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The EarthCare Ministry Team at Unity of San Antonio is dedicated to nurturing a conscious, loving relationship with our planet. Through education, spiritual practice, and community action, we honor the interconnectedness of all life and support sustainable ways of living.

The team meets on the third Sunday of each month to share ideas, plan initiatives, and grow together in stewardship of the Earth. All are welcome to join and be part of this sacred commitment to caring for our world.

Good News Stories From 2025!
For the first time, the U.S. grid now has more renewable energy than energy from fossil fuels! Worldwide, renewable energy has also surpassed coal in global energy production.

Japanese scientists have developed a bag that dissolves in salt water. Learn more here: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/scientists-japan-develop-plastic-that-dissolves-seawater-within-hours-2025-06-04/

Circulose (https://www.circulose.com/en/) recycles textiles and has signed partnerships with major retailers. This means more recycled fibers will be turned into clothing you can buy.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has created the world’s largest protected tropical forest. This will store enormous amounts of carbon and provide greater protections for critically endangered gorillas. (Special note: the forest crosses into Rwanda and Uganda, the only other two countries in the world with this species. The majority of gorillas are located in DR Congo, followed by Uganda, with a smaller population in Rwanda.) Additionally, DR Congo has banned all capture, trade, and possession of the critically endangered African grey parrot.

Colorado has built the largest wildlife crossing bridge in the United States. There is bipartisan support at the federal level for permanent national funding of these projects. Learn more here: https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=8693. Be sure to check out our own wildlife crossing bridge at Hardberger Park here in San Antonio.

Speaking of other amazing mammals, check out Fin & Fur’s newest film release about jaguars at the link provided by the producers.

Our next EarthCare meeting is Sunday, January 18, at 12:30 p.m. in the Book Nook. If the service runs long, feel free to bring snacks up from the ComUnity Café. I’ll provide a plant-based treat, and we’ll make our own name tags. This group craft meetup idea was inspired by Gloria Alvarez. Don’t forget the EarthCare Bingo points: one point for attending the meeting, and three points for making a reusable green, red, or yellow sticker for Unity services. This month’s trash pickup days sandwich our EarthCare meeting on Saturday, January 24, and Monday, January 26, at 10:00 a.m. (two points each). Please bring your own gardening gloves. For all Bingo opportunities, open the document linked below.

For anyone who believes blue-bin materials don’t actually get recycled, here’s some good news: recycling in Texas employs 22,910 people and is a $4.8 million industry. I’ve requested a tour of a San Antonio recycling facility to see the process firsthand. In the meantime, the city has created an excellent recycling video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0PSuXTsapA. There is also an important video explaining why Styrofoam cannot be recycled anywhere, in any form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEH1xBMUUPg&t=38s. Please remember to bring reusable containers to restaurants for leftovers. San Antonio Waste Management is also hosting a “Recycle Right” student video contest, with three prizes of four Spurs tickets. Contest rules and details are available here, and note the submission deadline of February 10: https://www.sarecycles.org/images/Flyer-Spurs-Recycle-Right-Video-Contest-2026.pdf.

At our EarthCare meetings, participants share sustainability tips. Ideas from the December meeting included caring for a deer herd in

SWMD Do's & Don'ts SWMD Styrofoam Master
November 2025 - January 2026 Earth Care Newsletter

Friends, 2026 is upon us! 🎉

 
For those who aren’t acquainted with EarthCare Bingo, it officially started in October 2025.  Keep score, and have a chance to win an all-expenses trip to a Unity Village retreat at the end of October!
 
You can accumulate points for everything from taking specific classes, to joining certain local groups, to being a vegan or vegetarian!
 
Here are your January opportunities:
 
Take part in Veganuary by signing up for the daily January coaching emails for three points!  https://veganuary.com/try-vegan/  The website has recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sweets (for example, I’m a huge brownie fan, and there are 15 brownie recipes, including a chili-orange chocolate brownie that I’ll try); eating guides, including nutrition tips; shopping basics; and more!  A record 25.8 million people participated in Veganuary 2025 worldwide.  Read all about it at this link and join the fun in 2026 https://www.animalagricultureclimatechange.org/veganuary-2025-record/
Attend the next EarthCare meeting for one point on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 12:30 in the Book Nook upstairs.  You can bring food from the ComUnity Cafe.
 
Come pick up trash!  We’ll have two cleanups: Saturday Jan. 24 and Monday January 26 at 10 a.m.  You get two points for each cleanup.
 
Check out the flyer to discover ways you can join in the fun!
Bingo Flyer & Details
October / November 2025 EarthCare Newsletter
People may have heard of an old-time rock band -The Byrds - song “Turn, Turn, Turn.”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVOJla2vYx8  The lyrics are  borrowed from Ecclesiastes in the Bible stating “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: …..”a time to pluck up that which is planted”.  Happy fall, y’all!  It is a time to plant Texas native seeds and plants.  These actions will make your yard beautiful in the spring and throughout the year, and support birds and pollinators.  
 
Sewing native seeds!  💚
This is very easy.  Native seed packets can be found locally at these retailers: https://www.gardenstylesanantonio.com/coupons-rebates/watersaver-landscape-coupon/#vendors. The nearest to me is Rainbow Gardens on Bandera Road.  You can also order online from Native American Seed https://seedsource.com/
 
💚Once you have your seeds, it is very easy.  Just scatter them on bare ground and walk on them! In the spring, you’ll have a profusion of colors!🌻
 
Planting native plants! 🌱
My Texas Native Plant Society partners with HEB, and you can find native plant sections.  Store by store HEB occasionally advertises $1 off, bring 6” pots from $6 each to $5 each.  This is more economical than the nursery trade.  Rainbow gardens (and others) are pricier, but have more expertise and dedicated native plant selections.  
 
I love mealy blue sage and red salvia, both of which are still blooming in my yard and have been since April.  I have not watered all year and my wild scape looks great!  SAWS puts out an excellent tool for you to find native plants good for sunny or shady areas. The website also outlines colors, maximum sizes, and deer resistance. I’ve set the parameters t “native plants/central Texas, which gives you 182 to select from! https://www.gardenstylesanantonio.com/plants/?fwp_native=central-texas
 
For new plants at this time of year, the rule is to water 3x/week the first week, 2x/week the second week, and then once a week for two weeks. Water less if there is rainfall. Putting mulch around the plants will help retain moisture (available at HEB, Walmart, but also garden shops at a higher price point.) 
 
To deepen your expertise and meet like-minded plant people, join me at the San Antonio Texas Native Plant Society.  https://www.npsot.org/. We resume after the holidays on January 27 at Hardberger Park Eco-center.  Meetings are every fourth Tuesday and we have plant exchanges.
 
💚Tips from your EarthCare Team! 
 
Refuse, reduce, recycle (look out for a quick city-specific recycling workshop!♳), reuse
Consistently carry a water bottle
Shop at thrift stores
Avoid plastic packaging 
Keep birdbaths clean and full
Clean trails on an individual basis (look for future clean up events!)
Plant gardens
Wildscape your yard (look forward to a spring tour of Unity members wildscaped yards!)
Compost (we can have a compost seminar)
Feed animals scraps
 
💚Feel free to join our Earthcare meetings the third Sunday of the month.  
Next meeting is November 16 at 12:30 in the book nook.  Come give your ideas, and we’ll recycle them! ♻️ 
EarthCare Team Chair Caron De Mars ( for Latin language speakers, Corona Beer drinkers, and epidemiologists, my name is pronounced like corona without the a)