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Did you know that globally the Catholic Church owns roughly 177 million acres of land? * Our guide for outdoor spaces explores the need for us to use that land better, to appreciate our outdoor spaces, and to transform them into places for people and nature to enjoy – not just a tatty old car park!
Just start with your local patch and trust that there are millions around the world and in other denominations and faiths doing similar to you, building a huge interconnected patchwork of little gardens.
* University of Notre Dame
How can we use it to allow people in towns to encounter the beauty of God’s creation? Could we use the land to feed the hungry? Could we give vegetable-growing masterclasses? Could we help stop the disaster of biodiversity loss by allowing our nature back into our concrete jungles? The possibilities are endless.
And if your parish does not have much space, how could you achieve similar in partnership with others in your area? Could you do the same in your home? Have you considered planting a vertical garden?
Find out more about how our parishes can be used to provide habitat for wildlife, feed our communities and bring people into contact with nature below.
How to improve our connections with nature as a parish
Find out how to create spaces that enable us to recognise God’s love through creation and positively impact all who encounter them. Appreciating nature helps us to become grateful rather than greedy.
How to start growing food in your parish
Changing the way we produce food is essential to overcoming our ecological crisis and addressing many social issues such as illness from chemicals, and slavery. It is just as importantly a grounding experience in recognising our reliance on all that God provides through the gift of creation.
How to create habitat space for local wildlife in your parish
This is essential in addressing our biodiversity crisis. Join the growing network of wildlife-friendly spaces in creating havens and corridors for our animal neighbours!
“When we speak of the “environment”, what we really mean is a relationship existing between nature and the society which lives in it. Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it.”
Laudato Si’ 139
The Journey to 2030 is managed by the Ecological Conversion Group, Registered Charity in England & Wales, No: 1197384