By: Autumn Ricksecker When you think of Southern California, what plants come to mind? Perhaps it’s palm trees lining the streets of Los Angeles, citrus orchards cascading across Orange County, or eucalyptus groves offering a fragrant canopy on college campuses. However, these trees are not …
SoCal
Pomona Hope Q&A with Dr. Mark McReynolds
Interview with Reverend Dr. Mark McReynolds, Director of A Rocha USA's SoCal Project by Laura Vessey and Hannah Gillespie Q: What is Pomona Hope? A: Pomona Hope is a Christian ministry that is focused on after school enrichment for students grades 2-8. Pomona Hope’s after school and summer …
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When it Comes to Our Ocean, We Must Till and Keep It
By Rev. Dr. Mark McReynolds, A Rocha USA SoCal Project Director Reposted with permission from Healthy Ocean Coalition. Original post found here. When I was 8 years old, my family moved to southern California, where the San Gabriel Mountains became my backyard. Since then, I have been hooked on …
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Igniting Joy and Curiosity through Environmental Education
By Autumn Ayers Some of my most cherished childhood memories are of following deer trails through the woods, becoming mystified by the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly, and studying algae at our school’s ecology site. Now I can see how these moments were deeply formative for how I …
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Let’s Talk About Nurdles
By Autumn Ayers What in the World is a Nurdle? That’s the first question I hear from beachgoers when I attend one of A Rocha’s nurdle cleanup events. They wonder if it’s a baby turtle, or maybe an exotic candy; sadly, the truth is much less cute. When I first began volunteering with A Rocha USA in …
Praising God in Angeles National Forest
Church in Creation is a SoCal A Rocha initiative registered with Wild Church Network. Perceiving a need for Christians to connect with God, one another, and creation, SoCal project director and eco-pastor Mark McReynolds began holding outdoor gatherings to encourage learning from the book of God’s …
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Logging Doesn’t Solve U.S. Wildfires
by Mark McReynolds, A Rocha USA SoCal Project Director With over 5 million acres (2.25 million hectares) burned in three coastal states and fires dotting the US West, many communities have evacuated, and a few have burnt down - over 1,000 homes are gone. Smoke has created very unhealthy air …
Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring, 2020
by Autumn Ayers, SoCal A Rocha “Western Bluebirds know nothing about the pandemic,” declares Karen McReynolds, the lead of SoCal A Rocha’s Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring Program, “In fact, they are enjoying the now little-used regional park in which they are nesting.” Since monitoring …
Considering Birds Together: Global Big Day with A Rocha
by Autumn Ayers, SoCal A Rocha “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26 ESV) When Jesus perceives anxiety in the hearts of His followers, He encourages …
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Blessing The In-Between Spaces
By Mark McRenyolds, A Rocha USA's SoCal Project Director As profoundly expressed in Dr. David Taylor's entry, artists help us in seasons that don't make sense. Entering this Advent season with acute aches and chronic longings, we're drawn to the ready gifts offered by A Rocha Arts partners. Lyric …