now as a focus for each month’s session. The intention is not a discussion of the issue but to move through the Active Hope Spiral of grounding in gratitude, touching into feelings of grief/anger/fear/despair, seeing with new eyes, and gathering our capacities for action in response to this issue.  Using the Spiral in this way helps to prevent our hearts from deadening or being overwhelmed and fortifies us in resilience and action.  All are welcome, no experience or registration needed. 
  • Coffee with Act for the Earth -- ON SUMMER VACATION | Sunday, September 14 | 12:45 p.m. | DeCramer Room​
    Join us for a Coffee Hour! Relax, enjoy a beverage, hang out with team members, ask questions about Act for the Earth, share resources, talk about your personal green journey—or just generally connect. In the DeCramer Room after the second service on the second Sunday of the month. ​

Canoe the St. Croix

St Croix River Canoe trip from Taylor’s Falls to Osceola Landing
Saturday, August 22 | 9:30 a.m.
Gather at Taylor’s Falls Canoe Rental 
​Registration (not required but appreciated!)

The antidote for steamy weather is to spend a fun multi-generation family-centered day on and in the water. Unity's Act for the Earth Team has got a plan for you: the gorgeous Wild and Scenic St. Croix right in our own backyard. 
  • We will gather at 9:30 at the launch in Interstate Park just south of Taylor's Falls. There we can rent as necessary and launch our canoes to paddle down the gently flowing, sandy bottomed St. Croix 2-3 hours (depending upon stops to play on sandbars and in the river) to Osceola Landing. No canoeing experience is necessary!
  • Parking is limited and requires a State Park vehicle pass ($7 daily/$35 annual), so carpooling is highly recommended! 
  • Protect your cell phone and car key fobs in a waterproof case or freezer Ziplock bags. 
  • Be sure to bring sun protection, water, lunch, snacks and your PFD (Personal Flotation Device, aka life vest)! Contain loose items in a backpack that can be clipped securely to the canoe. 
  • If you have extra seats in your canoe or would like to join someone else in their boat, please indicate that on the sign-up form and we will match you up. We have plenty of experienced paddlers who will be happy to have a new paddler in their bow.
  • We will enjoy a potluck picnic together at the park at the end of our paddle. (Coolers fit nicely in a canoe!) Rides back to your car at Taylor’s Falls are available via the outfitter (hourly, included with canoe rental, or shuttle only for $20) or with Unity friends. The picnic grounds have tables, grills, bathrooms and plenty of room for kids to run and throw a frisbee. Fishing is good right off the shore.

Join us for a fun day of paddling on the river!

Climate High Impact Areas,  Actions, and Resources

Act for the Earth is focusing our work on engaging the congregation and the wider community around the 20 high-impact climate actions that individuals and households can take that, according to Project Drawdown's research, could reduce up to 25% of future greenhouse gases. Below are the four impact areas with actions and resources to support them. 

It's important that we all work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adopt a more sustainable way of life that aligns our values with our actions. Each of us can determine which climate solutions are most effective for our own situation. What are yours?

Food

Reduced Food Waste Plant-Rich Diets ​Plant-Rich Diets ​Earth Friendly Ethical Eating
See Unity's Food YouTube playlist for information about food waste, giving food as gifts, and using ingredients from your pantry.

Waste

Becoming a Recycling Ambassador for your county is a fantastic way to learn more about recycling and engage with your community!
​Ramsey, Hennepin, Dakota and Anoka County all offer a six-week course, one day a week on Zoom. There is a volunteer commitment of 20 to 30 hours depending on the county. You receive training for the volunteering as well.

Energy

Distributed Solar Photovoltaics High-Performance Glass High-Efficiency Heat Pumps Smart ThermostatsLED LightingLow-Flow FixturesInsulation

Travel

​Public Transit  Carpooling Electric Cars Hybrid Cars
  • "Hybrid cars: cut emissions by more than 25% over entire lifetime of vehicle compared with gas cars."  Hybrid car analysis. 
Telepresence
  • Seek options to work from home- even part of the time- encourage your company to invest in tools that allow for this.

Team Activities

Active Hope

The Active Hope team organizes training and practice opportunities for the congregation based on the work of Joanna Macy. Her work provides us with frameworks and practices for building spiritual resilience to show up and do our part in response to the climate crisis and contribute to what she describes as “the Great Turning” that is needed to save the earth of which we are a part. This work is outlined in her books, Active Hope and Coming Back to Life, and supported through the Work That Reconnects, an international network of people building on Joanna Macy’s offerings. Contact Jean Hammink at [email protected]. 

Canopy Connectors 

​Unity’s Canopy Connectors offers trees, for free, to homeowners in the Summit-University-Rondo neighborhood. The area is defined as that within the boundaries of University and Summit Avenues to the north and south, and Lexington Parkway and Marion Street to the west and east. We will help those adopting trees every step of the way, from arranging for utility lines to be marked in your yard, to planting your tree in the fall. Interested in caring for a free tree? Learn more about our trees and this annual project that will return for another season in 2024. Contact Lisa Burke at [email protected].

Energy Team

The energy team stays abreast of home energy innovations and ways to finance energy improvements for homes (low or no cost Home Energy Audits, which includes information on insulation, heat pumps, solar panels, appliances, etc.) and transportation (electric vehicles, e-Bikes, and home charging infrastructure to support them). Contact Paul Englund at [email protected]. 

Environmental Advocacy and Climate Justice

Act for the Earth's environmental advocacy and climate justice team works for equity-centered policies, regulations, and legislation at the local, state, and national levels. We act for bold change that will transform systems to be in right relationship with all people and the earth. Our advocacy is often in partnerships with coalitions and trusted organizations. Contact Sherri Knuth at [email protected] or Terri Burnor at [email protected].

Food Group

​Food, agriculture and land use produce about 25% of our global CO2 emissions. We believe that everyone should have access to healthy food that is sustainably produced to preserve soil, water and biodiversity, that farm workers should earn fair wages and have safe working conditions, and that animals should be treated humanely. Our group provides a supportive environment in which to explore ways food choices that can reduce our impact by reducing food waste and shifting our diets to include more plant-based foods. Contact Anna Newton at [email protected]

Pollinator Gardens

The Pollinator Team focuses on supporting the life cycles of pollinating insects, birds and other creatures which are essential to local ecosystems and agriculture. Activities include presenting workshops on seed-keeping and winter sowing (with free plants to distribute in June) and sessions on bee behavior, gardening with native plants and converting lawns to pollinator-friendly yards. The team organizes an annual low-cost native plant sale and maintains a pollinator garden at the church. Besides highlighting the Lawns to Legumes grant program, it promotes year-round community events, volunteer opportunities and various Natural Climate Solutions projects. See Unity's Pollinator YouTube playlist for ways to make your garden pollinator friendly. Contact Kathy Sidles at [email protected].

Unity Church-Unitarian | 733 Portland Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55104 | 651-228-1456 | [email protected]
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