Earth Wisdom, Nature & Us | 14 March 2026
On 14th March 2026, over 40 people representing many different faiths, and none, came together at our second conference, Earth Wisdom, Nature and Us, to explore how religious traditions protect and care for the environment and how we can all bring nature connection into our communities, with “faith as a catalyst for action”.
Following an inspirational morning session milking goats and making friends with alpacas on Willowbrook Farm near Kidlington, the UK’s first halal and tayib farm, the afternoon conference was opened by Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Moira Darlington. The afternoon included talks from integral ecologist Rev’d Dr Peter Rožič, local farmers Ruby Radwan and Mark Stevenson, award-winning journalist and broadcaster Annabel Heseltine, Rabbi Dr Michael Hilton, and eco-judaism lead at Oxford Synagogue Kathy Shock, all inspiring thoughtful discussions.
We also heard from the Director of Change Action Nepal, Indira Ghale, and the Field Manager for Lamu Marine Conservation Trust, Famau Shukry, who spoke from Nepal and Kenya, respectively. Indira’s programme with rural women that harnesses local indigenous knowledge on beekeeping and Famau’s work on involving communities in turtle conservation are examples of how the health of our communities and our ecosystems are so co-dependent and integrated.
Active hope was a common thread running through the conference. We discussed the idea of hope being a verb, existing between blind hope (ignorance) and dispair.
We gathered for the evening reception at Green Templeton College to nourish ourselves with food and continue connections and conversations.
Attendees shared their feelings of hope and gratitude for the experience, with one commenting that “we are part of a larger whole that acts in hope for a better world, and small steps lead to larger ones”.
The event brought together people of many backgrounds at a time of global uncertainty, offering — in the words of the day's theme — both hope and gratitude.
So many interesting initiatives, books and actions were mentioned throughout the day. As Rev’d Dr Peter Rožič posed to us: what tangible part of the earth we are responsible for; and what practice can we sustain to remain faithful to it? Every small thing we do for a better world is prophetic. Below are some links to pursue some of the many ideas and activities mentioned during the day:
Ruby Radwan quoted powerful excerpts from the 10th-century Iraqi fable, The Animals’ Lawsuit Against Humanity
Annabel Heseltine’s podcast Hope Springs is well worth a listen, featuring interviews with Satish Kumar, Christiana Figueres and Mya-Rose Craig (‘Bird Girl’)
Many people were inspired by Kathy Shock’s eco activities at her synagogue. You can find out more about Eco-Judaism, as well as Eco-Churches and Eco-Mosques.
Rabbi Dr Michael Hilton, along with Charlotte, is part of the team at Oxford Three Faiths Encounter, which holds events to consider theological insights from the three Abrahamic Faiths as they relate to real-world issues, with an emphasis on joint action
You can see Willowbrook Farm in action yourself. Their website has information about visiting hours, open days and their annual music festival.
If you want to learn more about local sustainable food, Good Food Oxford is an excellent resource, including information about your local community market.
A huge thank you to everyone who came with their whole selves, listened and shared their stories.
