A Rocha USA

A Rocha USA We are Christians in conservation with a mission to live out God’s calling to care for creation and equip others to do likewise. 🌱

A Rocha USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a national community of Christians working in conservation to protect and restore vulnerable habitats, species, and communities. Our programs and conservation projects focus on applied scientific research, environmental and theological education, and environmental action. Our key areas of work in the USA are marine conservation, climate action, and habitat pr

eservation. As a part of the worldwide family of A Rocha organizations that span over 20 countries, we are committed to restoring people and places by providing resources and community for those interested in biodiversity conservation and caring for all of God’s creation.

Sharing a tree seedling means so much more than one plant. When Heidy Sumei Chuang (.to.wonder), A Rocha USA's Artist Pa...
09/03/2026

Sharing a tree seedling means so much more than one plant. When Heidy Sumei Chuang (.to.wonder), A Rocha USA's Artist Partner, was left with a lone oak seedling from a generous native plant donor in Boston, she brought it to our team retreat at the Toah Nipi Christian Retreat Center.

Given our new partnership with Toah Nipi (which is now one of our Affiliated Projects!), it felt right to offer this seedling as a symbol of new growth and broadening possibilities. Oaks are keystone species that offer habitat and nourishment to so many other creatures. Their canopies, branches, and roots make life possible. We can't wait to see how this new partnership brings life to the northeast region and offers spaces of refuge and renewal to all of God's creation!

And we can't wait to see what species of oak this seedling turns out to be! Because it is so young, we had trouble identifying it but narrowed it down to three possible species. Stay tuned for more updates on this seedling and our growing work in the Northeast Corridor.

What does it mean to practice a place-based sea ethic? For marine scientist Bob Sluka, it begins with love. Love is a pr...
09/02/2026

What does it mean to practice a place-based sea ethic? For marine scientist Bob Sluka, it begins with love. Love is a practice, which involves gratitude, contentment, and lament for the places we live in and the creatures who surround us.

Learn more about Bob’s new book, A Brevard County Almanac at https://arocha.us/practicing-a-place-based-sea-ethic

Wendell Berry's words have pushed many of us to live into the values of place, neighborliness, and mutual flourishing. H...
09/02/2026

Wendell Berry's words have pushed many of us to live into the values of place, neighborliness, and mutual flourishing. He loved his place in rural Kentucky through the patient work of his hands, his eloquent writing, and by sharing the stories from that place.

We live in disorienting times, and sometimes the task before us is not readily apparent. It is a gut punch to lose guiding figures like Berry. But his own words remind us that when we lean in to the questions and sink our toes deep into the soil where we are planted, good things happen. The real work begins.

May our farmer-poet guide rest in peace, and may we each embrace the good work before us to behold the wonder of our places and work for their wholeness.

If you're just getting to know Berry's work, our team recommends: Hannah Coulter, Jayber Crow, "What Are People For?" and A Small Porch.

Summer is over, and autumn is upon us! 🍂As we enter this season, we are so grateful for the many sustained and new partn...
09/01/2026

Summer is over, and autumn is upon us! 🍂

As we enter this season, we are so grateful for the many sustained and new partnerships and programs. We wanted to take some time to share what's on our hearts this September and ask for your prayers with us this month.

Swipe through to see some of our prayers for the community of creation, for our partners, and for good work across the states and abroad!

We are so thankful for what the Lord has provided these past few months, and we're excited to walk into the work ahead this fall.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

We're so close to fully funding Liani, Briana and Katibeth, our 2026/2027 ARUSA-Au Sable Interns!Our internship program ...
08/31/2026

We're so close to fully funding Liani, Briana and Katibeth, our 2026/2027 ARUSA-Au Sable Interns!

Our internship program is a crucial next step for many recent graduates looking to gain experience in the conservation field, where entry-level jobs have become increasingly difficult to secure.

So far, we've raised 78% of our goal of $21,000. Can you chip in to help us raise the last 22% needed to unlock a matching gift and get us to our goal?

👉 Give by September 7 and your gift doubles: https://arocha.us/donate/internships

The Season of Creation is upon us! From September 1 through October 4 (the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi), Christians a...
08/25/2026

The Season of Creation is upon us! From September 1 through October 4 (the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi), Christians around the world are invited to come together in caring for our common home.

Ahead of the season, we're looking back at a recent Churches of Restoration workshop led by Ron Rienstra, where he reminded us why this season matters so deeply:

"In worship, the church doesn't merely admire creation from a distance but gives voice to it, so that the sighs and groans of creation can be transformed into singing."

Ron walked our Churches of Restoration cohort through prayers, songs, litanies, and liturgical practices congregations can use to mark the season and helped us imagine what it looks like to worship as creation's priestly witnesses, not just its spectators.

🎥 Watch the full workshop: https://youtu.be/vbUzNFuQgzU

However you and your congregation choose to observe it, we hope this season is one of wonder, gratitude, and renewed care for the world God loves. Blessed Season of Creation!

📸: stone statue of Saint Francis by Jorge Madrid on Pexels.

Horseshoe Crabs are one of our beloved species of study in Florida's Indian River Lagoon. Their bright blue blood clots ...
08/24/2026

Horseshoe Crabs are one of our beloved species of study in Florida's Indian River Lagoon. Their bright blue blood clots instantly around toxic bacteria, making them critical in the medical field. They face many threats, including habitat loss and overharvesting, putting them at Vulnerable status with the IUCN. 🦀🧲

A new study shows that microplastics are also a growing threat. The 2026 review found microplastics in two of four Horseshoe Crab species studied so far, including in the eggs of our own American Horseshoe Crab (tested in Jamaica Bay, USA) and in the gut of the Chinese Horseshoe Crab.

Our A Rocha team in Florida is contributing to ongoing research by working with the citizen science program, Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch, to monitor the health and behavior of these creatures. Across the A Rocha global family, we also participate in International Coastal Cleanups, study plastic pollution on beaches, push for coordinated efforts to reduce these impacts on God's ocean and land creatures. 🌊🪸

Learn more about A Rocha's plastics research from our Lead Marine Scientist, Dr. Bob Sluka, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkHt7F7Xq2o

🌻 In a season of drought, a church in Columbus, Ohio, discovered a suprising new kind of abundance.Their story echoes 1 ...
08/21/2026

🌻 In a season of drought, a church in Columbus, Ohio, discovered a suprising new kind of abundance.

Their story echoes 1 Kings 17: the widow of Zarephath's flour jar that never ran empty. As she fed the prophet Elijah, she and her son were fed too. Ellen, Jim, and Jenney of Vineyard Columbus have found the same truth: by feeding others, they are fed. Their creation care team has grown over 2,000 pounds of produce last year alone, with about 80% going straight to their food pantry, feeding neighbors from Haiti, Nepal, Bhutan, and beyond. 🍅🌿

As a part of our Churches of Restoration cohorts, this team also built creation care conversations and a Garden Club, doubling (even tripling!) volunteer turnout as they invited their whole congregation into caring for God's creation.

🔗 Read their full story on our blog here: https://arocha.us/churches-of-restoration-in-ohio-generosity-in-the-drought?_thumbnail_id=63460

📸: Vineyard Columbus's creation care team

Recently, a story about a data center proposed right next to Nashville Zoo came to our attention. Next to the home of cl...
08/20/2026

Recently, a story about a data center proposed right next to Nashville Zoo came to our attention. Next to the home of clouded leopard cubs, owls, bats, and dozens of other creatures God has entrusted to our care, developers want to build a 69,000 square-foot data center right up against the property line.🐆🦇

"I live by the backside of the zoo property. I love hearing the gibbons hooting and screaming in the day. Our neighborhood does not want or need a data center. We have families, pets, and zoo critters that call Nashville home. Help us keep our neighborhood peace," wrote one neighbor on the petition's page.

A Rocha believes part of what it means to care for creation is paying attention to costs that are often overlooked for the sake of technology, comfort, and economic growth. It's easy to overlook that building a data center often means clearing forests, wetlands, or farmland that God's creatures depend on. And once it's built, it's a disruption to the rhythms of wildlife all around it. A single data center can use up to 5 million gallons of water a day, which is roughly what a town of 50,000 people goes through, often in regions already facing water stress. 💧🌲

Our hope as an organization is not to instill fear or alarm by sharing stories like this one, but to raise awareness. We hope it prompts you to look more closely at the effects of our innovation on both our human and wild neighbors, and to consider what you can do to help reduce that impact. 🌎

Nearly 600,000 people have already signed on to ask Nashville's city leaders to pause and think carefully before building next to sensitive habitat. If that's a conversation you want to be part of, you can speak up here: https://www.change.org/p/nashville-zoo-says-no-to-proposed-data-center

Sources: The Animal Reader, July 2026, https://www.theanimalreader.com/2026/07/10/how-ai-data-centers-are-affecting-wildlife/
Washington Post analysis, cited in National Wildlife magazine / NWF, Fall 2025, https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2025/Fall/Conservation/AI-Data-Centers

As August brings the end of summer and the beginning of a new season, we hope for a month of rebirth and renewal, remind...
08/18/2026

As August brings the end of summer and the beginning of a new season, we hope for a month of rebirth and renewal, reminding us to take a breath and reflect on the Lord's provision not only for us but for all of creation.

📸: Autumn Ricksecker, Golden-cheeked Warbler

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Wheaton, IL

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+18305225319

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