Act for the Earth

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.

Although this is a thriving 20-25 member team, the issues of climate, environmental injustice, and environmental degradation are vast and urgent -- your help is needed!

The whole team meets on the fourth Sunday of each month: June 25, July 23, and August 27 at 11:30 a.m. Summer meetings are casual and generally include a picnic! 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 UnityActfortheEarth@gmail.com.

While the Act for the Earth Team meets monthly as a whole team, most work is done through projects. Please send us an email to inquire about engaging with a specific project:

Indigenous and climate justice series
Canopy Connectors (tree planting Project to increase canopy in neighborhoods with less trees.)
Church building environmental improvements (solar, EV charging, parking lot)
Engage with ongoing antiracist and spiritual practices including IDI work, ritual for meetings, nature walks, and more
Active Hope /The Work that Reconnects Workshops
(Based on Joanna Macy’s work)
Pollinators (pollinator gardens, pollinator friendly lawns, park restoration, pollinator friendly farms
Plastics Crisis campaign (legislation, incinerator project)
Food systems (food campaign, Farm Bill)
Policy campaign (Minnesota 2023 climate justice legislative agenda)

Summer with Act for the Earth

Unity Garden Stewards
June 14 and 28 • July 12 and 26 • August 9 and 23 • 5:00-5:45 p.m.
We all marvel at the beautiful flowers and vegetables in the children's garden in the summer. Do you wonder who plants it and nurtures it? Well, it could be you! While our children care for the garden on Sundays, it is a touchstone, grounding all of us to the earth and the interconnected web of life. Unity Garden Stewards will meet this summer to better tend the children’s garden as a whole church community. Families and individuals of all ages are welcome. Bring sturdy shoes, garden gloves, a water bottle, and if you have one, a favorite garden tool (please make sure it's labeled). Join us for intergenerational fellowship as we plant, water, weed, and harvest! Questions or plan to join us? Send an email to Heather Benedict at heathermwells@gmail.com.

Tour de Frogtown with Patricia Ohmans
Wednesday, July 19 • 5:30 p.m. • Our Village Community Garden
This roughly two mile walk highlights the Frogtown Green vision of a park and farm with native tree plantings, a half mile long pollinator “Bee Line,” community gardens, a big rain garden and a community gathering space. Then join us for dinner (TBD). Park next to the garden, Our Village (at Pierce Butler and Milton).

Silverwood Park
Wednesday, August 16 • 5:30 p.m. • Silverwood Park Visitor Center
This beautiful park offers a 1.6 mile walk among old oaks, a sculpture garden, and Japanese Forest Bathing! Bring picnic food to share and join us in the amphitheater for a performance of Arabic drumming at 6:30. Park, performance, and parking are free.

Creating Pollinator Habitat: Gardens at Unity Church
Volunteers gather from 10:00 a.m.-noon every other Saturday to maintain the church pollinator garden: June 10 and 24, July 8 and 22, August 5 and 19, and September 2, 16, and 30. Contact Kathy Sidle at kseid@aol.com for more information.

Rethinking Your Own Lawn
The Pollinator Team encourages you to consider No Mow May and Lawns to Legumes. And while you're at it, maybe convert your lawn, or a corner of it, to a pollinator garden.

Partnerships in Public Spaces
We work with organizations to help restore pollinator habitat in places like Como Park, Bruce Vento Sanctuary, Lake Phalen, Swede Hollow, Rivoli Bluffs, and Trout Brook. The work includes trash pick-up, removal of invasive species, and collection of native plant seeds. Contact Kathy Sidle at kseid@aol.com for more information.

Work that Reconnects Book Group
Using Joanna Macy’s book, Active Hope, this will be an opportunity to gather and share our love and gratitude for the earth, the fear and pain as we witness its destruction, and forge action to fight climate change together. Jean Hammink will lead these sessions. Watch for details.

Truth Telling and Healing:
Indigenous and Environmental Justice Series

September 2022 – April 2023
Access all of the materials from this series

Plastic Crisis Challenge

What was once a futuristic, affordable product for the post WWII generation, has become a global pollution catastrophe. The United States comprises just 4% of the world's population, yet we use 24% of the Earth’s resources and have the highest rate of plastic waste (300 pounds annually) per person in the world. Join Unity’s Act for the Earth Team as we explore the devastating effects our plastic use has on oceans, ecosystems, wildlife, and the people who live near plastic production plants. Watch for weekly updates over the next two months — including a Plastic Crisis Challenge — as we invite you to join us in assessing our individual and collective potential for change!

Canopy Connectors

Unity Church-Unitarian’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 2023.

Learn About Pollinator Gardens

The Pollinator Garden at Unity Church with Kathy Sidles
Unity Pollinator Team members growing, planting and maintaining the Unity pollinator gardens in summer 2021.

Pollinators 101 with Barbara Porwit
A review of native plants, pollinators, and gardens, with University of Minnesota Master Gardener slides.