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| "Carpooling, nurturing honeybees, planting trees, cleaning the environment, waste management (reduction) and growing vegetables were recommended many years ago (by Amma) and Amma’s children are doing that. If we all get together and do it with more focus, we will be able to transform this earth into heaven. For that, we should first create heaven within ourselves. I pray to the Supreme to grace us with the blessings to do so."
Amma (from speech at the Special Envoy for the Protection of the Planet convened by President Francois Hollande 21 July 2015, Paris, France. |
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GreenFriends
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| GreenFriends is an international, volunteer-based movement that promotes environmental awareness and participation at the individual and community levels. GreenFriends' goal is to promote environmental awareness by inspiring people to serve and protect Nature.
GreenFriends started in India in 2001 as a project of Embracing the World and has since spread across the globe, with thousands of members today throughout the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. The mission of GreenFriends is to create a loving bond between humanity and Nature and to promote conservation through constructive action. Any service-oriented activity to protect and promote awareness and conservation of Nature can be considered a GreenFriends activity. "Look at Nature. Nature is a text book from which we must learn. Each object in it is a page from that book. Each and every object in Nature teaches us something. Renunciation and selflessness are the greatest lessons we can learn from Nature. Nature sacrifices Herself for humans; whereas, we not only exploit Her, but destroy Her. Yet Nature serves us. The earth is serving us; the sun, moon and stars serve us. What to we do in return for their selfless service? Nothing except harm. The unintelligent beings and things have no thinking power, yet they selflessly serve each other and humans. Humans have discrimination and yet they are utterly selfish. They are not even clearing their debts to Nature." - Amma May all beings and life-forms live and thrive in harmony upon the Earth! For information on GreenFriends activities in your area, click on the Friends of GreenFriends link at the top of the page. |
| North America GreenFriends Newsletter | ||
| Read the Quarter 3 2023 North America GreenFriends newsletter! | ||
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Embracing The Trees A Tree Planting Initiative of GreenFriends North America |
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Amma's encouragement for us to plant trees has gotten stronger and taken on more urgency recently. First, she asked us to plant one tree per month. Now she asks us to also plant trees for special holy days, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Although willing to plant trees, many of us don't know how or where to begin. To that end, GreenFriends North America is introducing the Embracing The Trees initiative to support all MA Centers and satsangs as we work together to plant as many trees as we can. Find out more about Embracing The Trees... |
| Pacific Northwest GreenFriends Newsletter |
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| As nice as they are, campfires can cause risks not only to people and wildlife, but can also be detrimental to the environment. This does not to mean we should stop having campfires, rather, we should be mindful of their environmental impact. Read about nature as art and how it relates to wildfires in the GreenFriends Pacific Northwest newsletters!
The PNW GreenFriends newsletters contain interesting articles and photos about gardening, nature, the PNW Litter Project, the Greenbelt Restoration Project and more... |
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Ashwattha Trees at MA Center San Ramon |
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| MA Center San Ramon recently planted three ashwattha trees, also known bodhi or peepal trees - a sacred tree in India. |
| A Food Rescue Initiative Sprouted from Amma’s Teachings |
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| The Toronto Food Rescue project began a simple initiative in 2017 and has since grown to make a significant impact on food insecurity in the Toronto area.
Read How a Food Rescue Initiative Sprouted from Amma’s Teachings... |
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Mary Beth's GreenFriends Satsang |
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| Mary Beth Nelson gave a satsang from Amritapuri on July 21, 2023 on how GreenFriends came into her life and how she learned so much from sprouting baby trees.
Read an excerpt from Mary Beth's GreenFriends Satsang... |
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New England Nature and Yoga Day Workshop |
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| The New England Nature and Yoga Day Workshop on June 17th, hosted by Embracing the Trees New England, was the perfect post-pandemic antidote to COVID isolation.
Read about the New England Nature and Yoga Day Workshop... |
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How to Save Oodles of Precious Water |
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| With worsening droughts, we need to conserve water for essential uses, such as drinking, irrigating, fire-fighting, etc., as well as meeting Mother Nature’s needs. But using less water is surprisingly easy and painless! |
| Source Reduction Campaign |
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Amma has asked that we begin to concentrate our efforts of sustainable living on SOURCE REDUCTION. This means stopping waste before it begins. Instead of recycling plastics and other throw-away products that need to be processed for reconfiguration into another form, we need to start using products that are designed to last, or find an alternative way of living that eliminates the need for the product altogether. You can now download an inspiring PDF introducing the Source Reduction Campaign. |
| India's Enduring Love for Trees |
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In India, trees have been regarded with deep respect and reverence throughout the ages. Amma, has told us that in ancient times in India, people would perform a puja to worship trees. If there was a need to cut a tree down, or even before plucking its fruit or leaves, they would seek its permission and apologize. "In the old days, there was no specific need for environmental preservation," Amma says, "because protecting Nature was part of worshiping God and life itself." "If people did need to kill a tree in those days, they would plant not just one, but several more to replace it." "More than remembering 'God', the people used to love and serve Nature and society." "They saw the Creator through the creation. They loved, worshipped and protected Nature as the visible form of God." |
| MA Center Plants the 1000th Fruit Tree |
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Amma’s wish to plant 1000 fruit trees on the ashram grounds was finally realized when she blessed the 1000th sapling after the question and answer session at the 2019 San Ramon retreat. |
| Ravi's Tips for Conserving Water and Energy |
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A website visitor who moved to the US from India nearly 45 years ago shares his personal experience with conserving both water and electricity. Read more... |
| AYUDH GreenFriends Initiative Plants 2200+ Trees and Plants on Deserted Island |
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14 year-old Ella Laird of Hawaii, along with 15 of her friends, planted more that 2200 trees and plants of a deserted Hawaiian island that was formerly used for military target practice. |
| Middle School Donates 17,000 Plastic Bags For Sleeping Mats for the Homeless |
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When Jones Middle School couldn’t find a recycler for their plastic bags, their teacher did an Internet search on recycling and reusing plastic bags and ended up at the Green Friends North America Plastic Challenge web page. The Middle School contacted the GreenFriendsNA.org website to find out if they could donate their plastic bags. A day later the greenhouse at Turtle Barn Farm was full from floor to ceiling with 17,000 plastic bags that volunteers can use to create sleeping mats for the homeless. |
| Good Environmental News! |
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| There are plenty of awful things happening on the planet these days, like marine plastic pollution, greenhouse gases increasing, rainforest degradation, sea levels rising, extreme weather... the list unfortunately goes on and on. But at the same time, there are a lot of good people doing a lot of good things to help save the planet.
Like news in general, good environmental news often goes unreported, or at least under-reported. |
| Amma is Presented with the Results of the Plastic Challenge |
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Amma was presented with the results of the Plastic Challenge in the form of a PowerPoint presentation while on the US tour. She had a very positive reaction when shown the plastic challenge results and was very happy it is happening. |
| Home | Source Reduction | Friends of Green Friends | Newsletters | Resources | What You Can Do | Embracing The Trees |
For more information, e-mail info@greenfriendsna.org |
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