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Environmental Ministry

“God saw everything that he had made and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (NRSV, Genesis 1:31)

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” (NSRV, Genesis 2:15)

Do you feel called to care for God’s Creation? Do you want to protect the local environment and all that God called “good”? If so, St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church is the perfect place to be. 

Located adjacent to the popular Capital Crescent Trail and the Little Falls Watershed Park and trail, the church is ideally situated for spiritual focus on Creation Care. Big trees shade our sanctuary and parish hall. Ferns, woodpeckers, salamanders, and other species call our rolling, three-acre campus home. The land, its inhabitants, and the watershed are waiting for your help—and so are we.  Check out our Creation Care events and our Green Team!

In early 2024, St. Dunstan’s Green Team and the Little Falls Watershed Alliance (LFWA) embarked on a multi-year project to control stormwater runoff from the church’s property and support pollinators and other wildlife. Together, our aim is to utilize our campus to improve the health of nearby streams, to promote native plants and animals, and, ultimately, to support the Chesapeake Bay. Through rain gardens and conservation landscaping, we hope for St. Dunstan’s to become a center for environmental education, a good citizen of the watershed, and an ideal spot for outdoor reflection.

Special liturgies and public programs for Earth Month, Rogationtide, the Season of Creation, and other occasions inspire parishioners and visitors alike. As part of our summer Vacation Bible School, children can inventory critters who live in the nearby creek.   With the support of Little Falls Watershed Alliance (LFWA), we have initiated a successful annual Native Plant Sale where adults can learn about and purchase native plants. Forums on topics such as Antarctica and climate change, rain gardens and pollinators, and rewilding fill our calendar. In spring and fall, Green Team members join the Garden Committee to maintain existing plantings, remove invasive vines, and install new native plants. 

If you receive the Sacrament of Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, or Ordination while you are with us, we will gift you with a small native tree to accompany you on your faith journey. “Saplings for Sacraments,” a recognized program of the worldwide Anglican Communion Forest, started at St. Dunstan’s in 2022. 

Having completed a transition in our building to LED lighting throughout, members of the Green Team will work with the Vestry and Building and Grounds Committee to reach clean-energy and carbon-neutrality goals as they are set by the Episcopal Church/USA and Montgomery County, MD. This will be a key focus as we renew infrastructure, such as the HVAC system.  If you are an energy expert or concerned about our warming world, we would welcome your involvement.  

In our various activities, St. Dunstan’s Green Team is pleased to collaborate not only with the Creation Care Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and LFWA, but also with Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, and Interfaith Power & Light.
 

© 2025 St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church
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