Nearly fifty students from six USA Marist schools converged in Esopus from April 11-13 for our third annual Earth Day Weekend.
Professor Jim Robinson, Director of the Deignan Center for Earth and Spirit at Iona University, served as a keynote speaker, focusing his remarks on food justice as an expression of integral ecology in practice. He opened by sharing a quote on Ecological Spirituality from Laudato Si’: “The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely” (VI. 233)
Students enjoyed delicious plant-based meals for the entire weekend, including vegetable quesadillas, bean chili with cornbread, and a vegetable stir-fry prepared by Provincial Br. Dan O’Riordan and chef Henry Miller.
Saturday morning prayer was led by Native Mi’kmaq elder Evan Pritchard, Director of the Center for Algonquin Culture and former professor at Marist College. Held by an indoor fireplace, and partially outdoors in the snow, Pritchard offered prayers drawn from local Native peoples, including one in the ancestral language of the Esopus Lenape peoples.
After the snow subsided, students braved the cold for a midday hike along nearby Black Creek led by longtime forester John Hanlon.
Saturday afternoon included a series of workshops focused on ecological skill building. Environmental educator Joanne Cavera, former Science Chair at St. Joseph Regional, led a workshop on birdwatching, teaching students about the importance of protecting native habitats and guiding students past a large bald eagle’s nest perched on a tall pine tree hovering above the river.
Jim Robinson led a workshop delving deeper into the importance of food justice. He reflected on the cruelty of industrial animal agriculture, sharing that approximately 1 million animals are killed for food every hour in the United States, 99% of whom are raised in brutal conditions in factory farms. He highlighted how industrial agriculture may be responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector combined. Noting that about 40% of food is wasted in the U.S., he also shared efforts from the student-led Food Recovery Network – including at Iona University – to donate excess food to communities in need. He also shared his experience of urban rooftop gardening with the Maryhouse Catholic Worker community in New York City.
Ed Kennedy, Tyler Pereira, and John Hanlon led students in a workshop planting native trees, expanding on the edible food forest planted in the past two years. Energy industry expert Damian Sciano also led a session on the renewable energy transition and climate change solutions. Meanwhile, Province Ecology Coordinator Sam King guided students in a workshop on the process of ecological action planning at schools.
Throughout the day, students participated in an interactive case study on the health of the Hudson River, known to Algonquin peoples as the River that Runs Both Ways. Through the guidance of Joanne Cavera, students conducted water quality monitoring and leaf litter sampling from three locations – the river, a stream bed, and a pond – before reading about the river’s unique biodiversity as the intertidal estuary ecosystem, as well as the history of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) pollution by General Electric and ongoing remediation efforts.
After dinner, students then engaged in a town hall stimulating a debate between various stakeholders – including the river, local communities, private industry, environmental groups, and state officials – on how the river should be protected and remediated from PCBs moving forward. The experience gave students a real-world glimpse into the complexities of environmental decision making.
That night, Br. Sam Amos guided students in a contemplative stargazing prayer focused on various constellations and their connections with different Marist schools.
The weekend concluded with a Palm Sunday Mass for Creation led by Fr. Richard LaMorte. Students also shared their school action plans, ranging from promoting an educational campaign on bees to expanding plant-based meals; and from integrating Ecology into service requirements to planting an outdoor Environmental Classroom. These plans will become part of the 2025 Province-wide Laudato Si’ Action Plan to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical.
