Environmental Guild

To join an online meeting contact enviro@stdave.org.
We meet about once a quarter to plan events, share ideas, and develop strategies to further our “greening” efforts.

Latest News

• 
  Environmental Guild Harvesting “Holy Honey”
  Update: We have sold out of Holy Honey. Look for news of our next batch! On the Curbside Menu. Coming soon to Café Divine Curbside – … Continue reading →

Our Mission Statement

We believe that God entrusted all of creation to our safekeeping and that we are therefore called to be responsible stewards of God’s beloved earth. Accordingly, St. David’s commits to take an ever active and holistic approach to environmental stewardship through education, service, and sustainable practices. The Environmental Guild and Garden Guild are two energetic, friendly, and multi-generational groups of parishioners who take seriously our call as Christians to care for creation.

What we do

• Recycle batteries, small electronics, eyeglasses, ink cartridges, wine corks, pens and glue sticks, CD cases and more – check out our labeled drawers in the church lobby! See our June 5, Recycling Update.
• Tend the native flowering gardens on St. David’s campus. The Garden Guild meets the third Saturday of each month, 8:30-10:30. For more information contact John Touchet.
• Maintain Beehives at Barking Dog Ranch in Lockhart, TX. To learn about periodic visits and harvesting times contact enviro@stdave.org.
• Produce an annual Earth Day Celebration.
• Publish helpful articles and “green” tips in church publications.
• Coordinate recycling and waste-reduction efforts at the church.
• Network with other religious institutions and organizations to further our mission.
• Host speakers on environmental topics.

St. David’s Youth help TreeFolks, Inc.
plant saplings in Zilker Park, January 2017

Environmental Guild Speaker Podcasts

• Poverty & Trees: What’s the Connection? Valerie Foulkes, Plant with Purpose
• Seeing Green through Human Eyes: An Exploration of Laudato Si’, Fr. Louis Brusatti, St. Edward’s University
• Seeing Green in Your Own Kitchen: Composting for a Cleaner Earth, Susanne Harm, Austin Resource Recovery
• Embracing Our Earth Series:
  • Science, Christianity, and the Concept of Stewardship, by Genaro Lopez, Ph.D.
  • Contemplative Beekeeping, by Jason Minnix
  • Food Justice Means Environmental Justice, by Ronda Rutledge

What we have done

• Completed a rigorous environmental certification program offered by GreenFaith (the first church in Texas to be named a GreenFaith Sanctuary).
• Coordinated a ten-year-long effort with St. David’s staff to install solar panels on the garage roof (the largest solar array in downtown Austin).
• Achieved National Wildlife Certification for the Labyrinth in 2011.
• Continue to be a City of Austin Green Business Partner (Platinum level) since 2012.
• Won the 2012 Keep Austin Beautiful Award for Recycling and Waste Reduction.

A surprise guest visited St. David’s Earth Day Fair 2018
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry!