Green Sanctuary

 

What is the Green Sanctuary program?

Below is an excerpt from the webpage of the Seventh Principle Project which explains the program. The entire article is available on the Unitarian Universalist Association website.

Green Sanctuary asks a church to engage in 17 actions over a candidacy year, organized into six areas of church life:

  • Energy Conservation and Environmental Practices
  • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  • Church Communication
  • Religious Education
  • Worship
  • Environmental Justice

To obtain recognition as a Green Sanctuary, a church must follow through on five steps, outlined on the Program Overview, and submit an application for accreditation at the end of the church year.

A church that undertakes to become a Green Sanctuary examines every area of church life--outreach, social concerns, religious education, buildings and grounds, social events, church communication, and church administration--to see that its activities reflect respect for the interdependent web. It's walking the talk in a big way, and it gives the church a real sense of following through on its commitments in tangible, outwardly visible ways."

In 2007 this congregation examined its environmental practices and completed an application for Green Sanctuary Candidacy. That application and the evaluation are available as a downloadable pdf file here.

Since then, members of the congregation have been working on the Action Plan that was developed from what the evaluation showed us. To see the latest status report, click here.

The Green Sanctuary Committee usually meets the first Sunday of each month in the OUUC building at 11:30 a.m. If you would like to get involved in any of these projects, please come to a meeting or contact Leslie Romer, Committee chair (lesliehr@aol.com). A variety of skills and interests are needed, and your long or short-term involvement is welcomed.

What has the Green Sanctuary Committee accomplished?

In Transportation:
In 2003, eight families donated thirteen bicycles to a fundraising “Bike Exchange.” We raised $255 to fund bike racks and other environmentally friendly transportation improvements. The unsold bikes were donated to the Out of the Woods Program, for their clients’ use.

We then purchased and installed our elegant bike rack (with the strong support of both Buildings and Grounds and the Aesthetics Committees) and installing two new ramps in the parking row on the south side of the building. Buildings and grounds then contributed a roof over our bike rack, providing shelter for our pedaled transports. The parking lot ramps are intended to improve access to the church for anyone needing a ramp. Signs reserving spaces for people with limited mobility and visitors have been added more recently.

In 2008, a carpool system was devised to let all OUUC households know who their “OUUC neighbors” are, to facilitate ridesharing. The addresses of all households in the congregational directory have been mapped, and coded. Each household was sent an e-mail or postcard giving them the names and phone numbers of the four households nearest to theirs. This information will be updated every six months, to keep the opportunity to carpool in their awareness.

Additionally, a carpool matrix was developed for the residents of Panorama City, a retirement community in nearby Lacey. Drivers and back-up drivers are available for residents attending both Sunday services. Congregants who live nearby Panorama City who are available to drive to evening OUUC events have also been identified for Panorama residents.

In Waste Management:

  • There are waste and paper recycling receptacles in each room of the church building.
  • There are garbage and mixed recycling receptacles in the church kitchen.
  • There is a food waste receptacle in the kitchen that feeds a worm bin that is serviced frequently by congregation members.
  • There is a brochure in the foyer explaining waste management practices at OUUC.
  • Recycled paper is used in the church office.

In Global Warming:

  • The OUUC Green Sanctuary Committee presented a four month program on Global Warming for the congregation and the community in 2005.
  • At its Earth Day Service, 2005, the committee introduced “The Story of Carbon Man” (download pdf) and “A Global Warming Responsive Reading” (download pdf).
  • The Committee joined with other faith local communities to present a public forum on the topic in 2006.
  • In March 2009, the OUUC Board of Trustees became a partner in the Cool Thurston Campaign (coolthurstoncampaign.ning.com) , with the Green Sanctuary Committee taking contact responsibilities.

In Controlling Invasive Species:
The Green Sanctuary committee sponsors several “Ivy pulling Parties” per year. When we started early in the 21st century, the OUUC properties featured many trees festooned with English ivy, occasional Scotch broom, and many holly seedlings as well as a few holly trees.

The holly and Scotch broom have been totally removed and the ivy has been removed from all trees. There is still a lot of ivy on the floor of our forest, and it reaches for the trees each year. Where we have removed ivy, we have been rewarded with the appearance of trillium, yellow violets, may lilies and other native wildflowers in the spring.

In 2008, Japanese knotweed appeared on the northern border of the OUUC properties. While the City of Olympia has adopted an aggressive program of knotweed removal, this land is in the jurisdiction of Thurston County and the knotweed patch is mostly on the neighboring property. The removal of this noxious weed should be addressed, but is not a high priority for the committee at this time.