| Home | Source Reduction | Friends of Green Friends | Newsletters |
| Gardening | Resources | What You Can Do | Embracing The Trees |
|
|
"When we have a loving and compassionate attitude towards plants and trees, we can learn to listen and understand them." Amma |
| "Carpooling, nurturing honeybees, planting trees, cleaning the environment, waste management (reduction) and growing vegetables were recommended many years ago (by Amma) and Amma’s children are doing that. If we all get together and do it with more focus, we will be able to transform this earth into heaven. For that, we should first create heaven within ourselves. I pray to the Supreme to grace us with the blessings to do so."
- Amma (from speech at the Special Envoy for the Protection of the Planet convened by President Francois Hollande 21 July 2015, Paris, France.
|
|
|
GreenFriends
|
 |
| GreenFriends is an international, volunteer-based movement that promotes environmental awareness and participation at the individual and community levels. GreenFriends' goal is to promote environmental awareness by inspiring people to serve and protect Nature.
GreenFriends started in India in 2001 as a project of Embracing the World and has since spread across the globe, with thousands of members today throughout the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. The mission of GreenFriends is to create a loving bond between humanity and Nature and to promote conservation through constructive action. Any service-oriented activity to protect and promote awareness and conservation of Nature can be considered a GreenFriends activity. "Look at Nature. Nature is a text book from which we must learn. Each object in it is a page from that book. Each and every object in Nature teaches us something. Renunciation and selflessness are the greatest lessons we can learn from Nature. Nature sacrifices Herself for humans; whereas, we not only exploit Her, but destroy Her. Yet Nature serves us. The earth is serving us; the sun, moon and stars serve us. What to we do in return for their selfless service? Nothing except harm. The unintelligent beings and things have no thinking power, yet they selflessly serve each other and humans. Humans have discrimination and yet they are utterly selfish. They are not even clearing their debts to Nature." - Amma May all beings and life-forms live and thrive in harmony upon the Earth! |
| North America GreenFriends Newsletter | |
| Read the Quarter 3 2024 North America GreenFriends newsletter! | |
 |
This month’s North America GreenFriends newsletter begins with a transformative encounter with a white-tailed buck in Acadia National Park; two drastically different stories of rivers - one having been rejuvenated and the other in serious decline; how we can come to understanding that plants are sentient beings; and an examination of Nature Deficit Disorder, a psychological condition that exemplifies our disconnect with the natural world.
See the table of contents and subscribe to the newsletter... |
|
Embracing The Trees A Tree Planting Initiative of GreenFriends North America |
 |
|
Amma's encouragement for us to plant trees has gotten stronger and taken on more urgency recently. First, she asked us to plant one tree per month. Now she asks us to also plant trees for special holy days, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Although willing to plant trees, many of us don't know how or where to begin. To that end, GreenFriends North America is introducing the Embracing The Trees initiative to support all MA Centers and satsangs as we work together to plant as many trees as we can. Find out more about Embracing The Trees... |
| Pacific Northwest GreenFriends Newsletter |
 |
| As nice as they are, campfires can cause risks not only to people and wildlife, but can also be detrimental to the environment. This does not to mean we should stop having campfires, rather, we should be mindful of their environmental impact. Read about nature as art and how it relates to wildfires in the GreenFriends Pacific Northwest newsletters!
The PNW GreenFriends newsletters contain interesting articles and photos about gardening, nature, the PNW Litter Project, the Greenbelt Restoration Project and more... |
|
The Growing Tulasi - A Path to Nurturing a Sacred Bond with Nature |
 |
| Tulasi, also known as Holy Basil is a highly medicinal herb that has been revered since ancient times as one of the most sacred plants in Indian culture. Read about Growing Tulasi… |
| The Blessings of Nature - Striving for Harmony in All We Do |
 |
| Some of the most humble ‘weeds’ are very healing – plantain, yarrow, and comfrey are good for skin and injuries; and herbs such as nettle, red clover, mullein, elder, and violets are nutritious and healing. MA Center Chicago (MACC) grows organic herbs and flowers to create wonderful, healing body products.
Read about The Blessings of Nature at MACC... |
 |
| Abhinav's wife Sujatha used these powerful words, “Amma says we must grow our own vegetables organically.” And as you can expect from any good husband, he vehemently opposed it.
Read about the trials and tribulations of Organic Home Gardening: A Husband’s Survival Guide… |
 |
| During Amma’s tour this summer, recycling and composting teams in each tour city worked tirelessly throughout the programs to divert as much waste as possible from landfills and into recycling or compost facilities.
Read a report on Recycling and Composting on the 2024 Tour... |
 |
| During Amma’s North American tour, many people are called upon to do seva, otherwise known as ‘selfless service’. As the tours are completely volunteer-run, the seva shifts (normally two hours) are a very important part of a successful tour and also an opportunity for us all to embody Amma’s teachings. One example of a seva shift is Dish Monitoring.
Read an interview with a Teen Dish Monitor … |
| Source Reduction Campaign |
 |
|
Amma has asked that we begin to concentrate our efforts of sustainable living on SOURCE REDUCTION. This means stopping waste before it begins. Instead of recycling plastics and other throw-away products that need to be processed for reconfiguration into another form, we need to start using products that are designed to last, or find an alternative way of living that eliminates the need for the product altogether. You can now download an inspiring PDF introducing the Source Reduction Campaign. |
| India's Enduring Love for Trees |
 |
|
In India, trees have been regarded with deep respect and reverence throughout the ages. Amma, has told us that in ancient times in India, people would perform a puja to worship trees. If there was a need to cut a tree down, or even before plucking its fruit or leaves, they would seek its permission and apologize. "In the old days, there was no specific need for environmental preservation," Amma says, "because protecting Nature was part of worshiping God and life itself." "If people did need to kill a tree in those days, they would plant not just one, but several more to replace it." "More than remembering 'God', the people used to love and serve Nature and society." "They saw the Creator through the creation. They loved, worshipped and protected Nature as the visible form of God." |
| Ravi's Tips for Conserving Water and Energy |
 |
|
A website visitor who moved to the US from India nearly 45 years ago shares his personal experience with conserving both water and electricity. Read more... |
| Good Environmental News! |
 |
| There are plenty of awful things happening on the planet these days, like marine plastic pollution, greenhouse gases increasing, rainforest degradation, sea levels rising, extreme weather... the list unfortunately goes on and on. But at the same time, there are a lot of good people doing a lot of good things to help save the planet.
Like news in general, good environmental news often goes unreported, or at least under-reported. |
| Home | Source Reduction | Friends of Green Friends | Newsletters | Resources | What You Can Do | Embracing The Trees |
For more information, e-mail info@greenfriendsna.org |
||||||
