Grove church praises trees

THOUSANDS of people exercised their green thumbs to help the environment for National Tree Day, and it also got a spiritual push from Ocean Grove.

Ahead of the official observation of National Tree Day on the last Sunday in July, Ocean Grove Uniting Church held a worship service for the initiative on July 24.

Christianity has a long association with trees, according to the Bible, including the Garden of Eden in the Book of Genesis and the tree of life in New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation, and trees are the third most-frequently mentioned living thing in the Bible after God and people.

The July 24 event featured a guest speaker, Swan Bay Environment Association gardens and wildlife co-ordinator Sandra Newland-Foreman.

Mrs Newland-Forman spoke about the importance of trees, especially indigenous trees, and the work being done to re-establish them in the area.

The Reverend Bob Thomas’ sermon also emphasised the importance of trees for the maintenance of life on this planet, and noted that as humans had destroyed over half of the world’s forests, repentance was essential if our grandchildren and their grandchildren were to thrive.

Among the things Rev. Thomas suggested people could do was to plant trees, and those at the service received tube stock to help them get started.

He stressed much more was required if the tide was to be turned on climate change, species extinction and the other byproducts of deforestation, and it was necessary, particularly for those who lived in the developed world, to reduce one’s environmental footprint – in other words, to start living less materialistically – so the physical and economic demands upon forests and all the other resources of the earth were reduced.

He said this change would not come from governments but must start with people.

“It will start with you, and will spread to those whom you influence.”

After the worship service, there was a table with brochures from Swan Bay Environment Association, Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve, Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, Coastal Moona Woodland, the Department of Sustainability and Environment, and Bellarine Catchment Management, as well as a photographic display of the trees indigenous to the Bellarine.