Westside
Unitarian
Universalist
Church
Love Unites - Caring Connects - Community Thrives
Green Sanctuary
Our commitment to a sustainable world.
The Unitarian Universalist Association's Green Sanctuary program is a national initiative to help UU congregations become more environmentally sustainable. Congregations that participate in the program commit to reducing their environmental impact, educating their members about environmental issues, and taking action to promote environmental justice.
We believe that our Green Sanctuary efforts are important because they reflect our commitment to our Seventh Principle, which calls us to respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. We also believe that we have a responsibility to future generations to leave them a healthy and sustainable planet.
Help us to
Create wildlife habitat at Westside
We are working to create a safe habitat for plants and animals on our campus. This will provide food, cover, water, and nesting space for animals.
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Riparian buffer to protect the stream running through the church grounds
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Maintain native prairie grassland
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Create a landscape dominated by native plants
Taking Root: Tennessee Tree Day 2024 A Huge Success
Westside volunteers helped 900+ trees find their forever homes for Tennessee Tree Day. We also planted 50 trees all around our campus. These native to Tennessee trees will bring beauty, shade, and a touch of nature to Farragut. A huge thanks to our Green Sanctuary team and volunteers from the UU community for helping with this event.
Reduce carbon footprints
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Establish baseline carbon footprint
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Conduct energy audit
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Estimate costs & benefits of proposed improvements to reduce reliance on fossil fuels
Enjoy simpler lifestyles
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Educate ourselves
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Set an example in the community
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'Nudge' toward greener habits
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Develop creative hobbies
Share ideas
We will periodically share ideas on how we can make a greener world in our blog.
Tips for a Greener Life
• General ‘green holiday ideas”
o greenlivinglife.com/blogs/greenlife/best-ways-to-celebrate-a-sustainable-green-christmas
o Learn.eartheasy.com/guides/how-to-have-a-green-christmas (this one has actual shopping and products, from things like candles, socks, paper, kitchen supplies to wood burning stoves)
• Chocolate:
o www.slavefreechocolate.org/ethical-chocolate-companies
• Gifts & General Products:
o If you’re looking for sustainable shoes (to wear or donate) Econosa.com/best-sustainable/shoes/slip-on
o UU General Assembly giftcards at uua.org/ga/registration/gift
o Who Gives A Crap toilet paper us.whogivesacrap.org (donating toilets in developing countries with the proceeds of every sale of sustainably produced TP)
o Grove Collaborative. Sustainable products responsibly packaged and shipped. https://www.grove.co/
• Dark Sky projects:
o Fws.gov/project/dark-sky-initiative
• Unsubscribing from Catalogs