Plant With Purpose

Ecosystems remind us that interconnectedness and collaboration are strengths. Different parts of an ecosystem working in tandem are key to the health of the environment, and similarly, those who wish to work towards ecosystem restoration must also work in partnership as well. We look forward to finding more and more opportunities to thrive through connection, from local partners on the ground to partners around the world who make their efforts effective.

This week is a rather significant week in our world’s response to various threats facing our ecosystems. On World Environment Day, which is June 5, the United Nations will formally launch the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration- which is a strategic focusing of efforts on the protection, restoration, and appreciation of the various ecosystems that make up our planet. This is also a significant opportunity for the church. Restoration and redemption are at the heart of the Gospel m...essage, and caring for the environment allows us to practice restoration in a way that also loves our neighbors around the world. But what does a Christian response to this moment look like? We hope you register for our webinar on June 8 in unpacking this question. Our conversation will feature: Rusty Prichard from Tearfund USA Sandra Richter, author of Stewards of Eden Scott Sabin from Plant With Purpose Rachel Lamb from Young Evangelicals for Climate Action This webinar event is completely free and can be accessed from anywhere in the world where you have internet access. The conversation will begin at 1:00 PM Pacific Time. Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us//register/WN_uzoqULJ5TvykFvdR0ETPXQ

"Ever since I was a child, church was very important. Now, in my role at my church, I help the children better understand reforestation. Plant With Purpose will work with anyone regardless of what they believe, but the Creation Stewardship Workshops help us understand the value of taking care of creation through our values." María Teresa, Mexico

People may not always think of farms as ecosystems, but many of the farms around our planet are. They not only supply us with food, but the soil beneath farms also holds vast amounts of carbon and provides some of the basic building blocks and nutrients for entire systems of life. We work with hundreds of rural farming families around the world to grow and cultivate food in a way that maintains the health of their land and surroundings.

Happy Haitian Flag Day! This national holiday for Haiti celebrates the country's independence and the liberation of former slaves through its history-making Revolution. You are continuing to strengthen the people of Haiti through thriving ecosystems, healthy farms, and vibrant communities. Haiti still faces many challenges, but we are happy to have partnerships throughout the country.

Every product has a beginning and an end, and we should think more consciously about where our goods come from and what happens to them when our time with them is done. It can be discouraging to learn some things, like how recycling isn’t all it promises to be, or how biodegradable packaging isn’t a perfect solution. But learning the complexities of our solutions is what enables us to continually improve the way we do things. We can also learn from the traditional wisdom of o...ur partners around the world to diversify the way we think of sustainability. Doing so allows us to focus less on looking for one-size-fits-all, silver bullet solutions. Instead, we can be encouraged to think critically about our decisions and behaviors and to consider the purpose of living sustainably in the first place. Image: Members of the Plant With Purpose team participating in a beach clean-up day on San Diego's Fiesta Island in 2018.

This rich infographic from our friends at @faiths4forests highlights why our shared mission of reforestation is so critical when it comes to both preventing and reversing climate change.

Recent financial crises have created confusion and uncertainty across Haiti. Episodes of violence are on the rise. In spite of this, our local team continues undeterred in an effort to serve our partnering communities. Three new communities in the Fonds-Verrettes area have recently joined our program. The community of Magwo Chwal is a key producer of vegetables in the area, which has recently faced the problem of pests. Community members are thoroughly convinced that chemical pesticides are not a sustainable solution. Thanks to our partners’ training, many have ended the practice of buying overpriced chemical pesticides from Port au Prince and have instead begun creating their own natural interventions.

Rural communities have wisdom, traditions, and networks that we can all learn from. As our world faced unparalleled disruptions this year, our rural and remote communities withstood each challenge better than most people would've imagined. They've been a living example of resilience, self-sufficiency, a harmonious relationship with Creation, and solidarity. Our programs are designed specifically for rural communities- not just as a way to make up for the things that they lack, but to enhance and support their unique strengths.

What was the Word of the Year for 2020? Merriam Webster went with "pandemic" while Collins Dictionary went with "lockdown." Ariana Huffington argues that the Word of the Year should be "resilience." "Though the science unpacking the psychological and neural mechanisms of resilience may be recent, in many ways, it’s confirming a concept that’s been at the heart of spiritual and philosophical traditions for millennia. In the Bible, we’re told that 'God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love', she writes. We've seen an inspiring amount of resilience flowing from our communities over the past year, and we know it will continue to be important in the year ahead. Thank you for contributing to building resilience one village at a time.