Elemental Climate Conversations
Earth: An Interfaith Exchange
Thursday, June 5, 2025
6:30-7:45 pm
Pacifica Institute
25351 Commercentre Dr
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Free and open to the public. RSVP to attend.
Responding to the climate crisis requires new forms of imagination. In this fourth event in a series featuring the four elements (Water, Air, Fire, and Earth), please join us for an interfaith exploration of earth with a focus on soil stewardship and environmental justice. Learn about native plants and urban farming. Participate in a tree-planting ceremony at the Pacifica Institute, which promotes interfaith dialogue from a Turkish Muslim perspective. Join together in collective learning and healing, and find out what you can do to make a difference.
Program will include:
Interfaith Fig Tree Planting Ceremony
Atilla Kahveci, Pacifica Institute
Pastor Sadie Cullumber, Harbor Christian Church
The Science of Soil – and Why You Should Care
Steve Allison, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, UC Irvine
Food Justice and Urban Farming
Reverend Farmer Stephen Yorba, Executive Director, Community Partners 4 Innovation and Lopez Urban Farm
Soil Sampling and Environmental Justice
Maya Cheav, Land & Health Director, Orange County Environmental Justice
Islamic Musical Performance
'ūd Musician
Optional observance of sunset prayer service at 8:00 pm in Pacifica Institute’s worship space.
Hosted by the Pacifica Institute
Co-hosted by the Program in Religious Studies at UC Irvine School of Humanities and the UC Humanities Research Institute
This Elemental Climate Conversation event is organized by the Interfaith Climate Action Working Group, an initiative of WUICAN (Wildland-Urban Interface Climate Action Network). Based at UC Irvine, WUICAN is a consortium of environmental justice organizations, California Native American Tribes, land managers, and universities working together to develop community-driven policies and practices for land and water stewardship in response to the climate crisis. Our interfaith working group members hail from the following organizations:
Church of the Messiah | Harbor Christian Church | Jewish Collaborative of Orange County | New Hope Presbyterian Church | Pacifica Institute | Reconcile Church | St. Mark Presbyterian Church | UC Humanities Research Institute | UCI Religious Studies Program | UCI School of Humanities | United Sikh Mission