Join us and bring your ideas to our meetings!
Watch the Pulse for notices about our next meetings, which are in-person and on Zoom. Meetings are held quarterly (January, April, July, and October) on the 3rd Thursday of that month. Contact our office manager at [email protected] for more information or to sign up for the weekly Pulse newsletter.

Purpose

The McFarland UCC Creation Care Ministry uses action and education to create a sustainable and just environment for this generation and for generations to come.”​

Creation Care Covenant

“We affirm the divine gifts of all of creation and our interconnectedness with one another and with our environment. We commit ourselves to education, and to action to care for all of God’s creation, especially where there is inequity, suffering, and environmental degradation. We acknowledge that the task is great but that no action is too small. For the sake of generations to come, it is vital that we take responsibility to protect the only home God has given to us.”

Accomplishments and Goals

Bluebirds
04/23/2025 - Two bluebird nests were installed on our property. Watch the video to learn more from Mary Sobol with the Bluebird Restoration Association of WI (BRAW).

Updates on the bluebird nests will be posted here.
Member of Sustain Dane, the sustainability organization of Dane County and Madison,WI, connecting businesses, organizations, schools, local governments, and individuals to the sustainability movement and providing the support to generate change.
Collaborated with the Village of McFarland to create a large-scale Community Garden on church property, which in turn provides fresh vegetables to the McFarland Food Pantry.
Collaborated with other church committees to place solar panels on the church roof to meet 85% of our annual electrical requirements and reduce our carbon footprint.
Collected seed of native plants to establish an area dedicated to a prairie area that supports native insects and birds, and reduces the amount of lawn maintained by the church. Plans are in place to expand this area in fall 2024.
Promote sustainable practices within the church by eliminating paper, plastic, and Styrofoam products, composting, recycling, and using Fair Trade coffee.
Employed Good Oak Ecological Services to establish a native pollinator garden adjacent to the building to educate members of the value of native plants. Serviceberry trees were added to replace non-native decorative trees.
Planted Bur oak trees on church grounds to begin the process of establishing a savannah-like environment that encourages native insects and birds and reduces lawn maintenance.

Helpful Links

Learn ways to care for God's creation and sign up for the UCC Creation Justice newsletter.
Creation Justice Ministries represents the creation care and environmental justice policies of major Christian denominations throughout the US. Click the This is their home page.
This is a cool website where you can put in your zipcode and learn how to take care of native plants in your area.
Check out info on standardized labeling for recycling and how to locate/support brands that are committed to making a difference.