Thank you so much to everyone who filled out our “Getting to Know You” survey recently. We were eager to know more about the members of our diverse community—what you care about, what ecological issues most concern you, how you’re finding and making beauty in hurt places, and how you’d like to get more involved.
Here is a brief summary of some of your answers.
You responded from nine different countries: Canada, England, France, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Belgium, Denmark, and the U.S. Love and concern for hurt places is truly international!
One question asked what gives you joy. As you can see from the word cloud above, Nature stands out, along with different ways of engaging with it, including walking, gardening, compost, clouds, and dogs. “A ray of light illuminating a tiny, perfect spider web. Autumn flowers bursting into bloom. The sound of rain on the roof,” answered a member from Japan.
What makes you sad? “The state of the world and the way it’s reported,” wrote a woman from Massachusetts. Her response reflected that many others.
We asked about your primary environmental worries (you could choose more than one).
What concerns the most people—77%—is pollution of water sources
Extreme weather was next—59%
Deforestation—39%
Invasive plant/animal species—33%
Petrochemical/industrial pollution—29%
Mineral extraction—19%
We also asked whether you would be willing to help out with some things we’re always rushing to do and never have quite enough help to do: social media, graphic design, fundraising, office work, and developing programs for youth and spiritual leaders. A lot of you stepped forth and offered to help. Thank you! We’ll be contacting you soon to explore how we might take advantage of your generosity.
One of the questions on the survey was How do you feel when you encounter a wounded place?
Only 26% responded, “I recognize that the place needs attention, and I pause to give that right away.”
May we all aspire to raise this important response to 100%!
Image Credit:
- RadJoy Survey: Radical Joy for Hard Times
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