Nature Walk 11/20 + EM Minutes from 9/25+11/6

[Beth Freewomon]

Dear EMers

I have finally wrote up an electronic version of the minutes from the EM's last two meetings. If you were present at any of those meetings take a read...perhaps you volunteered to do something--the notes should remind you! If you were not at the meeting take a read to find out what the EM is up to. Next mtg time TBD.

Also remember the monthly nature walk (always on the 3rd Sunday) is coming up this Sunday 11/20. Usually we met at 2pm at the "trail head". This week we are carpooling from ILM at 1:30 to Wilder SP to walk the Baldwin Trail Loop (3.25 miles of varied terrain, lots of opportunity for cardio and tons of beautiful ocean views). We will be back at ILM at 4:15 pm. Call Beth FFI: 831-247-4649.

Thanks and Love,

Beth Freewomon

EM Mtg Agenda and Minutes 9/25/11

Present: Beverly Boyd, Lynore, Diana Duque, Beth F

1.              Landscaping Team Rpt (Beverly)

Beverly joined us for lunch and gave an impromptu rpt of her team. She acknowledges Golden is on the team. There are 9 separate plots/areas adopted by various individuals or groups of the community. She wants ILM/EM to know that one can be on her team and not have to do a physical or dirty job like:  fundraising, phone calling, creating signage and or organizing work days.

Other things discussed: There is landscaping around the sanctuary to be done. A visioning might create more buy-in. Signage to be creating: “This area lovingly tended by:___” or “This plot is available for adoption.” We will turn compost Oct 9^th after pray out. There is a new shed out side of Rev D’s office that will have a combo lock on it. Tools etc to be stored there. Beverly to table after service to do team outreach.

A discussion ensued about access to Greenwaste cans and sharing the two we have (the max we can get) w/ Provisions Min. Trench composting was discussed as an option.

Action Item (AI): Beth spoke to Dave Francis to propose that Provison use the bottom half of ewach can on Thursday and save the top halves for landscaping and that each min. would be resp. for overflow. He suggests we find a pig farmer for all the leftover food from Provisions.AI: ANYONE: Please contact Beth (471-9677) if you know a local pig farmer.

2.              Sustainability Station (SS) See attached email from Matthew below from 9/25/11:

Hi Laurie, Beth & all,

I'm sorry I haven't been able to be at the meetings recently. I've been shepherding Inner Light's new website project, and it has been precluding me from doing a lot of other things. 

 

I don't think I'll be available for the meeting 9/25, but I'd like to check in on Sustainability Station topics. 

 

My ability to look after the Sustainability Station has been set back recently. Diana & John have moved on to other areas of service, leaving 2 holes in the monthly schedule. I haven't had the time to adequately hunt for new volunteers, and so the Susty Station schedule is essentially on hold. I'm feeling a little sheepish about letting the situation come to this. What I have worked out with Celeste is that she not set up the "Tough Compost" can on Sundays for now. She and Eliot have been taking care of getting the food-scrap compost out to the pile, but she doesn't have enough time to take care of the tough compost. 

 

The plans for building a new, permanent structure are derailed still (that I know of). To move that plan forward would require people energy to do it, but I think the set-back basically took the wind out of the sails for the original crew of people who drove the project. I don't see it starting up again, unless there's new energy out there that I am not aware of. 

 

I have thought about the potential for a much simpler plan: Just creating some wooden covers to sit on top of the Susty Station cans and help guide people's actions. My goal with these would be to move toward an unstaffed Susty Station that ILM Facilities could set up and manage without outside help. 

 

I have mentioned putting out the word to ask for new Susty Station volunteers (via Good News or the EM announcement list), but I haven't followed up on this. I'm a little conflicted: if the best plan is to move toward a non-staffed Susty Station, maybe it doesn't make sense to put out the call for more volunteers? I welcome your input. I think I favor a system that doesn't require so much special attention.  Or maybe it's my own schedule that's the problem, and things could continue working fine with another person managing it. I don't want to ignore the possibility that the perfect person might be ready to step up to service in this way.  

 

Thanks! Love to all,

Matthew

Discussion ensued about the best way to proceed with the SS: Right now no one is personing the SS. Even without tough compost bin things end up on the wrong bin. We need better signage with less words bigger font and placed higher on wall and on cover of bin.

 

Diana D volunteers to coordinate volunteer schedule to person SS. It seems like this is needed. Goal to have SS up in/by Novemeber.She will attempt to solicit from the pool of formal curric. Students.  We ended up publishing this announcemen in Good News and ILM weekly email over subsequent months:

“ILM's EM (Environmental Ministry) has many service learning opportunities:

Staffing the Sustainability Station on Sundays after service. FFI contact Diana: di_d...@yahoo.com. Also participate in this vital ministry by attending meetings (next mtg. Sun. Nov. 6th, after service), helping organize and/or lead EM events (Movie nights, nature walks, etc.), adopting a garden plot to maintain, tabling and more. Contact Beth: bethfr...@yahoo.com. Blessings!”

3.              Oct. Nature Walk

Lynore requests leaving ILM at 1:30 as a carpool. We discuss doing a longer walk on a Saturday with a bag lunch sometime as an alternate. Fall Creek SP? Beth volunteers to lead walk to New Brighton SB on 3^rd Sunday.

4.              SDP Class

Beth shares that EM will offer an SDP class in the winter term. Laurie, Beth and Lynette to facilitate. The intent is to deepen the consciousness of oneness that will manifest an outward picturing of action in alignment with this Oneness.

5.              EM Movie Night

We are interested in sponsoring a cozy low key movie night in teen room with popcorn. What movie to show? Who to organize?

6.              Schedule next mtg.

            Next mtg Sun. Nov 6 1:15-3:30 pm Includes potluck lunch

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000251 EndHTML:0000008938 StartFragment:0000002689 EndFragment:0000008902 SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/beth/Documents/ILM/Environmental%20Ministry/EM%20Mtg%20Minutes%20and%20Agendas/EM%20Mtg%20Minutes%2011-6-11.doc

EM Mtg 11/6/11

Present: Nanette Saucier, Laurie Sage and Beth F

Green Biz Certification Liason

Matthew M wrote to L+B and asked if there was anyone in the ministry that wanted to take this role on. MM has been doing this. Laurie felt like it made sense for her to be this and would bless her with networking ops.

Action item (AI): Laurie to check in with MM   and see what this job entails

Raffle

Recently Beth walked by the DRT table in fellowship hall and the vase that has held carpooling raffle tix was gone and all the tix were all over the table. Beth took the raffle tix with her and realizes we need to have a raffle.

AI: Beth to ask Brett and Jen what prizes hey know about.

Beth and Nanette each have a prize to donate. When we have secured a number of prizes we will do a drawing. We need to decide if we will continue the raffle.

2011 Highlights needed to give to Administry (Beverly to do her own for landscape team)

2011 EM Highlights

Sponsored and organized 3 camping trips (to Indians, Yosemite and Big Sur)

Co-sponsored and co-led 1 Community Backpacking Trip to Lake Tahoe area

Offered first SDP class: Wormshop 101

Offered monthly nature walks to community

Organize an all-volunteer-run landscaping team for the grounds maintenance of ILM

 

Water Quality Testing

AI: Laurie to organize an ILM to test local creek(s) as part of a way to protect the health of all waters and the Ocean (ultimately)

Holiday Party Activity

We discussed the idea of co-sponsoring (with Families Min.) an eco-friendly crafts activity for the ILM holiday party: Make your own wrapping paper!

AI: Nanette to talk to Beth Love to see about co-sponsorship. Possible have teens staff the area?

AI: Nanette to find out who is spearheading the holiday party

SDP Class

We discussed our winter term EM class and the format schedule. We picked 4 Saturdays after Pray IN to do a Sat. am class (4/15-5/6/2012); 10 am – 1:30 with a BYO Lunch. Curriculum tbd.               (Note: unfortunately Revelation Conference conflicts with class #3).

Camping Trips 2012

Len is passing torch to Laurie and Beth for organizing the ILM camping trips. Laurie and I are interested in organizing more experiential activities (sacred time in nature) and less logistics so that there can be bonding…food details can be worked out. L+B are interested in doing less trips than Len annually. 2011 he led 3 trips!!!

L+S spoke of a super local trip at New Brighton SP that could also host the ILM annual picnic in summer 2012. And a co-sponsorship of the annual backpacking trip as the 2012 trip.

AI: Beth to contact administry about co-ministry and picnic plan…

DRT/Carpooling

Golden initiated that the choir filled out carpooling info docs.

AI: Beth to update Google docs and pass out new and updated carpooling lists

AI: To arrange doing the same for encouraging carpooling in formal curriculum student body

Nov. Nature Walk

Sunday 11/20 Len or Beth to Lead in Wilder, Baldwin Loop Trail. Carpooling from ILM at 1:30. Rtn by 4:15.