News Archives » Laudato Si
Breathing Life into Pollinator Garden @ La Vista July 25th, 2022
Master Gardener and Master Naturalist Susan Murray plus nine volunteers are in the process of renewing the La Vista Ecological Center Pollinator Garden begun in 2014. The monarda, a native plant that provides nectar for many bees, butterflies, birds, wasps, and other pollinators, is in full bloom. Our plan is to introduce more diversity so that, when the monarda has peaked, other natives will continue serving pollinators throughout the season as well as adding color and interest. This will happen over a period of years.
(Photo courtesy of MrGajowy3, Pixabay)
When some of the plants complete their blooming cycle, they die, making the garden less than attractive. However, we leave those plants because their seeds continue to serve other pollinators. In the winter they provide valuable habitat for species that overwinter here. Rather than clean them up so the garden has a tidy appearance, it is important to continue to provide for native animals.
(Animation courtesy of Matt Wasser, Lottie Files)
This garden was created in response to the disappearing monarch butterfly. It, along with many other pollinators, are endangered by use of pesticides and reduction in habitat. It is also a way to give flesh to the Missionary Oblates Land Ethic statement and the Pope’s encyclical Laudato Si.
Our brochure explains the pollinator garden and includes quotes from both documents. The garden is also an educational tool, modeling a way to create this kind of garden and encouraging others to replicate it in the back yards, on a smaller scale.
Download this brochure to learn more about Lavista’s Pollinator Garden.
Our 2021 Summer JPIC Report is Now Available! August 18th, 2021
Oblates & Partners embrace the call of Laudato Sí
In this newsletter we share some of the creative and inspiring work of Oblates and partners embracing the call of Laudato Sí. Also, updates on JPIC activities and the policy and advocacy work we undertake with corporations and governments.
Do you have any interesting initiatives going on in your communities? Reach out to us at this email address: jpic@omiusa.org.
A PDF version of the newsletter can be downloaded here.
Past issues can be found in the Resources section of the website.
JPIC Report is the twice-yearly newsletter of the US Oblate JPIC Office. It is an informational resource about and for Oblates and others involved in the work of promoting justice, peace and the integrity of creation.
2021 Eco-living Tips August 6th, 2021
Small changes go a long way in the quest to live more sustainably. You can start with a handful of changes in your everyday life. To help you on this journey, we have created two brochures: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. and Choosing Earth-Friendly Products. The brochures are packed with manageable tips to act on and guidance for adding environmentally friendly products to your daily life.
Our new brochures are available in English and Spanish and can be downloaded below.
Download the brochures in English & Spanish
Download for printing:
- 2021 Reduce Reuse Recycle (English) – DOWNLOAD
- 2021 Reduce Reuse Recycle (Spanish) – DOWNLOAD
- 2021 Eco -friendly Tips (English) – DOWNLOAD
- 2021 Eco -friendly Tips (Spanish) – DOWNLOAD
Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI Weighs in on Climate Crisis & Wall Street March 19th, 2021
Reading the writing on the wall’: why Wall Street is acting on the climate crisis
“They are getting pushed by the customer, by the science, by the general public.” — Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI
Wildfires burned nearly 10.4m acres across the US last year. The most costly thunderstorm in US history caused $7.5bn in damage across Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. As the climate crisis swept the globe on a biblical scale it left in its wake a record number of billion-dollar disasters.
And yet out of these ashes has emerged an unlikely savior: Wall Street. After decades of backing polluters and opposing legislation to rein them in, finance says it’s going green.
OMI Webinar No 3: “Emerging from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guidance from Laudato Si” January 21st, 2021
Input talk by – Joe Gunn – Executive Director Centre Oblat – A Voice for Justice
With a video presentation about “Project GRACE” at the Oblate parish of Our Lady of Grace in the Philippines.
Registration link: bit.ly/3hn0aPm
Date and Time – January 23, 2021
10:30 AM – EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
7:30 AM – PACIFIC STANDARD TIME (PST)
4:30 PM – CENTRAL EUROPEAN TIME (CEST)
9:00 PM – INDIA / SRI LANKA
11:30 PM – THE PHILIPPINES
