On the eve of our 2012 Eco-Stewards Program, we’d like to introduce you to an amazing group of Eco-Stewards who will gather in Boston and Vermont (June 2-9) to study Climate Change & Christian Activism. Our ecumenical group reflects a variety of traditions, including Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic.
Meet the 2012 Eco-Stewards:
Rick Herron of Dresden, Tennessee is an undergraduate student studying Political Science at Yale University.
Emily Kinsel of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania recently graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and French.
Vickie Machado is a master’s student studying at the University of Florida’s Department of Religion, with a focus on Religion and Nature. (Vickie also participated in the 2011 Montana Eco-Stewards Program.)
Katie Mahowski is a master’s student in Theological Studies at Boston College School of Theology & Ministry in Boston, Massachusetts.
Jake Melnyk teaches Earth Science and Biology at Greene Early College High School in Snow Hill, North Carolina. (Jake also participated in the 2011 Montana Eco-Stewards Program.)
Mary Schmidt is a Religious Studies major at Millsaps College in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Olivia Taylor of Darien, Connecticut is double-majoring in Environmental Studies and Political Science at the University of Vermont.
Lauren Wright is currently serving as a Young Adult Volunteer with Bayou Blue Presbyterian Church in Houma, Louisiana.
Meet the 2012 Program Leaders:
Rev. Rob Mark is a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister who serves as pastor of Church of the Covenant in Boston, MA, and chaplain to graduate students at Harvard University’s Memorial Church. He’s been with Eco-Stewards since its inception in 2006.
Dawn Sample, originally from Placerville, CA, grew up hiking and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and ever since, she has maintained a love for wild places and a desire to preserve them. She currently works as the Religious Education Coordinator at St. Labre Catholic Indian School which serves students from the Crow and Northern Cheyenne tribes of southeastern Montana.
Becky Evans is a freelance journalist with ThreeBeats Media and a writing professor at Lasell College and Boston University. She has served as the Eco-Stewards “storytelling coach” during programs in West Virginia and Montana.
Meet the 2012 Hosts:
Church of the Covenant in Boston, Mass.: Worship at Church of the Covenant is the heart and soul of our life together as a community of faith. Since 1932 we have been a federated church, maintaining membership in the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA) and welcoming pilgrims and inquirers from all traditions to our life and work.
Bishop Booth Conference Center in Burlington, Vermont: Located on the shores of Lake Champlain, the Bishop Booth Conference Center (BBCC) is a sanctuary where the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, other religious groups and non-profit organizations may experience a sense of God’s presence, the beauty of creation and Christian community.
The Eco-Stewards Program 