Asher Scarlato - Youth Confirmation

Hi everyone, my name is Asher Scarlato, and I am one of six confirmands in the 2023-2024 Youth Confirmation Class. In this article, I will talk about my deep connection to the natural world and how my confirmation experience has affirmed and strengthened my relationship with nature. Nature conservation and stewardship of the land are truly where I feel called to serve in the world and where I find spiritual fulfillment and a great sense of purpose in life. 

I have loved Connecticut’s forests, hills, rivers, wildlife, and other natural wonders from a very young age. Hiking on the Farmington River Valley’s many wonderful hiking trails, I saw many beautiful and inspiring sights, such as migrating raptors, woodland brooks flowing through mossy ravines, a stunningly beautiful array of forested hills, and much more. I also saw many ways in which these natural treasures were being destroyed. Forests being cut down to create housing developments, a quarry blasting apart acres and acres of wildlife habitat, and rising temperatures from climate change killing more and more species are just a few of the ways humans are rapidly deteriorating the ecological communities of the region.

After reading Doug Tallamy’s book Bringing Nature Home, I decided to become more active in the nature conservation community. I had already learned about and indulged in several sustainable practices such as recycling, composting, and veganism, all three of which significantly lower an individual’s carbon footprint. Now, I felt called to work in environmental protection on a larger scale. I joined the Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy, a nature conservation organization focusing on Simsbury, Bloomfield, East Granby, West Hartford, Granby, and Windsor. The TRLC protects almost 650 acres of wildlife habitat in the region, which it works hard to protect and keep in a healthy natural state. My role in the TRLC is a preserve steward, meaning I care for an eleven-acre wildlife sanctuary in East Granby. This involves many different responsibilities, including clearing out trash dumped by neighbors, clearing away invasive plants, planting native species, maintaining hiking trails, and many more practices that support a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. 

In Confirmation Class, the confirmands were asked to choose one topic from the United Methodist 2020 Social Principles to read and reflect upon.  Being passionate about nature conservation and environmental sustainability, I chose “Sustainable Policies and Practices” as my topic to explore more deeply. The social principles affirm my commitment to long-term sustainability and encourage all United Methodists “to adopt sustainable habits and practices, including refraining from overconsumption, repurposing and recycling materials, avoiding products that pollute or otherwise harm the environment, and reducing the carbon footprints of individuals and families by reducing overall reliance on fossil fuels for heat, transportation, and other goods.” The United Methodist Church also emphasizes adopting sustainable practices for ourselves, influencing others, and spreading environmental awareness throughout larger communities. I very much support the church’s view on sustainability, and greatly encourage all of you to be mindful of nature in all that you do. 

We, as humans, are responsible for our beautiful earth, and as is repeated again and again in scripture, we should steward and protect the land with mindfulness and love. Tending to nature is a wonderful way to become closer to God, ourselves, and the stunning diversity present in even the smallest natural areas. My connection to nature through land stewardship has made me a more spiritually strong and mindful human. I encourage you to become closer and more connected to nature to experience the amazing feeling of belonging and love that God gives us through our earth.  

         Anonymous Prayer of a Native American: 

O Great Spirit,
whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world, Hear me.
I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes
ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made.
Make my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand
the things you have taught your people.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden
in every leaf and rock.
I seek strength, not to be greater than another,
but to fight my greatest enemy – myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes,
so when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you
without shame. Amen.

-        Asher Scarlato, Confirmand