Quaker Earthcare Witness

Zen & the Art of Saving the Planet with Flo Scialom
2026-01-24 21:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York)
January 24, 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET
Register Here
Join us for an evening with Flo Scialom, Project Coordinator for Plum Village’s Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet (ZASP) course. Drawing on Thích Nhất Hạnh’s teachings and years of facilitation, Flo will explore how mindfulness, community, and joy help us face the climate crisis without burning out – and how simple practices like deep listening, compassionate dialogue, and mindful rest can strengthen our Earthcare witness. We’ll reflect together and consider next steps for Spirit-led, effective action in our meetings and lives. Come as you are; leave with grounded hope, practical tools, and a renewed sense of kinship with all beings.
Flo Scialom is the Project Coordinator for Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet (ZASP), a Plum Village initiative inspired by the teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh. Based in the UK, she has spent more than a decade weaving together mindfulness, community practice, and social change – supporting networks like the Network of Wellbeing and The Work that Reconnects. Flo facilitates retreats, trainings, and online courses that explore how joy, compassion, and deep listening can sustain us in the face of ecological and social crises.

Thrivability & Way Opening: Moving Beyond “Sustainability”
2025-12-17 00:00 - 01:30
In a time of converging crises, how do Friends move from doing “less harm” to cultivating conditions for life to truly thrive? Author and Quaker Jean M. Russell will introduce thrivability as a lived practice – pairing spiritual grounding with practical design for culture, economy, and community. We’ll explore “way opening” amid complexity, how generativity differs from sustainability, and simple practices you can bring to meetings, projects, and daily life – followed by a moderated conversation and Q&A.
About the speaker: Jean M. Russell is a social ecosystem designer, facilitator, and founder of the Thrivability movement, author of Thrivability: Breaking Through to a World That Works (Triarchy Press). She co-authored Cultivating Flows: How Ideas Become Thriving Organizations (Triarchy Press) She also curated the collaborative volume Thrivability: A Collaborative Sketch (2010) and has been recognized among “100 women co-creating the P2P Society.” (Academia)

Worship with QEW
2025-12-06 00:00 - 01:00
We invite you to join us this Saturday, December 6 at 4pm PT / 6pm CT/ 7pm ET, for worship with attention to the threatened web of life on our beloved planet Earth. Please feel free to share this invitation with your Meeting and members of your community.
When we gather in worship, we find it more possible to be fully present to the often painful realities of this moment. We may find solace in our gathered presence. Out of this gathering we may be given guidance, individually or collectively, on actions that we need to take. We may also find confirmation and support for what we are already doing, generating strength for the road ahead.
Register Here

EMERGE: Reimagining Our Values for a Restored Earth with Lee Hall
2025-11-19 00:00 - 01:30
Photo by Kathy Barnhart
Rooted in Quaker values, EMERGE reimagines humanity’s role within Earth’s living systems, inspiring action and fostering resilience. This presentation highlights how these values guide a transformative shift in consciousness and behavior, envisioning a humanity that lives in harmony with the planet. Join us to explore how Quaker spirituality can catalyze a restored Earth and a renewed connection to all living communities.
Lee Hall (they/them) is a member of Radnor Friends Meeting’s Climate Action Committee and a contributor to EMERGE, a Quaker-rooted framework inviting cultural and spiritual shifts for Earthcare (EmergeValues.org). An environmental-law scholar and educator, Lee holds an LL.M. in Environmental Law (climate focus) and has taught law at Rutgers and Widener–Delaware Law. Lee writes frequently on climate ethics and biodiversity and is the author of On Their Own Terms and Capers in the Churchyard. Their ministry centers on mindful, values-aligned action and community resilience in service to all living communities.

Fall Gathering
2025-10-16 20:00 - 2025-10-19 17:00
Quaker Earthcare Witness’ Fall Gathering is our annual in-person and hybrid gathering of Friends from around the world. We gather to worship, learn, engage in fellowship, and hold meetings for worship with attention to business to determine the future of QEW. We will have ample opportunities to connect with one another, share our wisdom, and learn about practical steps toward Earthcare. Our Fall Gathering is open to anyone interested in Quaker concerns for Earthcare.
Here is the On-Site Agenda for Fall Gathering
Here is the Online Agenda for Fall Gathering
In Person Location is Powell House
Powell House is the conference and retreat center of New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Located in rural Columbia County, their mission is to foster spiritual growth after the manner of Friends and to strengthen the application of Friends’ testimonies in the world. Powell House has 57 acres of grounds with hiking trails, two ponds, and a campground. Powell House is about 35 minutes from the train stations in Albany, NY, and Hudson, NY. A carpool list will be formed to help Friends arrive from nearby train stations and airports.
Linens, meals, and snacks will be provided. Limited camp sites are available if you wish to camp. Registration in-person is now closed.

Attending Online
Many of our Fall Gathering events will be hybrid such as the plenaries and meetings for business.
Register to Attend Online
Connecting from Afar: Online Costs
Full Online Program: $125 — Engage with all hybrid plenaries, participate in business meetings, and connect with the community virtually.
Plenaries-Only Program: $60 — Focus specifically on the insightful plenary sessions, a great option for those interested in the core learning content.
Please Note: Quaker Earthcare Witness is committed to making our Fall Gathering accessible to all. The listed costs are suggested contributions. We operate on a “pay as you can” basis, and no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. If you require financial support to attend, please don’t hesitate to email us to discuss options.

Quaker Youth UN Ambassadors Program
2025-10-08 04:00 - 2025-12-17 05:00
Learn global climate diplomacy.
Lead at home.
Quaker Youth UN Ambassadors Program is a new QEW pilot intended to equip a small cohort of four-to-eight young Friends (ages 14–35) to engage in the UN climate negotiations at COP30 in November 2025 as part of QEW’s online delegation.
This year, QEW’s delegation will be joining the United Nations annual climate negotiations at COP30 Brasil Amazônia. This pilot blends literacy in international diplomacy, climate action, spiritual grounding, and storytelling so young Friends can bring clarity – and hope – into a complex global moment.
Questions? Contact us at info@quakerearthcare.org.
APPLY HERE

October Meeting for Worship
2025-10-04 23:00
Quaker Earthcare Witness hosts monthly online Meeting for Worship
This month, we will meet from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern time/4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday, October 4th. It is intended that an online Earthcare worship will continue to meet regularly on the first Saturday of the month. We will meet again on Saturday, November 1st at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
When we gather in worship, we find it more possible to be fully present to the often painful realities of this moment. We may find solace in our gathered presence. Out of this gathering, we may be given guidance, individually or collectively, on actions that we need to take. We may also find confirmation and support for what we are already doing, generating strength for the road ahead.
Register Here

September Worship Sharing
2025-09-23 23:00
Quaker Earthcare Witness hosts monthly online worship-sharing groups.
This month, we will meet from 7-8 pm Eastern time/4-5 pm Pacific time on Tuesday, September 23rd.
Our worship sharing seeks to explore our Earthcare callings, nourish our sense of community, and explore queries to draw us into a shared sacred space. Together, we are creating more opportunities for Friends who care deeply about the Earth and each other to be in spiritual community with one another. We hope you can join us.
Register Here

September Earthcare Worship
2025-09-06 23:00
Quaker Earthcare Witness is starting to host monthly online worship.
This month, we will meet from 7-8 pm Eastern time/4-5 pm Pacific time on Saturday, September 6th.
You are invited to join in worship with attention to the threatened web of life on our beloved planet Earth. We’ll meet on Zoom Saturday, September 6, at 4 PM Pacific/7 PM Eastern. It is intended that an Earthcare worship group will continue to meet regularly on the first Saturday of the month.
When we gather in worship, we find it more possible to be fully present to the often painful realities of this moment. We may find solace in our gathered presence. Out of this gathering, we may be given guidance, individually or collectively, on actions that we need to take. We may also find confirmation and support for what we are already doing, generating strength for the road ahead.
We welcome all to join us!
Register Here

August Worship Sharing
2025-08-26 23:00
Quaker Earthcare Witness hosts monthly online worship-sharing groups.
This month, we will meet from 7-8 pm Eastern time/4-5 pm Pacific time on Tuesday, August 26th.
Our worship sharing seeks to explore our Earthcare callings, nourish our sense of community, and explore queries to draw us into a shared sacred space. Together we are creating more opportunities for Friends who care deeply about the Earth and each other to be in spiritual community with one another. We hope you can join us.
Register Here

Facing Our Biodiversity-Climate Crisis: A Healing Practice of Communion with Life
2025-07-19 17:30 - 19:30
Join Bill Cahalan, an ecopsychologist and dedicated advocate for the natural world, for a special session designed to cultivate a deeper connection with all life. Bill will begin by sharing about the global biodiversity-climate crisis as a major moral crisis of our time. He will then introduce a contemplative practice that can open us to a humble, at times ecstatic sense of kinship with local nature, which can extend to all life and the Cosmos.
Participants will be guided outdoors into slow walking and empathic gazing. We will return for a sharing circle, followed by discussion. This practice can be woven into nurturing our own yards and neighborhood landscapes as wild communities, inspiring us for further action in service to Life.
Bill Cahalan is a member of Community Friends Meeting in Cincinnati. He has led retreats for opening to the natural world since 1983, and works as an ecopsychologist. QEW (then FCUN) published his booklet Awakening to Earth in 2001. He enjoys wandering in nature, working regeneratively with his home and meeting woods, and is part of the Rights of Nature movement.
Register Here

June Worship Sharing
2025-06-24 23:00
Quaker Earthcare Witness hosts monthly online worship-sharing groups.
This month, we will meet from 7-8 pm Eastern time/4-5 pm Pacific time on Tuesday, May 27th.
Our worship sharing seeks to explore our Earthcare callings, nourish our sense of community, and explore queries to draw us into a shared sacred space. Together we are creating more opportunities for Friends who care deeply about the Earth and each other to be in spiritual community with one another. We hope you can join us.
Register Here

QEW Action Hour: Protect our Earth | Save the IRA
2025-06-18 17:00 - 18:00
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the largest climate bill in history, is on the brink. With new budget reconciliation negotiations underway, House Republicans are divided on repealing key clean energy tax credits, and moderate Democrats are being courted to make cuts. Flipping just a few key votes could save nearly a million lives, preventing hundreds of Katrina-scale disasters worldwide, and keep gigatons of carbon out of the atmosphere.
Join QEW for an urgent, action-driven hour where we’ll:

Break down what’s happening – Which IRA provisions are under threat, which are likely to survive, and what needs defending most.
Call your Representative – Talk climate/clean-energy sense to your congressional representative with our strategic call scripts designed to reach people at every corner of the political spectrum
Target Critical Districts – Help QEW activate Friends/Allies in critical swing districts to target the members of Congress whose votes could make or break the bill.
Get Empowered! – Get scripts, toolkits, and direct support to call Congress, mobilize local awareness, and turn pressure into power.

The stakes are massive, and a small, coordinated effort could protect the IRA and the future of clean energy in the U.S.
Register Here
