At this time of environmental crisis, we believe the protection of the environment and the health of our ministry to be inextricably linked.
Genesis 2 says that God puts humanity in the garden "to till" and to "keep it." At Luther Glen Farm we till the Earth and lull nutritious fruits and vegetables from its fertile soils. At El Camino Pines we are blessed with the responsibility of keeping a forest of century-old pines and countless critters for the generations to come.
In the past several years the effects of climate change have made themselves visible at each site.
We have been forced to remove over 50 dead Jeffrey pine trees around the buildings at El Camino Pines. Many if not all of these pines fell victim to the bark beetle which thrives in drought years. Luther Glen Farm was evacuated twice during a five-week period in the late summer of last year due to wildfires. Though we were spared the worst, the mountains around camp, normally lush and evergreen with oaks and manzanita are ashen.
In the hopeful spirit of Earth Day, we are not content to sit idly by.
We are raising money to replenish the land by planting trees in the name of tilling and keeping our camps for the generations of campers to come. Planting trees not only will give back to the forest and farm, but work to sink a tiny amount of carbon from the atmosphere.
At Luther Glen Farm, situated in mile-high apple country, our orchard is in need of more fruit trees, particularly apple trees. At El Camino Pines we hope to raise enough funds to replace all of the trees we have lost in recent years and the ones that will sadly perish in the years to come.
Will you give today to help us better care for our common home and our camps?