Volunteer Spotlight: Cindy Speas's Remarkable Journey in Environmental Advocacy and Leadership

Cindy Speas is a dedicated force for environmental advocacy and community engagement. Serving as the FACS Tree Canopy Lead for many years, she is not only a founding member of Lewinsville Faith in Action but also a trained Climate Reality Leader since 2019. She participated in the Countywide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) working group and the Community Advisory Group of Resilient Fairfax. In 2021, Cindy's passion for trees and the environment was officially recognized when she was appointed to the At-Large seat on the Fairfax County Tree Commission, where she currently serves as Chair. Her dedication doesn't stop there; she completed the Fairfax Master Naturalist training in 2022, removes invasives with Plant NOVA Trees, Friends of Holmes Run, and the Fairfax Invasive Management Area Program, supports Quiet Clean NOVA and the Fairfax Parks Coalition, and passionately blogs about trees for Plant NOVA Natives. Cindy's tireless efforts demonstrate her steadfast commitment to positive environmental change in our community.

We're Hiring!

Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS) seeks a dynamic Community Engagement Manager who shares our passion for local climate action and climate justice. FACS was recently awarded a U.S. Dept. of Energy Buildings Up Award to support our work with congregations in Northern Virginia to lower the carbon footprints of their facilities. The Community Engagement Manager cultivates and manages relationships with faith communities throughout the region under the Buildings UP program. This position will report to FACS’ Executive Director. Read more about the roles and responsibilities of this position here.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter with the subject line “Community Engagement Manager” to executivedirector@faithforclimate.org. 

FACS Partners with Plant NOVA Natives and Audubon At Home

FACS is excited to announce a new collaboration with Plant NOVA Natives and Audubon At Home (AAH). This partnership will empower faith communities to conduct comprehensive assessments of their grounds through the AAH program. By offering on-site visits and tailored recommendations, we’re taking a significant step towards creating wildlife-friendly and habitat-enhanced environments. To request a site visit, click here. 

To learn more, join our Tree of Life Community meetings, held every third Thursday of the month. Our next meeting is Thursday, February 15, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. EST via Zoom.

Sharing Our Energy Journeys

Last October, FACS received the Department of Energy's Buildings UP award to assist faith communities enhance the energy efficiency of their buildings. This not only benefits the environment but also translates into substantial cost savings for congregations. Since then, FACS has begun working with more than 75 faith communities. Many of them have started tracking their energy use, conducting energy audits and implementing weatherization and energy upgrades recommended by the audits. FACS has also hosted webinars on energy benchmarking, energy audits, solar energy, HVACs and heat pumps. Additionally, we've presented financing strategies to address the dilemma of how to fund these upgrades.  

Join us on Tuesday, February 27, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm EST via Zoom for our next webinar, Sharing Our Energy Journeys. We'll showcase how faith communities have successfully reduced energy consumption and increased their use of renewable energy sources. Register below. For those faith communities eager to join this transformative effort, please contact Eric Goplerud at facsericg@gmail.com.

Let's Focus on Biodiversity

This month's Nature Corner delves into the interconnectedness of the climate crisis, the threat to biodiversity, and the significance of taking action.

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