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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.

TAKE THE SURVEY
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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.

DOWNLOAD STUDY GUIDE
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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 gestures – became 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. 

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A fruitful forest encounter

A Rocha Kenya has been working to create a nature reserve to protect what remains of the coastal forest of Dakatcha. Home to 13 IUCN Red Listed species, this habitat has been stripped for charcoal, planted with pineapples and heavily grazed by cattle, camels, goats and sheep. The forest is recognized as a Key Biodiversity Area and yet remains one of the ten most threatened forest hotspots in the world. 

On a recent Habitat Assessment exercise, an A Rocha volunteer named Eric Kinoti, along with a reserve scout from a local community, came across a group of Somali herders who asked why grazing was not allowed in the reserve. Eric recounts what happened next:  

‘We took the initiative to show them how God has given the responsibility to humans to care for the earth, and why it’s everyone’s responsibility no matter the religion. We also showed them pictures of birds in Dakatcha. They recognized some and even taught us some of the birds’ names in the Somali language. In the end they were happy and quite satisfied and vowed to spread the word to their fellow herdsmen. It’s amazing to see the great work our scouts do. Despite the language barrier between them and the herders, they eventually sing the same tune, of conservation and hope.’  

Read more about A Rocha’s vital work in the Dakatcha Nature Reserve here. 

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Fundraising heroes

Creation care can take many forms, including raising money to support the work of organizations like A Rocha. Everyone can be a fundraiser – you don’t have to be an athlete or take on an epic adventure, though sometimes it can help! Here we meet just a few of the heroes who are helping to protect people and the planet through their fundraising efforts: 

Angaza Taa is a social enterprise founded by Allison Karabu to fund sustainable development projects through the sale of tote bags. Allison developed the concept of Angaza Taa in Grade 11, wanting to use her artistic skills and experience in development – grounded in her Christian faith and values – to support communities and showcase the organizations and initiatives making a difference. Angaza Taa donates 30% of the profits from each tote design to a selected project or organization. Now people can support A Rocha Uganda’s conservation efforts in West Bugwe Forest, by purchasing a Flutter Butterfly tote! 

The fifth Sokoke Forest MTB Challenge bike race took place in Kenya on 21 May. Its aim was to raise awareness about the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and its conservation as well as raise funds for A Rocha Kenya’s ASSETS programme. 100% of the proceeds (race sponsorship, contributions from the riders and registration fees) went to supporting the secondary school fees of children living around the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and practical conservation action through the work of ASSETS. Over 70 hero cyclists took part and helped raise over KSh 500,000, which will cover the secondary school fees of 13 children! 

When Russell and Sarah Hager got married earlier this year, they wanted their wedding gifts to make a difference to communities and nature around the world. So, as well as asking for contributions to their carbon-friendly honeymoon, they asked their guests to purchase a Gift with a Difference on their behalf. Thanks to the generosity of friends and family, they were delighted that their wedding could contribute to nature-based livelihoods for Syrian refugees, monitoring coral reefs, planting tree saplings in India, training communities in Uganda to make sack gardens and more! 

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International Annual Review 2022-2023

Our latest annual review is available for your reading pleasure! We hope you will enjoy an overview of the many places, species and people impacted by A Rocha’s work around the world between April 2022 and March 2023. And thank you for all you do to make this possible. 

 

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A Place at the Table wins prestigious international award

A Place at the Table by Miranda Harris and Jo Swinney has been honoured with a gold Nautilus award in the category of Religious/Spiritual Memoir.   

The Nautilus Book Awards were founded over 20 years ago and celebrate literary contributions in spiritual growth, social change, green values and sustainability. Previous winners include the Dalai Lama, Barbara Kingsolver, Desmond Tutu and David Suzuki, among others. T A Barron of Philomel/Penguin Young Readers Group says,  

‘The Nautilus Book Awards represent the highest achievement of the writer’s craft. Nothing less. It’s all about envisioning a better, more peaceful, more caring world – both for us and for our fellow creatures and the Earth.’ 

As many of you already know, A Place at the Table is an exploration of hospitality and biblical insights, drawing on Jo and Miranda’s experience of community in the A Rocha family. This book is a warm invitation to be embraced by the loving kindness of others. We are thrilled that the folk at Nautilus acknowledge the importance of the message – and that the book has also just been shortlisted as CRT23’s Best biography/memoir (winners to be announced on 7 September)! To find out the story of how and why the book was written, you can watch this short film.

You may not know that A Place at the Table is now available in Europe in paperback, and in North America and elsewhere in the world from 5 December. All proceeds made through purchases on the A Rocha website go to support our work caring for God’s creation around the world.