Magnus Kopman and Peter Harris Falsterbo

Migration and momentum in Sweden

Photo: Peter Harris with Magnus Köpman at Falsterbo

The autumn bird migration over Falsterbo in Sweden is spectacular – millions pass overhead in a matter of days. It was during a migration watch here in the early 1980s that A Rocha was first dreamed up, and this year, founder Peter Harris returned with a group of birding friends, many linked to A Rocha in the Netherlands.  

Arne Mörnerud leads the A Rocha work in Sweden and set up a series of meetings and events for Peter and some of the group. They spent time with their partner organization at Hyllie Park, which comprises two schools and a care home for the elderly. After good discussions with the CEO, it is hoped that A Rocha’s influence will not be limited to the ongoing ecological transformation of the grounds but could be mainstreamed into what is now a sizeable organization, and not least have an impact on their investment policies. They were also glad to welcome several A Rocha members from other parts of the country including Magnus Köpman who first visited Cruzinha in the early 1990s. 

They also travelled to Knislinge to see Anton and Mirjam Flood who moved onto a farm there a year ago, when Anton began working at the nearby adult education college as chaplain. Peter writes, ‘Anton and Mirjam are advancing plans for a creation care track for students similar to other pathways through the syllabus and they have a clear vision for establishing an A Rocha community based locally. Things are moving fast and all of us spent a great evening together with friends from the area to talk about A Rocha’s commitments and the possibilities for future work together.’  

In this short clip, Anton talks about his hopes for a closer relationship with A Rocha. For more information about A Rocha in Sweden please visit https://arochasvanner.se 

Alnarp-1024x683

A new member of the family in Sweden

We are delighted to welcome our Friends of A Rocha group in Sweden as an A Rocha Associated Project. Kristna för naturvård i Sverige (KriNa for short, or in English: Christians for Nature Conservation in Sweden) is helping individuals, groups and churches in Sweden to care more for creation and protect places for biodiversity, especially locally. Their Hyllie Park Gardens Project is a joint venture with the local church and adult education college and focuses on environmental education and the creation of a meadow, wildlife habitats and nature trail that will promote biodiversity onsite.

Through practical workshops and seminars, people are learning how to make bird houses and insect hotels, as well as finding out about environmental issues such as plastic pollution and how to live more sustainably. Local children and adults are enjoying trips to nature parks and church study groups are learning what it means to be an eco-church.

In time, KriNa hopes to improve awareness of and care for nature among the children and students at its partner schools and to increase their reach beyond Hyllie Park – positively impacting biodiversity and engaging with different churches within Sweden.

Welcome to the A Rocha worldwide family, Kristna för naturvård i Sverige!

Photo by Arne Mörnerud