A Place of Grace

Changing Climate, Changing Times: Our Evolving Relationship to the Land

This lecture series was supported by the interfaith Creation Care Team, whose supporting congregations are the Brevard Jewish Community, First United Methodist, the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, St. Philip’s Episcopal, St. Timothy’s United Methodist, Bethel A Baptist, and the Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County.  Financial support was provided by the Matthew 25 Speakers Fund of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd.  All are invited, all are welcome to attend these free lectures.

Tuesday, September 10, 7:00 pm - St. Philip’s Episcopal Church Miller Hall

Dr. Keith Parker: “Care for Creation, A Cherokee Perspective”

Dr. G. Keith Parker will speak on “Care for Creation, A Cherokee Perspective” on Tuesday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m. in Miller Hall at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church.  His presentation will be the inaugural event in the “Changing Climate, Changing Times: Our Evolving Relationship to the Land” lecture series being sponsored by a local interfaith creation care team.  The public is invited to attend this free event.

Parker will present his understanding of the Cherokee’s connections to the world in which they lived as portrayed in their myths, stories, and spiritual beliefs in the past, present and future. He is the author of Seven Cherokee Myths: Creation, Fire, the Primordial Parents, the Nature of Evil, the Family, Universal Suffering and Communal Obligation.  Some of the material has been shared in various colleges and universities, such as in the Distinguished Scholar Lectures at Brevard College (1994), and at the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich Switzerland.

A Brevard native, Parker is a Jungian analyst, theologian, historian, and author. He and his family served as missionaries in Europe for over two decades, where he taught counseling and church history in an international theological seminary in Switzerland and other European countries, both East and West. He eventually did administrative and humanitarian work when the Soviet Bloc was falling. Parker is married to the former Jonlyn Truesdail of Brevard; they have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

Tuesday, September 24 - 7:00 pm - St. Philip’s Episcopal Church Miller Hall

Dr. Jennifer Frick-Rupert: “Local Effects of Climate Change in the Southern Appalachians”

Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert will speak on “Local Effects of Climate Change in the Southern Appalachians” on Tuesday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m. in Miller Hall of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church.  Her presentation will be the second lecture in the “Changing Climate, Changing Times: Our Evolving Relationship to the Land” series being sponsored by a local interfaith creation care team.  The public is invited to attend this free event.

A changing climate is a global concern with local effects. While much of the information in research and the media has focused on increased storm intensity and altered weather patterns, our local biodiversity is shaped by its climate, and there has been less discussion of the biological effects of climate change. Plants, animals, fungi, and other creatures will be influenced by changes in high and low average temperature, changes in both timing and amounts of precipitation, and changes in the length of the seasons, particularly the first and last frost dates that define the growing season. Dr. Frick-Ruppert will explain how local plants and animals may be affected by a changing climate.

Dr. Frick-Ruppert is the Dalton Professor of Biology and Environmental Science as well as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Brevard College. She teaches courses in local biodiversity, animals and plants of the Southern Appalachians, and more.  She is author of the popular book, Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians, which describes some of the most interesting plants and animals of the region. She is also the author of Waterways: Sailing the Southeastern Coast, which is a narrative of a journey aboard a sailboat that describes the natural history of the coast, environmental effects, and a philosophy of living close to nature. Her third book is The Legend of Skyco: Spirit Quest, which describes the world of the native people of the region before European arrival.

Tuesday, October 15 - 7:00 p.m. - St. Philip’s Episcopal Church Miller Hall

Dr. Jake Hagedorn: “Mitigating Climate Change: Using Science to Transform Uncertainty into Progress”

Dr. Jake Hagedorn will speak on “Mitigating Climate Change: Using Science to Transform Uncertainty into Progress” on Tuesday, October 15 at 7 p.m. in Miller Hall of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church.  His presentation will be the final lecture in the “Changing Climate, Changing Times: Our Evolving Relationship to the Land” series being sponsored by a local interfaith creation care team.  The public is invited to attend this free event.

Hagedorn will explore how both natural and social sciences are being used to turn the uncertainties of climate change into opportunities for progress. He will analyze successful climate mitigation strategies already in place and investigate new, innovative approaches to addressing an uncertain future. By framing this conversation within the broader context of humanity's relationship with the land, he will seek hopeful solutions for navigating the challenges of an unpredictable world.

Hagedorn is an assistant professor of Environmental Science at UNC Asheville. He received his B.S. in Environmental Studies from UNC Asheville, M.S in Geosciences from Pennsylvania State University, and Ph.D. in Environmental Science from University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. He teaches soil science, agriculture and energy courses. His research focuses on assessing how farm management practices impact water, soil, and air quality. Hagedorn lives with his wife, two kids, and two dogs in Mills River and loves hiking, soccer, and tiny houses/affordable housing.