A Rocha Manitoba

Do you have a favourite tree? We have lots!
Whether they're inspiring art, science, or play, we're pretty fond of trees. Cheers to our arboreal friends on this National Tree Day! 🌳🌲

Photo dump from last weekend's Boggy River Survey! Thank you so much to all the incredible volunteers who showed up to jump in the river and take measurements, and identify invertebrates. We had an absolute blast learning together last weekend!

The Boreal Ecology Centre is buzzing with activities in these last days of summer! The roof has been put on the new lab and workshop, and work has been started on the large screen room. We're also prepping for the annual Boggy River Survey happening this coming weekend. We can't wait until all these scientists in training can use the new science lab!

Seika, one of our WildRoots summer workers in Manitoba, spent the summer in the garden and found herself "completely entranced with all the tiny moments of growth or change in the plants".

Read her reflection, Finding Embodiment in the Garden, on our blog ➡️ arocha.ca/finding-embodiment-in-the-garden-a-wildroots-summer-worker-reflection/

On this we share this year's prayer on the theme of Living Water. Join us in praying for the waters in this world and all those who depend on them for nourishment.

"Holy God, whose Spirit hovered over the waters at the beginning, we gather as part of your community of all creation, thirsty for your grace. We give thanks for the gift of water, the veins of our common home, that sustains the cedar and the whale, the pasture and the city. We are grateful for the local waters that nourish our homelands and our fellow creatures. We give thanks that in your well-watered garden, every drop is a sacred testament to your love.
Yet, we confess that we have treated this gift as a mere commodity. We have choked the seas with our waste and watched the warming tides rise in judgment. We lament the cracked earth of the drought-stricken and the salty tears of the climate refugee. Melt our frozen hearts, O God, and let the waters of repentance flow.
Lord of all Life, you promised that wherever the river flows, everything shall live. Stir in us a calling to care for the waters — to protect the watershed, defend the rights of water, and honor the dignity of the thirsty. May your Word be a spring within us, gushing forth for the healing of the nations.
May God our Father who brought water from the rock sustain us in the desert. May Christ our Lord who is Living Water refresh us for the work of restoration. And may the Holy Spirit carry us on currents of grace until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amen."

Thanks to a very generous donor, we now have a bunch of new wildlife cameras at the Boreal Ecology Centre! We have been delighted to see who has shown up in the forest. We've seen plenty of squirrels, quite a few rabbits, a black bear, and even a cousin of Jimothy the Racoon! Swipe to the end to see a video of our racoon friend.

We can hardly believe that summer is already coming to an end! We had a fantastic summer of day camps with tons of opportunity to explore creation, make friends, try new foods, and make art together.

Here's what one parent said about their children's experience, "[Our child] was able to slow down enough to look and notice small things like insects! A big deal for a fast paced kid like him. [Our other child] was excited to tell everyone that a Daddy long legs is not a spider."

We can't wait to see you all again next year!

Looking to get your hands dirty and your feet wet doing some conservation science fieldwork? Join our conservation team for the annual Boggy River Survey on Sept 11-12! Food is provided and we can help with rides out to the Boreal Ecology Centre if needed. Send us a message if you're interested!

Today is one of wonderful summer staff's last day! We've so appreciated having Michelle's positive attitude on our team this summer to help with our conservation science, urban agriculture, and environmental education programs. Michelle notes that her time with A Rocha helped her to integrate some missing pieces in her life. She says she realized that "Biology and sciences go hand in hand with faith. A lot of times they are disconnected." We wish her all the best as she heads home to New Brunswick!