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From Agreement to Action: A COP28 Reflection

Autumn Ricksecker January 17, 2024

For the first time at a UN Climate Conference, the burning of fossil fuels was officially acknowledged as the key cause and driver of climate change. Will this signify a new era of climate action? At the end of 2023, representatives from 200 countries met in Dubai, UAE for COP28, the United Nations’ annual climate summit. While the purpose of this gathering is to push for more ambitious climate action, many were concerned about COP being hosted by a country that continues to advance the fossil fuel economy. This fear was compounded when another petrostate, Azerbaijan, was chosen to host next year’s COP29. As the end of the conference neared, getting any agreement on a final text, let alone ambitious commitments, appeared unlikely. Yet, on Wednesday, December 13th we received news that a “historic” agreement had been reached with the issue of fossil fuels firmly at the center for the first time, thanks to the hard work of many committed

Hope the Size of an Acorn

Autumn Ricksecker January 12, 2024

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 native to the area and sometimes do more harm than good, representing a form of botanical conquest that is anything but natural. It’s the oaks that are the cornerstone of life in this region. On a walk in Pasadena last spring, I smiled at the sight of a Coast Live Oak growing horizontally out of the side of a towering Mexican Fan Palm, probably grafted there by an industrious Acorn Woodpecker. With the beginning of a new year, I resolve to be more like the woodpecker–a cheerful and hardworking cultivator of oaks. Since reading Doug Tallamy’s book, Nature’s Best Hope with A Rocha USA’s Love Your Place book club, I’ve been reinvigorated to do my part in grassroots

Advent, the Season of Hope: A Reflection on Tish Harrison Warren’s New Book

Brittany Michalski December 7, 2023

Happy New Year! While December 31st is the end of our Gregorian calendar, the liturgical season of Advent, which begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, marks the start of a new year for Christians. In her latest book, Advent, part of the Fullness of Time series by InterVarsity Press, author and Anglican priest (and dear friend of A Rocha) Tish Harrison Warren provides theological insights and personal reflections on this liturgical period. She observes that instead of creating sacred space for spiritual reflection, faith communities often fall prey to the commercialized frenzy of Christmas while secular culture mainstreams Advent calendars as another way to consume the holiday season. Thankfully, she also outlines a number of prayers and practices we can embody as a means of living out the hope, longing, and even mourning native to a season of waiting for the coming Lord. Advent means “coming.” On page 11, Warren writes, “Part of why we observe Advent is to

A Year to Remember: A Rocha’s 40th Anniversary Highlights

Laura Vessey December 6, 2023

40 is a number of spiritual importance throughout the Bible, associated with periods of testing, preparation, transition and renewal. As A Rocha’s 40th anniversary year comes to a close, we cannot help but reflect on the significance of this milestone and appreciate the foundation on which we now firmly find ourselves. Thank you to all who have faithfully walked with us this last year, either here at home with A Rocha USA, or internationally with our worldwide A Rocha family. Perhaps you are new to A Rocha, or perhaps you have been with us since the beginning. In either case, you have a place at the table and we’re grateful you’re here. From gatherings in Texas to anniversary parties with old friends at Cruzinha – it has been a whirlwind of a year, in the best possible way! In case you missed it, we wanted to share some of the highlights of A Rocha’s 40th year and ways you can

Meet The Interns: Conservation and Community Engagement

Hannah Gillespie November 7, 2023

A Rocha USA’s Conservation Internship Program is a nine-month, residential experience that offers professional and personal development and supports A Rocha USA’s conservation projects. This year, for the first time, interns will split their time between Titusville, Florida and Austin, Texas. This unique opportunity allows them to gain experience in conservation and community engagement with A Rocha’s Lead Scientist for Marine Conservation, Dr. Robert Sluka, and Texas Conservation Project Director, Dr. Verónica Godoy. Meet our intern class of 2023-2024 below! Michaela Stenerson, Intern Lead Michaela’s hometown is Grove City, Ohio. In 2021, she graduated from Taylor University with a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Development and a minor in Spanish. While in school, Michaela heard about A Rocha and was intrigued to know more. She was referred to the internship program by an A Rocha employee whom she had chatted with about another position. “When I first learned what it would entail, it sounded like a dream position, and, truly,

Blue Mind: The Healing Power of Water

A Rocha USA October 9, 2023

By: Alli Cutting and Michaela Stenerson, A Rocha USA Marine Conservation Interns The MindLife today is filled with information and stimulation, vying for our attention—screens, images, emails, texts, traffic, and crowds. Our brains do a lot of processing to make meaning from all that comes our way. Scientists today are seeking to understand what happens cognitively and emotionally when we are near water. This new field of study is led by marine biologist turned neuroscientist, Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, and the key finding is that our brains enter a mildly meditative state when exposed to water. Nichols calls this state “Blue Mind.” “Red Mind” is the term Nichols gives to the mental state accompanied by the stress hormones of cortisol and adrenaline. Red Mind occurs as a fight or flight mode in survival situations, helps us assess risk, meet deadlines, win games, and make decisions. It is a good and necessary function in life! Yet a prolonged state of Red Mind