This spring’s Reconnect & Regenerate Program concluded on Sunday, June 12, with the dedication of the new Native Plant Pollinator Picnic Garden on the north side of the church. The multi-week, multi-faceted program explored how we can address climate change right in our own backyards.

 

Conceived by Vaughn Bryner, Amicable’s Minister of Music and Arts Outreach, events focused on the book Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard by Douglas Tallamy and the film Kiss the Ground. From these two sources, four weeks of events evolved into programming that included a film screening of Kiss the Ground with a panel featuring local growers, book discussions on Nature’s Best Hope at the Tiverton Public Library and Union Library, four worship services with coffee hour discussions, a potluck meal featuring locally-sourced food at Movement Ground Farm, and the development of a Native Plant Pollinator Picnic Garden at Amicable.

 

Those involved with building this program will evaluate it over the coming weeks. However, some beneficial outcomes have already been realized for the church and the local community. First, Reconnect & Regenerate was a collaborative effort between Amicable Church, the Tiverton Public Library, and the Tiverton Farmers’ Market, both of which have expressed an interest in being partners for future events. We thank Deb Estrell of the Library and Meredith Brower of the Farmers’ Market for their support with this endeavor. Furthermore, we made important connections with local growers in our area, especially Kohei Ishihara at Movement Ground Farm.

 

Next, we offered the congregation and the community a hopeful outlook in the face of discouraging news about our environment. Additionally, the congregation and community received education about simple things individuals and groups can do locally to make a difference in helping regenerate the planet. Through the four weeks, participants were inspired to use their yards for action and their dinner tables to integrate what we eat and what we grow. The congregation also learned to explore how their sense of spiritual connection can be enhanced by a greater connection to the planet.

 

One delightful outcome of the program was the development of a Native Plant Pollinator Picnic Garden in Amicable’s own backyard. Sarah Martin, a registered dietary nutritionist, led the efforts by the Sunday School, Sarah’s Junior Girl Scout Troop 540, and members of the congregation to create this visible sign of Amicable’s commitment to reconnect and regenerate our community’s ecosystem.

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SPONSORS:

Amicable Congregational Church, UCC

The Tiverton Public Library

The Tiverton Farmer’s Market

Movement Ground Farm