Symposium seeks to raise environmental awareness

About 25 people gathered Saturday to learn about a spiritual approach toward improving the environment and pursuing social justice.

The Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream symposium was hosted by Plymouth Congregational Church’s Green Team and Trinity Episcopal’s Environmental Stewardship Team. It was held at Plymouth Congregational, 925 Vt.

“Our goal is to help people become aware of their environment and what they can do to be good environmental stewards,” said Ellyn Owen of Trinity Episcopal.

The symposium was created by the Pachamama Alliance and was formed after the Achuar — indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador — said that modern society is on an unsustainable path and needs to change before the world is destroyed.

Annie Stevens, of Plymouth Congregational, said she would like the faith community to work more on environmental issues.

She said hoped the discussion could transcend political talking points on the environment. “We are trying to chip away at stereotypes and get people to see this from a spiritual point of view,” she said.

Nancy Hanson, of Trinity Episcopal, said the purpose of the symposium was to help people form an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just society.