Join the Earth Day Celebration on April 22, at 1 p.m. at New Bern’s Martin Marietta Park, 700 S. Glenburnie Road. This celebration will feature Earth Day speakers, recognition of community volunteers, and free saplings and eco-friendly products.
Speakers include three environmentalists: a teacher, an attorney, and a pastor. Matt Ipock is trained in environmental science and sustainable energy and shares his passion for the Earth with his two sons and his students in environmental science at Early College East in Craven County; Cathy Jones is a practicing environmental attorney in Raleigh who is active with the Green Team at St. Paul Christian Church in Raleigh; and, The Rev. Phil Jones grew up in Eastern NC around tobacco and sweet potato farms and is an ordained minister in the Disciples of Christ Church. He is now finishing a doctoral degree in environmental theology.
This program on environmental stewardship is presented by Faith Connection in collaboration with New Bern Parks and Recreation with support from the following community sponsors: Broad St. Christian Church, Centenary United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, The Four C’s, Harold H. Bate Foundation, St. Peter AME Zion Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of New Bern.
Bring family and friends to celebrate Earth Day on April 22 while enjoying the beauty of New Bern’s newest park.
Detailed Information – Promoting Environmental Stewardship
This spring Faith Connection is continuing its Stewards of The Earth initiative, a program to promote environmental stewardship in organizations, businesses, and homes throughout the community. The 2023 initiative is a collaborative project with New Bern Parks and Recreation that addresses the following:
- Engaging the community in planting and caring for native trees
- Celebrating community groups actively working to care for the Earth
- Promoting easy ways everyone can better protect the environment
The spring 2023 program began in mid-March with Faith Connection giving away 200 free saplings at the New Bern Farmer’s Market and four local businesses—Dodge City Market, The 4 C’s, Living Well Down East, and Mitchells Hardware. Customers at these stores were also offered samples of eco-friendly disposable coffee cups and plates made of bamboo, a sustainable and safe alternative to plastic and paper. On March 17 New Bern Parks and Recreation hosted an Arbor Day Celebration at Leander Morgan Park in New Bern and celebrated its designation as a Tree City USA for the 27th year.
In the following weeks, Faith Connection is partnering with several local non-profit organizations to offer gifts of larger trees for their campuses. Several local nurseries are supporting this program.
The Earth Day Celebration on Earth Day April 22, at 1 p.m. at Martin Marietta Park, will conclude this community program highlighting environmental stewardship. Please join us as we celebrate Earth Day and Stewards of the Earth.
By Helen Robinson