The Creation Care Ministry
Our Creation Care Ministry at St. Peter’s in the Woods is dedicated to the work of healing and restoring the Earth, God's good creation. We acknowledge the interdependence of all life on Earth and encourage environmental sustainability through education, worship, and action.
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Through Creation Care, we focus our stewardship on protecting the earth’s resources and restoring healthy, sustainable ecological systems on our church property and the world. We do this by:
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Deepening our understanding of our call from God to care for creation by infusing creation care into our worship and spiritual study.
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Following environmental sustainability resolutions and guidance from the Episcopal church.
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Serving as a demonstration site for sustainability in the community-at-large and other faith communities
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Using our church property to glorify God and live more sustainably by managing our resources to minimize our carbon footprint, reduce waste and regenerate the earth’s ecosystems.
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Leading ourselves and our congregation towards deeper awareness of the importance of caring for creation through educational opportunities that inform and engage us in environmental stewardship
For more information and to get involved
contact Debbie Swietlik, then keep scrolling to learn more about all of our current projects!
“What we do within our community affects our biome.”
Giving Garden
Our Giving Garden is located behind the church. A team of thoughtful volunteers continually plant, weed, and water the garden, producing beans, peppers, kale, and eggplants. Our children enjoy working in the garden too! Vegetables are given to the Burke United Methodist Church for their local Food Pantry.
Bluebird trail and nesting boxes
St. Peter’s in the Woods maintains 5 bluebird boxes and fledges 8-12 baby bluebirds annually. The boxes are located around the property.
Learn more about bluebird conservation by watching our video, “Bluebird Conservation.” Click here to listen to a recording of the birds in the SPW woods on a YouTube video.
SING (Spirituality In Nature Group)
St. Peter's is a registered group chapter of the Center for Spirituality in Nature.
Spirituality in Nature Groups provide an opportunity to nurture that spiritual spark, cultivate community with our human and non-human neighbors, deepen our understanding of the divine, and reinvigorate our commitment to care for one another and the Earth. Events take place at various times throughout the year and are posted on the church calendar. For more details contact Stacey Remick.
Audubon Sanctuary Award & Native Tree Planting
In the fall of 2020, St. Peter’s in the Woods earned the status of an “Audubon At Home Wildlife Sanctuary program.” The designation and signage is awarded in recognition of the important contribution the church has made to the protection and restoration of native habitat in Virginia. From our native plants garden in front of the church and our commitment to planting native tree seedlings, we are dedicated to using our property to restore and sustain healthy ecological systems. Bird surveys are conducted regularly and data is reported to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Click here for more information on how you can create your own native plants garden at home.
Energy audit and resulting efficiency improvements
Our 2020 energy audit led to a matching grant from the county to replace old and inefficient lights and appliances with energy saving alternatives.
Earth-Friendly Reusables
Discontinuing single-use disposable plastics, foam products and bottled water
In response to the Diocese of Virginia’s Resolution R-1 passed at the 225th Annual Convention, SPW has significantly reduced our use of single-use disposable products.