Reading Planetwise by Dave Bookless was a lightbulb moment for me. How had I missed all this before? I was keen to learn all I could about environmental issues, climate change, the environment and biodiversity, preferably from a Christian perspective. And then I found out about CRES! It sounded just what I was looking for, especially when I found myself moving to a new rural parish.
As a non-scientist I found some of the study challenging, but still very accessible. The mixture of module reading, a variety of small projects and writing study papers meant I could progress at my own pace, and I had an excellent tutor who supported my journey and gave me just the right amount of direction. It was tough fitting in the reading and study papers round a demanding job but I am so pleased that I completed it, as I learnt such a lot. We had excellent speakers at our study days. My final project gave me an opportunity to explore my growing interest in local food.
I’ve recently retired, and I have more time to apply and pass on what I have learnt. I have joined my local Transition group, my garden is being redesigned with food-growing and wildlife in mind, I hope to help my church to engage with environmental issues, and I am looking to see what other opportunities God opens up in my new situation