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‘Making a World of Difference’ at COP28

There were many ‘firsts’ at the recent UN Climate Conference, COP28. It was the first time that the burning of fossil fuels was officially acknowledged as the key cause and driver of climate change. There was a new Health Day and a sustainable fashion show. We especially applauded the first ever Faith Pavilion, which mobilised people of faith to ‘catalyse more ambitious, effective, holistic and just climate action.’  

Towards the end of the conference, Renew Our World and A Rocha International’s Head of Theology, Dave Bookless, launched their short book, Making a World of Difference, at the event ‘Religious Resistance to Climate Action’ in the Faith Pavilion. This is by no means the first faith-based book on caring for the planet, but despite decades of campaigning, many faith communities remain resistant to climate action. This little book was especially designed to equip global church leaders to respond to the climate and biodiversity crisis. In Dave’s words, ‘If you study God’s word and love your neighbour you’ll want to “Make a World of Difference” for Jesus’ sake. This book tells you why, shows you how and gives you hope.’  

As the only global Christian organization working specifically in biodiversity conservation, A Rocha offered a unique perspective, both in and outside of the Faith Pavilion. A Rocha Ghana’s National Director, Seth Appiah-Kubi spoke at the event, ‘Faith and Nature: Partners in Landscape Restoration and Nature-based Solutions’. Alongside a fantastic panel, Seth described how A Rocha Ghana collaborates with local communities around forests and savannahs to mitigate climate change, restore biodiversity and support sustainable livelihoods. Daryl Bosu, also from A Rocha Ghana, championed nature-based solutions in an event hosted by the IUCN; later, he showcased an initiative to protect shea parklands across West Africa at the Pavilion of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet. 

We leave COP28 encouraged and hopeful that Christians will rise to the challenge of tackling climate change while halting and reversing biodiversity loss. Read Making a World of Difference below to learn how and why you should take action to care for God’s creation. 

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From Pulpit to Plowshare

While studying for a degree in Agribusiness Management, Vincent discovered a passion for discipleship and ministry and assumed he would be leaving agriculture behind. He writes, ‘I thought ministry was only about the pulpit.’  

His younger self would have been surprised to discover he now leads A Rocha Kenya’s Farming God’s Way programme. This agricultural approach focuses on increased food production for humans as well as the well-being of the whole ecosystem. The soil is undisturbed (zero tillage), its surface is covered with dead leaves and other biodegrading matter (mulching) and a diversity of species is encouraged through crop rotation. Farming God’s Way takes its inspiration from biblical principles. Those teaching it in Africa say the greatest cause of hunger is waiting for the rains to come before planting. Farming God’s Way takes into account the many rhythms God wove into creation – day and night, seasons and lifespans: everything done in its proper time.  

Working with churches, Vincent and his team teach Farming God’s Way to empower community members, often living in conditions of real hardship, to be able to obtain better productivity from their farms, and in so doing to respect and care for the rest of God’s creation around them. 

Over time, Vincent says, ‘I have come to see ministry differently. A Rocha Kenya’s mission statement captures in lucid terms what I’m being shaped to walk – “People transformed; nature conserved.”’ 

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Growing Together

St Peter’s Anglican Church in Gonville Whanganui, Aotearoa New Zealand, is creating space in their front garden for a whole lot of connecting and growing. St Peter’s Garden is more than just a garden – it is a space where the community can connect, make friends, grow vegetables and play chess! Reverends Luca and Sam Tovey Duckworth say, ‘The community garden is a great place of intersection for people who wouldn’t normally make a Sunday gathering. It’s been cool seeing people take ownership and start to have their own ideas about what can happen in this space.’ 

St Peter’s is just one of the many churches engaged in A Rocha Aotearoa NZ’s burgeoning Eco Church Programme. Church communities across Aotearoa NZ are taking a more active role in caring for God’s creation. Collectively their actions are resulting in a measurable reduction in waste, carbon, pollution and energy use, leading to more sustainable ways of living that restore and enhance the natural world while connecting people to the Creator.

Find out more about Eco Church in Aotearoa NZ here

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A garden home for all

Although wild creatures are adept homemakers, you may find that going the extra mile to welcome them into your neighborhood pays off. A Rocha Czech Republic’s environmental centre has a two-hectare garden teeming with life, testament to the work they’ve done to create all sorts of habitats and homes for local wildlife.  

There is a heap of leaves inside a dry stonewall for snakes. Two insect hotels have rooms to suit all manner of preferences. Inside the drawers are dark corridors, off which little compartments sit for bees to deposit their larvae safely before heading off to gather pollen from the numerous varieties of native flowers allowed to blossom where they will. The six ponds are full of frogs, fish and newts, a fertile feeding ground for birds. Brightly coloured dragonflies dart above the water.  

Inside a manmade hillock, there’s a chimney – the perfect little house for breeding Kingfishers Alcedo atthis, complete with perches and inviting burrows. A composting area is fronted with plexiglass so you can peek in on the earthworms in their underground home. Tall reeds have been propped up, providing cover in an open area. Badgers raise their families in sets on the wooded edges of the property, sometimes coming into view via the camera trap at night.    

Any time spent in this natural wonderland restores vision for God’s good design in creation – where each living thing has its place, the right to belong and the ability to live alongside others in peace and harmony. It serves as a reminder that although humans often make a situation worse, we can also make it better.  

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Species rediscovered: a long-lost echidna and three wetland wonders

God is concerned for life on Earth in all its variety. His love extends to each creature, which is why we lament anytime there is human-induced extinction of a fellow species (read more in the Evangelical Call to Action on Biodiversity). However, we rejoice all the more when a species is rediscovered! We’ve seen this many times over A Rocha’s 40+ years, like when an intern discovered a Salish Sucker Catostomus sp. in Canada, and a White-naped Mangabey Cercocebus lunulatus was photographed by a camera trap in Ghana’s Atewa Forest. In 2023, several more iconic species were rediscovered by the A Rocha Worldwide Family.  

Thanks to a member of the Friends of A Rocha Network, YAPPENDA, Attenborough’s Long-beaked Echidna Zaglossus attenboroughi has been rediscovered in Indonesia! Feared extinct for over 60 years, this egg-laying mammal was found in the previously unexplored Cyclops mountains. Alongside members of the indigenous Yongsu Sapari community, scientists from the University of Oxford and students from Cenderawasih University, YAPPENDA embarked on an expedition to document the Cyclops Mountains with the goal of finding the lost echidna. The team deployed over 80 trail cameras, making multiple ascents of the mountains and climbing more than 11,000 metres in total. Finally, the echidna was caught on camera on the last SD card, from the last camera collected on the last day of the expedition. Many more discoveries were made which highlight the importance of protecting this rich wilderness, including a new species of terrestrial shrimp, dozens of new insect species and a new species of frog.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may remember that A Rocha France observed beavers for the first time in the Vallée des Baux marshes last year. In the spring, they found three more rare and threatened species. Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides once nested in the Baux marshes, but it hadn’t been observed during its nesting period in over 20 years. This elegant marsh warbler is in decline worldwide and red listed in France. A Rocha scientists observed singing males twice, almost a month apart, confirming the existence of their territory within the reserve. This migratory species prefers old reed beds with large reeds, a habitat which is gradually developing within the reserve’s wetland. 

The other spring surprises concern two rare and protected plants: the Hedge Hyssop Gratiola officinalis and the Marsh Woundwort Stachys palustris. Sensitive to grazing, the first had not been observed in the Baux marshes for almost 15 years. However, with low pastoral pressure on the reserve, these lovely flowering plants were given the opportunity to grow and bloom.  

A Rocha Lebanon is currently searching for the elusive and critically endangered Hula Painted Frog Latonia nigriventer in the Bekaa Valley. Previously suspected to be extinct, its rediscovery elsewhere in 2011 has given new hope to learning more about and protecting this species. 

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We’re listening

A Rocha is blessed with many faithful, generous and supportive friends. As our friend, we’d love to know more about you. Please take a few minutes to tell us who you are, how we found each other, what interests you about our work and anything else you’d like to tell us. We want to make sure we’re on the right track with our communications and donor care, and we are keen to improve and grow. The survey closes on Thursday 15 February.

As a gesture of thanks, for every 100 responses we’ll donate a sack gardening training day for a school in Uganda.

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Civic Service Volunteer – Garden & Welcome

Do you enjoy gardening? Welcoming people? Want to experience being part of a great team in a beautiful part of France? Are you between 18 and 30? A Rocha France needs you! They have funding for an eight-month volunteer post (with a small stipend) starting as soon as possible.

The post is open to anyone aged between 18-30. Candidates from the European Union or Switzerland do not need a visa. Those from beyond will need one but A Rocha France is willing to help with paperwork for the visa process for the right candidate.

Read the full outline of the post here.

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Blue: How can nature impact my mental health?

The fifth instalment of A Rocha’s Elements of Hope video series, titled Blue, delves into the relationship between mental health challenges and the positive effects of nature on our wellbeing. We investigate how immersing ourselves in nature can pull us out of our internal struggles and rekindle our connection to God and his call for us to be stewards of creation. In this video, A Rocha interns Michaela Stenerson and Allison Cutting share their experiences of finding relief from anxiety and depression through their proximity to the ocean. 

We’ll also hear from Murray Tessendorf, the National Director of A Rocha South Africa, as he shares how his experiences as a crisis chaplain have motivated him to practice proactive self-care in dealing with depression and anxiety. This includes activities like taking daily walks in nature and engaging in other practices to help redefine our sense of purpose and connection with our Creator. 
 
Learn more about how nature can improve our mental health with our study guide. Feel free to share the study guide and film with your church, school, bible study or youth group.

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Cross-border connections at Courmettes

In early September, 19 individuals from Friends of A Rocha Germany engaged an exchange week with French A Rocha enthusiasts at Les Courmettes, A Rocha France’s field study centre near Nice. The agenda: to learn from A Rocha’s experiences in France and share initial project ideas. The week was partly funded by the French-German Citizens’ Fund, supporting projects enhancing Franco-German fellowship.

Meeting for the first time, the two groups soon felt as one community. What brought us together?

First, the joint learning experience. Morning sessions were for discussing projects and sharing practical creation care insights. Nature outings, especially a joint hike, deepened our connection. Butterflies, birds, stags and deer, sunrise, breathtaking views – we were in awe together. Field visits to dry meadows and the vegetable garden, with a focus on water conservation, were enlightening.

 
 
We reflected together on the ecological crises and the emotions they provoke in us. We thought about appropriate reactions, within ourselves and towards others. Entertainment, such as quiz and talent nights, added a fun element. The joyful evening of folk dancing was definitely a highlight of the week. 
 
Communication, albeit initially challenging due to language barriers, turned into an amusing experience. English – with hand gesturesbecame our bridge. The heart of fellowship was felt during mealtimes. Sharing delicious, healthy meals, complimented by the hospitality shown through German dishes prepared by the French kitchen, was precious for personal interactions and language learning. 
 
The week concluded with a rewarding clean up activity with the local municipality, sweetened by regional violet syrup and quiche. This poignant ending left us encouraged and thankful as we embarked on our return journeys, enriched by an inspiring week of Franco-German exchange and ecological engagement. 
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Celebrating A Rocha’s 40th anniversary

Thanks to the wonders of Zoom, on 14 September over 400 of us gathered from 26 countries, spanning the globe from New Zealand to Nigeria, Singapore to Sweden, Algeria to Korea and many places in between. Some of us were new to A Rocha; over 80 had been involved for over two decades, a significant number since the very beginning. We’d encountered A Rocha through friends, books, churches and conferences, through holidays near A Rocha centres, through universities and colleges and in the case of one person, because of a bumper sticker!   

Over the hour-long event, we heard from Peter Harris about A Rocha’s beginnings, remembered those we have lost along the way and celebrated all manner of highlights, from work with the Atewa Slippery Frog to the burgeoning network of A Rocha Friends groups and a recent environmental education conference. 

When our host, Graham Wright, asked people to share a species with which they have worked at A Rocha or particularly love, answers poured in. The European Roller in the Vallée des Baux, France; Western Toad (and the toadlets) in BC, Canada; Long-eared Owl, ringed at Minet Country Park, UK; the Algarrobo tree in the dry forests of Peru; the Halavi Guitarfish in Watamu Marine National Park, Kenya; the Otter at Aammiq, Lebanon. A Rocha has always drawn people with big hearts for ‘all creatures great and small’.  

You can watch edited highlights of this special event here.