Raising Awareness and Encouraging Action: Details About the Youth Litter Clean-Up Event in Montreal on Earth Day

To encourage good stewardship of the natural world and consistent with our mandate, the Stewardship of the Environment Committee of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal is organizing a Youth Litter Clean-Up Event. This event will take place on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 2017, between 10 AM and 12 PM.

We will be meeting at 10 AM on Mount Royal at the Chalet (lookout), 1196, Camillien-Houde, Montreal.  Look for the Stewardship of the Environment sign.

The first 25 children will receive a loot bag that will contain an environmentally themed children's book, seeds, and among other things easy to follow instructions on composting, recycling and making environmentally safe cleaning products. 

* All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

While the activity associated with this event is trash collection, the underlying goal is to raise awareness about the importance of cleaning up our environment and climate action.

This event is focused on children because they care about the Earth and they are also the ones that will have to spearhead change. This fun event is both hopeful and informative. Children are already playing a pivotal role. In a very small and symbolic way, we hope to give kids an opportunity to act with the intent of helping to make good stewardship a habit.

If nothing else, we are inviting kids to engage nature and the research shows that there are a number of health benefits associated with simply going to a park. Studies show a wealth of physical and psychological health attributes associated with exposure to nature. Getting out in nature gives kids the opportunity to reap the health benefits, exercise and simply learn to appreciate the natural world. There is also reason to believe that teaching kids in nature may be our best hope of galvanizing support for environmental action.

All around the world, faith communities are becoming increasingly active on the eco-front. We have seen real leadership from the Catholic and Episcopal churches. As Anglicans, our efforts are informed by and consistent with the Fifth Mark of Mission, which is part of our baptismal covenant: "To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew life on Earth".

For directions click here or to confirm your interest click here or contact Richard at stewardshipoftheenvironment@outlook.com