Merry
Lea offers hands-on environmental conference Oct. 1-3;
‘Regenerative
Communities’ considers sustainability and Scripture
WOLF
LAKE, Ind. – The statistics concerning the impact of various elements on the
environment can be overwhelming – leaving those who love the natural world in
state of despair. But there is hope.
Merry
Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College invites all with a passion
for creation care to its third annual “Where Earth and People Meet Conference”
on Oct. 1-3 at Merry Lea, near Wolf Lake, Ind. At this faith-based gathering,
participants will have the opportunity to experience the lessons of hope and
revitalization that the earth offers. The weekend includes hands-on learning
outdoors, discussion and worship. The 2004 theme is “Regenerative Communities”
and will focus on the intricate relationships that sustain a forest.
During the
fieldwork segments of this conference, participants will explore the
intricacies of a forest. Forests are far more than just an assemblage of trees.
They include a host of species which live together and interact with each other
in important ways. These interconnections can teach much about conservation of
the earth’s resources. The relationships and regeneration in forest systems
will also provide a model for regenerative relationships within human
communities. Concepts such as diversity, sustainability and restoration apply
to both small and large-scale environmental challenges. Activities
during the conference will include night and morning hikes, campfire and
vespers, field-based experiences, worship and time for reflection. Throughout
the conference, participants will reflect on the learnings from the field,
consider the teachings of Scripture and interact with others. The
conference will take place at Merry Lea’s Farmstead. The Merry Lea staff will
lead the workshops. The cost of the conference is $60, which includes meals
from Friday evening through Sunday noon. For more information or to register,
call (260) 799-5869 or e-mail jenniferhs@goshen.edu. The
conference is sponsored by Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen
College and Mennonite Central Committee Great Lakes. Merry
Lea, 300 S. 500 W. in Noble County south of Wolf Lake, is a natural sanctuary
for northern Indiana's plants and animals, provides environmental education for
people of all ages and a setting to recreate opportunities that benefit the
human body and spirit without exploiting the land. Merry Lea, created with the
assistance of the Nature Conservancy and the generosity of Lee A. and Mary Jane
Rieth, is owned and operated by Goshen College. For more information, log on to
https://www.goshen.edu/merrylea or
call (260) 799-5869. Editors: For more information,
contact News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu. ###