“Only when we see that we are part of the totality of the planet, not a superior part with special privileges, can we work effectively to bring about an earth restored to wholeness.”
– Elizabeth Watson
Who We Are
Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) is a network of Friends (Quakers) in North America working on Earthcare concerns. We work to inspire Spirit-led action toward ecological sustainability and environmental justice.
QEW has grown out of a strong leading among Friends that our future depends on a spiritual transformation in our relationships with each other and the natural world. For over 30 years, we have helped Friends integrate Earthcare into their daily lives.
As our communities are being impacted more and more by the climate crisis, we feel an urgent leading to share our witness.
What We Do
- Empower individuals to take Spirit-led action on ecological concerns and build a community of Quaker committed to Earthcare
- Share spiritual and educational resources with faith communities
- Connect Friends caring for the Earth
- Speak out as a public Quaker voice about critical ecological concerns and environmental justice
Our Vision & Witness
WE ARE CALLED to live in right relationship with all Creation, recognizing that the entire world is interconnected and is a manifestation of God.
WE WORK to integrate into the beliefs and practices of the Religious Society of Friends the Truth that God’s Creation is to be respected, protected, and held in reverence in its own right, and the Truth that human aspirations for peace and justice depend upon restoring the earth’s ecological integrity.
WE PROMOTE these Truths by being patterns and examples, by communicating our message, and by providing spiritual and material support to those engaged in the compelling task of transforming our relationship to the earth.
Some Friends may choose different language to describe their personal reasons for supporting or sharing in the work of Quaker Earthcare Witness. All are welcome who seek to further QEW’s programs and activities.
How We Work
We are a volunteer-led organization guided by a 50-person Steering Committee that uses Quaker process and decision-making to guide our work. Our Steering Committee is comprised of at-large members and nominated representatives from Quaker Yearly Meetings (regional groups) in North America. The day-to-day work is done by staff.
Our broader network includes thousands of Friends and hundreds of Quaker meetings and churches who read our newsletter, attend our events, share our educational resources with their communities, and connect together on social media. We also collaborate with Quaker partner organizations, the broader environmental justice movement, and faith-based networks.
Our Staff
Shelley Tanenbaum
Shelley combines her lifelong love of nature with many years of environmental advocacy and research. She has served as staff and a board member of QEW, Quaker Institute for the Future, Earthlight Magazine and many other non-profit organizations. She is an environmental scientist with a focus on air quality. Shelley lives in the San Francisco area and is a member of Strawberry Creek Monthly Meeting.
Contact by email
Miche McCall
(They/Them) Miche seeks to live out all the Quaker testimonies, especially Earthcare. They have served as a Quaker Voluntary Service Fellow at the Massachusetts Climate Action Network, and at many other justice-oriented organizations, including Arts, Religion, and Culture. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Miche has lived in the Midwest, New England, and now in New York City. They currently attend Brooklyn Monthly Meeting and is the parent of a dog named Bread.
Contact by emailMore Information
Upcoming Events
Introduction to Faithfulness Groups for those called to Earthcare
June 7 @ 7:30 pm ET
Marcelle Martin and Mary Ann Percy will introduce Faithfulness Groups as an ongoing small group practice to support Friends (and others) in their work, ministry, and leadings around Earthcare, environmental witness, environmental justice, ecological grief, education about climate change, and building resilient communities.
If you are interested in learning about these small groups, including their format, and how they can support you and others led by the Spirit in this work, join us for an introduction on June 7, 7:30 – 9 pm (Eastern Time).
Those who participate in this evening event and wish to learn more, and/or find others to join in an ongoing group will have the opportunity to sign up for a 3-hour workshop that will be held on June 10 (1-4 pm Eastern/10 am to 1 pm Pacific).
For more information about faithfulness groups, including links to videos on the subject, visit Marcelle's website, AWholeHeart.com.
Fifty Acres and Fool: The Ploughshares Farm Story
June 12 @ 7:00 pm ET
In 2002, Brent and Nancy Bill acquired fifty acres of her father's farmland to build a house across the road from him. Brent will share how and why this land was transformed into a wildlife habitat and protected forest and how he was transformed as well.
J. Brent Bill is a Quaker minister, photographer, retreat leader, and writer. He lives on Ploughshares Farm, which is fifty acres of former farm land which was been removed from production agriculture and planted with prairies and native hardwood forests. His website is brentbill.com.
June Worship Sharing with Quaker Earthcare Witness
June 27 @ 7:00 pm ET
Quaker Earthcare Witness is hosting monthly online worship sharing groups.
In worship sharing, we gather in small groups to focus on a particular question (or questions) to explore our own experience and share with each other more deeply than we would in normal conversation. It seeks to draw us into sacred space, where we can take down our usual defenses, and encounter each other in “that which is eternal.” We welcome all to join us!
Together we are creating more opportunities for Friends who care deeply about the Earth and each other to be in spiritual community with one another. We hope you can join us.
Photo by Kathy Barnhart
Support Our Work
We’re the primary Quaker voice addressing the issues of climate change and the environment. Please consider helping to build a robust, creative, impactful network of Friends taking action to care for each other and the planet—and make a donation today.