May 15, 2022 Our Whole Lives Celebration

 

For five Sundays this spring, nearly twenty 4th-6th graders gathered to participate in the Our Whole Lives sexuality education program.  The topics they explored are: Sexuality and Values, Images in Popular Culture, Body Image, Changes of Puberty, Gender, Feelings and Attractions, Reproduction and Staying Healthy, Decisions and Actions, Consent and Peer Pressure, and Health Relationships. 

Many thanks to all the youth and their parents who made the commitment to these five sessions! SPECIAL THANKS to our talented volunteer facilitators, Peter Watt and Mara Iverson (below). 

After all that learning, time to CELEBRATE. Check out the amazing OWL cupcakes made by one of the kids and her mom. Word on the street was that they tasted as good as they looked too!

Certificates for each youth, and a gift certificate for a free creemee at the Meadow Mart.  Kids and parents made a gift basket to thank each facilitator.  And then the kids rang the church bell in celebration!  This group was a lot of fun and awesome to get into discussions. We hope we have future OWLs and youth group fun with them again soon! 

May 7, 2022 ~ All Ages Green Up Day

 

A dozen of us -- the Dirty Dozen we decided -- cared for Mother Earth in celebration of spring and community and beauty! We gathered first at the church yard, then along the east end of the bike path. Finding very little trash there (hallelujah!) we migrated to the Park n' Ride off Dog River Rd. There was enough trash there to keep us busy for close to an hour, at which point our pizza at Positive Pi was ready to be picked up. Liza had made fresh brownies that morning, too!  Don't worry, we washed our hands VERY well at the church before digging in to our food for celebration.  Our ages spanned many decades and we had just a blast together, making new friends and renewing connections with longtime friends too!  Strangest finds: gold good luck coin, plunger, TV set. 

Above: Started along the Winooski, on Country Club Rd. After not finding much trash -- a lovely problem to have -- we went to the I89 Park n' Ride off Dog River Rd. 

Above: Before.

Below: After. 

Below: Party time back at the church.  Time to celebrate with food and fellowship!

April 30, 2022 ~ All Ages Tree Planting at the North Branch Nature Center

 

Many thanks to Friends of the Winooski River and the North Branch Nature Center for helping organize a tree planting!  UCMers of all ages were happy to bring some people power to help care for the Earth, our home (part of our UCM mission statement, as well as our 7th principle). 

We planted about 200 native trees!  They will need some care over the summer and depend on volunteer help. Kerry Brosnan, Americorps volunteer at the Nature Center, says: 

In order to give these trees the best chance of survival, they will need to be cared for throughout the summer. I will need plenty of help removing invasive species, pulling up weeds around the new saplings, and watering newly planted trees across NBNC. If you are interested in helping out please send an email to me at kerry@northbranchnaturecenter.org. Below is a list of volunteer times we currently have planned.

• Tree planting this Thursday May 5th, 1 - 4 pm
• Monday and Thursday mornings from 10 am - 12 pm
• Monthly Tuesday evening and Sunday morning volunteer hours
• Tuesday May 17, 5 - 7 pm
• Sunday May 22, 10 am - 12 pm

Reach out to Kerry here. 

 

April 10, 2022 ~ Planting Pansies in the Peace Park

 

We had a stalwart and lovely crew brave the cool, damp afternoon to plant pansies in the Montpelier Peace Park. We sent prayers for peace around the world, added beauty to the park, snacked on maple popcorn, made with some of the syrup sugared off by the middle school youth just a couple of weeks earlier!  We sang a song about peace and then on the way back along the bike path had several young people eager to get a jump start on Green Up Day along the bike path.  All and all, a really nice gathering!  Thank you to all the helping hands!