Meditation for Earth is held every Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. ET.
In-person in the Sanctuary at Rumson Presbyterian Church 4 East River Rd. Rumson, NJ
Join our virtual meditation on our YouTube channel HERE
Waterspirit’s Blair Nelsen will moderate this webinar entitled 'Voices from the Amazon' – A Catholic Call to Defend the Rainforest, Empower Indigenous and Women’s Leadership, and Take Action.
The Amazon is the "lungs of our planet." Right now, our lungs are struggling to breathe—massive fires are burning, the river is at its lowest point, and violence against the Indigenous peoples, the forest’s most steadfast caretakers, is escalating. This moment calls for a deep spiritual conversion and commitment to action.
Sr. Laura Vicuna embodies this call. An Indigenous Franciscan nun and Vice President of CEAMA (Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon), Sr. Laura is at the forefront of one of the Catholic Church's most innovative and synodal efforts.
Come join us for a special opportunity to hear directly from Sr. Laura and Mauricio Lopez, Director of the Pan-Amazonian University Network (PUAM), as they share urgent insights from the Amazon and inspire us to take meaningful action.
If you are a representative of a Catholic organization who wants to support this work, please sign onto this letter before December 3.
Do you value hand-made gifts? We do. That's why we are encouraging our friends to join us for this very special workshop. Our volunteers are talented people. They will guide you through the process of hand-crafting one of a kind gifts for your loved ones. In these two hours, you can leave with at least 5 handmade gifts. Crafts planned include: Aromatherapy Heat Packs Hand-dipped Candles Aromatherapy Bath Salts Painted Rocks Pinecone Flowers and more.
*Wow. That's a lot of gifts. We suggest you bring a small box or bag to carry your gifts home. $25 per person
**We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please email water@waterspirit.org or call 732-923-9788 .
***Waterspirit strives to make our events inclusive. If $25 is a hardship for you, please email water@waterspirit.org or call 732-923-9788 .
Join our online book club on Nov 25 when we discuss the book The Great Work by Thomas Berry.
On the day when most Americans are heading to the mall, we are heading to the beach and we want you to join us.
We begin by exploring the maritime forest. We share a few mindfulness practices and learn more about this unique habitat. At the end of the walk we exit the forest and walk onto the sandy beach. We will enjoy a small water ceremony before returning to the parking area.
The BTS Center, in partnership with The Many, invite you to Lament with Earth — five seasonal events which will include original music, poetry, rituals, images, scripture and videos to reflect different seasons of loss through the Christian liturgical year. These events are free and interactive, inviting you to pray and sing along and to bring your own sense of loss and sadness into this communal space.
This session will be co-hosted by Radical Joy for Hard Times. Waterspirit is a sponsor of this event series and will co-host the April session.
Waterspirit’s Winter Solstice Celebration
Celebrate the Winter Solstice with Waterspirit and friends as we commemorate the deeper meaning of the winter season with reflections, contemplation, music, and movement. Join Waterspirit and friends as we commemorate the deeper meaning of the winter season with reflections, contemplation, music, and movement. The winter solstice is the longest night, when we are tipped as far away from the sun as we will get this year. The official start to the cold winter season is marked by the sun seeming to stand still in the sky. We huddle up against the cold and seek the comfort of our hearth fires and heart-fires. Celebrate this longest night as we welcome the return of the longer days. Great Mother Earth, bless us with true understanding of the cycles of your seasons!
This event will be held in-person at our headquarters in Rumson. It will also be livestreamed to our YouTube channel. We are looking forward to welcoming winter with you!
*We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please email water@waterspirit.org or call 732-923-9788
REGISTER for this informational meeting that will outline what this 10-week support group entails, explain the course’s suggested donation, and answer any questions you might have prior to committing. The group will meet on Zoom from 2/20-5/1 at 7-9 p.m. ET.
Climate change, super storms, rising sea levels, large-scale pollution—do these problems seem large, looming, intractable? If you’re feeling vulnerable, dis-empowered, or burnt-out, you’re not alone: eco-anxiety, climate grief, and other climate feelings are shared by many people who are paying attention to the climate crisis. Addressing these heavy feelings in community can be a way of generating the personal resilience needed to cope with an uncertain future.
Waterspirit hosts eco-anxiety peer support groups using the Good Grief Network’s “10 Steps to Personal Resilience and Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate” method. Please join us for this informational session that will introduce the group's methodology, giving you an opportunity to meet the facilitators and ask any questions prior to committing to the 10 weeks. After this informational session, Waterspirit's Spring 2025 group will run from 2/20 to 5/1 from 7-9 p.m. ET.
The Good Grief Network offers multi-modal techniques that help facilitate the metabolizing of heavy feelings that can distract us from our work in the world. This methodology provides the missing piece that helps prevent activism fatigue and burn out. These tools are necessary for those of us looking to sustain ourselves for the long haul. More information about the Good Grief Network is available at: https://www.goodgriefnetwork.org/10-steps/
Please save the date for Waterspirit’s annual gala, Joys of the Sea.
Please click here to learn how to sponsor this beautiful event.
Does election day have you feeling stressed? VOTE! Then, join Waterspirit and Yoga Instructor, Angel Tener, for Gentle New Moon Flow Yoga. Both beginner and experienced participants will enjoy this class as we develop energy and balance. Flow through poses to promote strength, flexibility, and body awareness. Become empowered as Angel guides us through breathing and mindful movements.
We encourage you to wear your “I Voted” sticker.
No experience necessary. We are all here to learn from one another. Whether you are new to yoga or advanced, join us for an evening building connections and sharing the fun.
*Participants are encouraged to bring a yoga mat, knee cushions, yoga blocks and blankets for positioning aides.
Waterspirit’s Blair Nelsen will host this in person event during the biodiversity COP (COP16) in Cali, Colombia.
This Blue Zone Faith Pavilion event will be held at 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, October 24. It will coincide with the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties 16, to be held from 21 October-1 November 2024 in Cali, Colombia. This in-person panel will highlight the challenges in protecting biodiversity and the human right to equitable access to water. Particular attention will be paid to the role that extractive industries like mining pose toward meeting the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Mining’s threats to water and biodiversity touch on a number of cross-cutting issues, including but not limited to: health, migration, gender, Indigenous rights, education, and climate change.
The BTS Center, in partnership with The Many, invite you to Lament with Earth — five seasonal events which will include original music, poetry, rituals, images, scripture and videos to reflect different seasons of loss through the Christian liturgical year. These events are free and interactive, inviting you to pray and sing along and to bring your own sense of loss and sadness into this communal space.
This session will be co-hosted by Creation Care Alliance. Waterspirit is a sponsor of this event series and will co-host the April session.
Please join us at the Monmouth County Faith & Ecology Meetup! This is an informal, interfaith gathering for people of faith working on environmental issues in our county. Let's meet each other and learn what we are working on in our faith communities! What issues are inspiring us? What challenges are we facing? Let's grow and learn together at this fun networking event. Refreshments will be provided.
Come visit our exhibit at Earth Care Day! This is EarthShare NJ’s free festival filled with fun activities and experiences to learn more about nature. From crafts and games to forest explorations and a costume parade, there is fun for the whole family. We can’t wait to see you on October 13 at Cheesequake State Park. Learn more at earthsharenj.org/earth-care-day/
Foraging, the ancient practice of gathering wild plants for sustenance and medicine, has been a part of human life for thousands of years. Join experienced naturalist Anne Price as she guides us through the Plainsboro Preserve in search of wild edibles. Participants will learn how to safely identify plants we can enjoy as well as plants we should avoid. We will sample as we explore and also collect some foods to prepare together. Foraging is more than just gathering food. It is a way to establish a deeper connection with the natural world. When we forage, we become more attuned to the cycles of nature and establish a deeper appreciation of this world. Ages 18+ $20 per person.
Take a meditative walk, led by experienced naturalist Anne Price. Each unique walk inspires mindful connections with the natural elements for a range of healthful benefits. Mindfulness practices and deepening our connection to nature can help reduce stress, reduce anxiety, and heighten our consciousness. Join us as we open our hearts and minds to the wonder and sacredness of the natural world. Ages: 18+ Cost: $10 per person.
Join Waterspirit and Yoga Instructor, Angel Tener, for Gentle New Moon Flow Yoga. Both beginner and experienced participants will enjoy this class as we develop energy and balance. Flow through poses to promote strength, flexibility, and body awareness. Become empowered as Angel guides us through breathing and mindful movements.
No experience necessary. We are all here to learn from one another. Whether you are new to yoga or advanced, join us for an evening building connections and sharing the fun.
*Participants are encouraged to bring a yoga mat, knee cushions, yoga blocks and blankets for positioning aides.
POSTPONED until spring 2025.
Waterspirit’s Autumn Equinox Celebration
Celebrate the "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" with Waterspirit! Join us for an evening of eco-spiritual prayer, contemplation, and music that explores the deeper meaning of autumn. Join Waterspirit as we welcome autumn. Intentionally connecting with the cycles of nature is an eco-spiritual practice that helps us regulate our inner lives and strengthen our connection with the planet. Friends of all ages will gather for this meaningful event celebrated with music, movement and contemplation. This long-standing, signature program is inclusive of all faith traditions, inviting attendees into deeper connection with the meaning of autumn. This event will be held in-person at our headquarters in Rumson. It will also be livestreamed to our YouTube channel. We are looking forward to welcoming autumn with you!
*We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please email water@waterspirit.org or call 732-923-9788
Join us on Thursday, Sept 19 at 3:30 pm as we monitor the beaches of Snug Harbor in Highlands, NJ for Microplastics. Plastic pollution continues to enter our coastal waters and the list of wild animals affected by plastic debris is growing to include not only sea turtles, whales and seabirds, but shellfish and planktonic fish. Participants will join Waterspirit’s program manager, Anne Price, as she collects samples from the beach near the Highlands Borough Community Center to be studied for microplastics. We will discuss what we are looking for, why we are monitoring, and what is done with the data. Registration required
Featuring panelists from Unitarian Universalist, Methodist, Muslim, and Indigenous traditions, this event will delve into how various faith perspectives align with environmental justice and the need for this critical amendment. Engage with our panel through a lively discussion and a Q&A session to understand the intersection of faith and ecological advocacy!
Spiritual care in this time of climate change — with so many social, emotional, and spiritual consequences resulting from such instability — is both deeply necessary and, in many ways, uncharted territory. Waterspirit’s partners at The BTS Center will engage the Climate Pastoral Care Course’s materials together as a learning community, guided by two hosts and facilitators, meeting twice each month to deepen our understanding of the physical, emotional, mental health, and spiritual impacts of the climate crisis, and to explore how to address these impacts through the practice of spiritual care. In this learning community, participants will explore a range of resources for addressing the climate crisis within their chosen vocations. Together we will navigate this landscape by drawing on already-established spiritual care skills and wisdom that we bring to this work as practitioners, and which can reassure us of our preparedness for the challenge. This group will meet online from October 2024-March 2025.
Join Waterspirit and For the Generations as Monroe Township Public Library hosts an afternoon viewing of "Here's the Story: The Green Amendment" followed by a discussion of "The Green Amendment: The People's Fight for a Clean, Safe, and Healthy Environment," with author and Delaware Riverkeeper, Maya van Rossum. Van Rossum is the founder of Green Amendments For the Generations, a grassroots non-profit inspiring constitutional recognition and protection of environmental rights in every state and ultimately at the federal level. This program will be held in person. **Registration is required**
Buy your tickets now for our first ever Art Supply Thrift Shop Fundraiser!
Stock up on art supplies to support a great cause. Find new treasures to spark your creativity at this "take what you'll use, pay what you can" event. At the Art Supply Thrift Shop, you can help us find good homes for unused or gently-used art supplies while keeping them out of the landfill. A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit Waterspirit's programs and advocacy.
This event is hosted in joyful collaboration with Propagate Studio.
Do you have art supplies to donate to the thrift? We will be collecting donations on Friday, September 6 from 12-6 p.m. Please review this site for a list of "yes, please" and "no, thank you" items before donating. We would also be delighted to take any reusable bags you no longer need off of your hands!
**We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please email water@waterspirit.org or call 732-923-9788.
REGISTER for this informational meeting that will outline what this 10-week support group entails, explain the course’s suggested donation, and answer any questions you might have prior to committing. The group will meet on Zoom from 9/11-11/13 at 7-9 p.m. ET.
Climate change, super storms, rising sea levels, large-scale pollution—do these problems seem large, looming, intractable? If you’re feeling vulnerable, dis-empowered, or burnt-out, you’re not alone: eco-anxiety, climate grief, and other climate feelings are shared by many people who are paying attention to the climate crisis. Addressing these heavy feelings in community can be a way of generating the personal resilience needed to cope with an uncertain future.
Waterspirit hosts eco-anxiety peer support groups using the Good Grief Network’s “10 Steps to Personal Resilience and Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate” method. Please join us for this informational session that will introduce the group's methodology, giving you an opportunity to meet the facilitators and ask any questions prior to committing to the 10 weeks. After this informational session, Waterspirit's Autumn 2024 group will run from 9/11-11/13 from 7-9 p.m. ET.
The Good Grief Network offers multi-modal techniques that help facilitate the metabolizing of heavy feelings that can distract us from our work in the world. This methodology provides the missing piece that helps prevent activism fatigue and burn out. These tools are necessary for those of us looking to sustain ourselves for the long haul. More information about the Good Grief Network is available at: https://www.goodgriefnetwork.org/10-steps/
Join Waterspirit and Yoga Instructor, Angel Tener, for Gentle New Moon Flow Yoga. Both beginner and experienced participants will enjoy this class as we develop energy and balance. Flow through poses to promote strength, flexibility, and body awareness. Become empowered as Angel guides us through breathing and mindful movements.
No experience necessary. We are all here to learn from one another. Whether you are new to yoga or advanced, join us for an evening building connections and sharing the fun.
*Participants are encouraged to bring a yoga mat, knee cushions, yoga blocks and blankets for positioning aides.
Join Waterspirit’s Book Club for our Aug 26 meeting as we discuss the book The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger.
During this meeting, our group will discuss The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth, by Zoe Schlanger.
Award-winning writer, Zoë Schlanger delivers a groundbreaking work of popular science that probes the hidden world of the plant kingdom and reveals the astonishing capabilities of the green life all around us.
The Light Eaters is a deep immersion into the drama of green life and the complexity of this wild and awe-inspiring world that challenges our very understanding of agency, consciousness, and intelligence.
“A masterpiece of science writing.” –Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass
“Mesmerizing, world-expanding, and achingly beautiful.” –Ed Yong, author of An Immense World
“Rich, vital, and full of surprises. Read it!” –Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Under a White Sky and The Sixth Extinction
“A brilliant must-read. This book shook and changed me.” –David George Haskell, author of Sounds Wild and Broken, The Songs of Trees, and The Forest Unseen
How do frogs swallow? Why do maple leaves turn orange in the fall? What are turtle shells made of? Animals and Plants have evolved to survive great challenges from finding food to avoiding predators and so much more. Let's explore these Amazing Adaptations together. Then we will investigate the different ecosystems around the Plainsboro Preserve and find more signs of adaptations in the natural world all around us. The fun and learning continues after our explorations through games, arts and crafts.
Aug 19-23 Ages 6-11 Cost: $250 per child
Due to possible severe storms this event has been canceled. The safety of our wonderful volunteers is always our number one priority. Thank you for your continued support.
Waterspirit is asking you to help us protect the sacred water. Join us for an evening of action and inspiration as we remove litter from the beach at Sandy Hook. Together we can make a difference.
Join Waterspirit as we work together to clean the beach and protect sacred waters at Sandy Hook National Recreation Area.
After a day of work or a day of fun, it feels good to work together to make a difference. Together we will do our best to remove the trash from Horseshoe Cove at Sandy Hook. We will meet in parking area L at 5 pm where you can sign in and meet other Water Protectors before we get started.
Please read the important notes regarding this event:
Wear clothes that can get dirty. Dress for the weather. Wear layers. Please wear boots or old shoes that can get muddy. We need lots of people to help remove lots of trash.
Please provide your own sunscreen and insect repellent as you see fit.
*All participants will be required to sign a waiver for the National Park Service.
**This event will NOT take place in adverse weather. Please check emails before leaving home.
***If you enter the park after 4:30 pm, solely for the purpose of this clean-up, mention our event to the guard to access the parking area L for free. If you come earlier to enjoy the beach or intend to park anywhere other than parking area L you will be required to pay a $20 parking fee as you enter.
The assemblywomen will talk about their background and their top environmental priorities in the legislature. Don't let this opportunity pass you by – reserve your spot for Thursday, August 1 today by registering for the webinar now!
This is an excellent opportunity to connect and engage in meaningful conversation about leadership and community development with these freshmen assembly members. They will discuss environmental leadership and key priorities during their first term. Come with feedback and questions!
Register today and bring a friend >>
Looking forward to spending time with you!
CLICK HERE to apply for the Fr. Edward J. Ciuba Scholarship! This scholarship is a one-time award that covers the full cost of tuition for the Climate Pastoral Care Course created by Blair Nelsen of Waterspirit (United States) and Jessica Morthorpe (Australia). This scholarship was created to honor the legacy of Fr. Edward J. Ciuba, a long-time Waterspirit board member and impassioned champion of caring for Creation. It is awarded to a prospective student who meets the eligibility requirements listed on the form (linked above). This scholarship is awarded once a year and announced in early September, at the start of the Season of Creation.
Please join us at the Monmouth County Faith & Ecology Meetup! This is an informal, interfaith gathering for people of faith working on environmental issues in our county. Let's meet each other and learn what we are working on in our faith communities! What issues are inspiring us? What challenges are we facing? Let's grow and learn together at this fun networking event. Refreshments will be provided.
NOTE: LOCATION CHANGE DUE TO POOR AIR QUALITY AND EXTREME HEAT- SEE BELOW
Join us as we remember the tragic rail car explosion of crude oil in Lac Mégantic, Quebec, and connect it to recent incidents closer to home. This event is a rally and press conference; if you know press, invite them to attend!
When: Monday, July 8, 2024, 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Where: Knights of Columbus 829 Windsor Rd in Teaneck, NJ 07726 off of Cedar Lane — Transportation: Bus routes and parking nearby
EVENT FLYER HERE (use the new location)
From the Paulsboro, NJ train derailment of toxic chemicals to the East Palestine, Ohio derailment of PVC materials, these incidents highlight the urgent need for action to protect sacred water and ensure safety for all, regardless of income.
REGISTER HERE for an online parallel event focused on Sustainable Development Goal: 13 Climate Action during the United Nations High Level Political Forum 2024. In response to SDG 13: Climate Action, this online event will raise awareness and educate about faith-based tools and responses to climate anxiety in youth. Participants will engage in conversation concerning climate change and climate anxiety, offering means for young people to cultivate resilience and hope in the face of this reality. This webinar will engage a diverse set of speakers from around the world on the topic of youth climate anxiety and responses of resilience and hope. Speakers include Waterspirit’s Executive Director, Blair Nelsen.
Join us for lunch and for our exclusive screening of "Common Ground”, the 2023 award-winning documentary which explores the far-reaching positive impacts of saving the soil. Hosted by Waterspirit and the Creation Care teams of St. Anselm and St. George Greek Orthodox Church. Screening rights provided by Interfaith Power and Light.
““A DEEP AND RICH HUMANIZATION OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE THAT INSPIRES AND EDUCATES.”
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Join Waterspirit for a week full of daytime adventures at the Plainsboro Preserve. During “Wet, Wild and Wonderful.” children will enjoy searching Devil’s Brook for aquatic life, watching frogs in the pond, and visiting a real beaver lodge. We will enjoy water games and some wet and wild craft activities too.
Click here to register children ages: 9-12 Dates: July 1-5 (closed 7/4) Fee: $200
Or
Click here to register children ages: 6-9 Dates: July 22-26 Fee: $250
Join the Poor People’s Campaign across the land as we plan for this Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly & Moral March on Washington, D.C. & to the Polls, and connect with NewJersey@PoorPeoplesCampaign.org for any questions. https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/mm2024/
Join us on Friday, June 21 at 1:30 pm as we monitor the beaches of Snug Harbor in Highlands, NJ for Microplastics. Plastic pollution continues to enter our coastal waters and the list of wild animals affected by plastic debris is growing to include not only sea turtles, whales and seabirds, but shellfish and planktonic fish. Participants will join Waterspirit’s program manager, Anne Price, as she collects samples from the beach near the Highlands Borough Community Center to be studied for microplastics. We will discuss what we are looking for, why we are monitoring, and what is done with the data. Registration required
Join Waterspirit’s Summer Solstice Celebration June 20, 2024 7:00 pm
Through music, movement & ritual, we honor the earth, sun & water working in harmony to bring us the gifts of summer. On this, the summer solstice, we celebrate the light, energy and warmth of the sun. The sun is on the ocean; the fire is on the water. The warmth and flow make life. The sun touches our skin and changes us, making the vitamins we need for health. We are structured water reaching for the sun. The sun helps the plants produce the food and oxygen we need to live. We pray with gratitude for water that is life and for the light, energy, warmth and food we receive so abundantly from the generous, self-giving sun.
Bring your family and friends and join in the celebration.
Join us for the Summer Solstice Celebration in person at 7 pm ET on Wednesday, June 20, 2024 or watch the event livestreamed on our YouTube channel.
