Workshop 5: Trees: From Peril to Progress

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Circle of Trees

In This Section

Introduction
From Circle of Trees

I think that I shall never see A billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I’ll never see a tree at all. — Ogden Nash, American poet, “Song of the Open Road” (1933) This workshop briefly addresses the peril of global climate change with a focus on the progress that can be…
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From Circle of Trees

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering Opening 5 Activity 1: Rise Up for Trees / Team Up for Trees 5 Activity 2: Guided Imagery — Among the Trees 5 Activity 3: Story — Visual Essay 15 Activity 4: What Can One Person Do? 25 Faith in Action: Choosing a Project 60 Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1:…
Spiritual Preparation
From Circle of Trees

Find a place where you can be quiet with your thoughts. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for several minutes, perhaps repeating a word or phrase to separate yourself from the activities of the day. When you feel settled and relaxed, ask yourself: What can I do to support and protect trees? What…
Welcoming and Entering
From Circle of Trees

Materials for Activity Cloth for altar or centering table Leaf name tags from the previous workshop, plus a few blank extras, and markers Basket for name tags Preparation for Activity Place the cloth and chalice on the altar or centering table. Set the name tags in the basket with a marker nearby.
Opening
From Circle of Trees

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED/battery-operated candle Newsprint, markers, and tape Chalice lighting words and “Our Covenant” from the previous workshop Preparation for Activity Select an area where the group can comfortably sit in a circle….
Activity 1: Rise Up for Trees / Team Up for Trees
From Circle of Trees

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Workshop 1, Leader Resource 1, Rise Up for Trees / Team Up for Trees Preparation for Activity Choose one version of the ice-breaker (Rise Up or Team Up) to use for this workshop. Description of Activity Once you’ve introduced both versions of this…
Activity 2: Guided Imagery - Among the Trees
From Circle of Trees

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Workshop 1, Leader Resource 2, Guided Imagery — Among the Trees Preparation for Activity Practice reading the guided imagery so that you will be comfortable leading it. Description of Activity Invite participants to make themselves comfortable and…
Activity 3: Story - Visual Essay
From Circle of Trees

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Story, “Visual Essay” A computer and a digital projector Optional: Printed copy of the visual essay Optional: 15-foot length of rope Optional: Clips, clothespins, or tape Preparation for Activity Read the visual essay, so you will be comfortable…
Activity 4: What Can One Person Do
From Circle of Trees

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Unlined paper and markers, pens, or pencils Optional: Computer with Internet access Optional: Handout 1, Climate Change Action Plan Preparation for Activity Post blank newsprint. Set paper and markers on work tables. On…
Closing
From Circle of Trees

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Taking It Home Basket for name tags Preparation for Activity Download the Taking It Home section of this workshop to reflect the activities this group has done. Copy it as a handout for all participants. (You may wish to…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Circle of Trees

Meet with your co-leader after the workshop to reflect on the following: How was the mix of discussion and action? In the midst of the busy-ness, did you successfully include spiritual elements? How well did the activities include everyone? Were the activities appropriate for the ages of your…
Faith In Action: Choosing a Project
From Circle of Trees

Activity time: 60 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Colored dot stickers or other stickers Workshop 1, Handout 1, Tree-Related Project Ideas Preparation for Activity Research local tree groups, for example: Trees Atlanta, dedicated to protecting Atlanta’s urban forest…
Alternate Activity 1: Song - What Can We Do
From Circle of Trees

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Handout 2, Song — What Can We Do Optional: Let Your Heart Sing: joyous songs for UU congregational singing, produced by Joyce Poley and Frank Henning, 1991….
Alternate Activity 2: Hummingbird Video
From Circle of Trees

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Computer with Internet access Preparation for Activity Preview the two-minute video of Green Belt movement founder and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Wangari Maathai telling a story about a hummingbird….
Taking It Home: Trees: From Peril to Progress
From Circle of Trees

I think that I shall never see A billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I’ll never see a tree at all. —Ogden Nash, American poet, “Song of the Open Road” (1933) IN TODAY’S WORKSHOP … we viewed a visual essay by Franke James called “What Can One Person Do?” We…
Visual Essay
From Circle of Trees

“What Can One Person Do When 6.8 Billion Are Frying the Planet?” by Franke James. Posted December 28, 2010 on the YES! Magazine website. YES! Magazine encourages you to make free use of this article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Printing This Handout Download a…
Handout 1: Climate Change Action Plan
From Circle of Trees

What Is a Climate Change Action Plan? A local climate change action plan lays out specific policy proposals or planning processes, including institutional and policy structures, that a local government will use to develop and implement a climate change mitigation strategy. A climate action plan…
Handout 2: Song - What Can We Do
From Circle of Trees

“What Can We Do” by Joyce Poley from the Let Your Heart Sing CD and songbook. Used with permission. Part 1: What can we do to make the world a better place? What can we do to make it better? What can we do? Oh what can we do? What can we do to make it better?…
Find Out More
From Circle of Trees

View more visual essays at Franke James’s website. Visit 350.orgUU Ministry for Earth and the UUA Green Sanctuary Program.