Search
Care for Creation
-
Parishioners Share How They Care for Creation
-
Kristina Priotto on Glaciers and Climate Change
What are you studying and what inspired you to pursue that degree at UT-Austin?
When I was a high school senior, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg made headlines for protesting climate change. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so helpless embarking on four years of college amidst the climate crisis. I entered UT as just a Plan II Honors student, but soon, classes on natural resources and climate change opened my eyes to the environmental injustices in our world. I added Sustainability Studies and a Geography degree. Through them, I’ve taken so many classes that have broadened my perspective on environmental issues. I’m studying the systems of Earth and how elements such as soil interact with other components of our environment, which is really cool!
Can you briefly explain your field research in South America this summer?
This past summer, I traveled to the Cordillera Blanca in the Andes of Peru alongside my professors/senior thesis advisors and met with a UT PhD candidate who is doing research on alpine ecological systems. With her guidance, we stayed in Huaraz and took cores of peatland (called bofedales) soil in three sites of newly-deglaciated (proglacial) lands.
Glaciers in the region are melting at an accelerated rate due to climate change. Peatlands in proglacial lands play a key role in the earth’s ecosystem: although they only cover around 3% of the global land area, they contain about 25% of the global soil carbon stock. Gaining insights on the carbon content of the bofedales could help us know what steps to take to protect these natural carbon-sequestering processes t0 combat climate change.
How are environmental and social issues connected?
Climate change disproportionately affects groups of people with less social, economic, and political advantage. In Peru, I saw first-hand that people who have called the Andes their home for generations are being displaced due to melting glaciers as well as pressure from tourists and companies that want to use their land.
In addition, Peru and bordering countries are facing natural hazards, which would not occur at the same rate without climate change. In 1941, a third of the city of Huaraz was wiped out by a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Lake Palcacocha. Since then, glacial lakes and the cities surrounding them have increased in size and population, multiplying the risk. The Washington Post recently published an article about a self-sustained Peruvian farmer in the Cordillera Blanca, Saúl Luciano Lliuya, who is suing the German energy company RWE. RWE is contributing a big percentage of the pollution that is melting the glaciers there and causing an increased risk to his home.
-
How do you find inspiration from St. Francis of Assisi and your Catholic faith?
When I received the sacrament of Confirmation at St. Austin’s last Easter, I chose St. Francis of Assisi to be my patron saint. He teaches me to strengthen my relationship with God by finding God in all of creation – through trees, lakes, mountains, and all of the ecosystems that call Earth their home.
St. Francis called these elements of life his “brothers” and “sisters.” St. Francis aims for us to understand our familial bonds with all living creatures as we seek to grow closer to God. In fighting the climate crisis, in advocating for environmental justice, we are fighting for all of God’s creation. As Lliuya, the plaintiff in the lawsuit against RWE says, “If I imagine that the mountain is a person, and it felt like it was being affected, it would also go to court, make these demands.” We, as humans, have a duty to fight for all of God’s creatures, including the underrepresented ones that live in places of increased environmental risk and the ones that cannot speak for themselves. My Catholic faith constantly reminds me of this!
About Kristina Priotto
Kristina grew up in Houston in a multilingual and multicultural family. She is currently a fourth-year undergraduate at UT as a Plan II, Geography, and Sustainability Studies major. She is focusing on the Tropical Andes, particularly Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, to study what ecosystem services new alpine proglacial landscapes can offer for her Plan II Thesis. She has also taken an important role in reviving the UT Geography Society.
In addition to her studies, Kristina works at the UT Geoarchaeology & Soils lab and as the Administrative Assistant for St. Austin’s Outreach to Persons in Need ministry. During her free time, Kristina enjoys running, exploring local trails with her dog, practicing yoga, and volunteering for the Campus Environmental Center as well as numerous local Austin environmental groups.
-
-
The Environment & Our New Parish Campus
-
-
-
Discover more about our Beacon of Hope Campaign
www.staustin.org/beacon-of-hope
Special thanks to our architectswww.pagethink.com
-
-
Care for Animals
-
Parishioner Krissy Dunn on Animal Welfare
What inspired you to get involved in animal welfare?
Learning about how relatively small changes for humans can mean life or death, joy or misery, for animals is what inspired me to advocate for them. I fell into animal rights in 2014 when an unexpected career opportunity presented itself and inspired me to research the experiences of many different animals. I had previously compartmentalized the experiences of animals - loving certain animals while ignoring others. Upon learning the difficult truths of factory farming, I chose to become vegetarian and then transitioned to being vegan. I was also moved to change by the interconnected human rights issues, both on factory farms and in the environmental damage and injustices wrought by factory farming.
-
My Catholic values have played a key role in my advocacy and concern for animals. I devoured every word of Pope Francis’s Laudato Si. Here’s an excerpt that especially resonated with me:
“When our hearts are authentically open to universal communion, this sense of fraternity excludes nothing and no one. It follows that our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creatures of this world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings. We have only one heart, and the same wretchedness which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showing itself in our relationships with other people. Every act of cruelty towards any creature is ‘contrary to human dignity.’”
-
-
-
How do you find God in nature and/or through animals?
Birding is my favorite way to find God in nature - and luckily it’s as simple as walking outside! From the native species to the many birds that migrate through Texas, we live in a wonderful area for bird-watching! I started exploring bird photography at the beginning of the pandemic. Admiring birds’ intricate features (the details on their thousands of feathers!) while learning about their fascinating feats of communication, travel and navigation is awe-inspiring. It is no surprise that there has been research linking bird-watching and spending time in nature with improved feelings of calmness and mental well-being. We are all connected.
How has your passion for animal welfare connected you with others?
I’ve been fortunate to work and volunteer in several animal welfare organizations and have met many incredible, compassionate people over the years. Through the people I’ve met, I’ve seen that there are countless ways to apply your God-given talents to make life better for animals! The creativity and kindness I’ve witnessed is a testament to how deeply people care. Everyday encounters in service of animals have also led to meaningful connections. Recently a stranger and I discovered an injured adult bird floundering under a car by Lady Bird Lake, and we were able to work together to catch her and bring her to Austin Wildlife Rescue for rehab. He and I spoke different languages, but we had the same mission. It was a moving experience.
-
How can parishioners learn more and improve the lives of animals?
Together we can make the world better for animals, and no action is too small - truly! Some of the most meaningful differences do not require extra time or money, but rather a change in shopping behaviors. If you are interested in reading more about animal protection from the perspective of Catholic writers, I highly recommend Fordham theologian Charles Camosy’s book “For Love of Animals” and former Bush administration speechwriter Matthew Scully’s book “Dominion.” If you are considering choosing meatless meals, Minimalist Baker is a helpful resource for simple and delicious recipes - most of which are vegan. Other simple actions that anyone can take include creating a humane home by incorporating native plants, shopping cruelty-free, keeping an eye open for injured wildlife, turning your lights off at night during Fall and Spring migration, choosing bird-friendly glass if in construction, and helping out the local, often-overburdened shelters by fostering, volunteering or adopting.
-
-
-
About Krissy Dunn
Krissy Dunn works in nonprofit development for an international animal rights organization and lives in Austin with her husband Jim and their senior dog Presley. She first began attending Mass at St. Austin when residing here several years ago then returned to Austin in 2019 and officially became a parishioner of St. Austin last year. She enjoys spending time with her family, bird watching, board games and exploring Austin’s trails and parks.
-
-
Expanding Central Texas Trails
-
Parishioner Cindy Matulaon the Great Springs Project
Can you introduce the Great Springs Project to us?
Visualize One Great Texas Trail – from the Alamo to the Capitol! Great Springs Project is working to create a greenway of protected lands between Austin and San Antonio over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. This green corridor will be connected by a 100-mile network of spring-to-spring trails, linking four of Texas’ Great Springs: Barton Springs, San Marcos Springs, Comal Springs, and San Antonio Springs. Through collaboration with many partners, Great Springs Project unifies and supports existing local efforts and catalyzes new efforts to address the most critical water, land, wildlife, and public health and equity challenges facing the Central Texas region.
What inspired you to get involved?
I have high respect and admiration for the individuals who asked me and from there it was easy to be inspired – I’m an outdoor person at my core and I love water. Growing up on a 100-acre farm in Texas, I was blessed with plenty of trees to climb, tanks to swim in, nature to explore and cow trails to hike on. Did you know that 96% of the land in Texas is privately held? This compares to over 50% of land in most Western states available for public use. With the growth our Central Texas Region is experiencing, it is crucial we preserve and conserve land, so we and future generations have healthy outdoor spaces for community and connection. The Great Springs Project will deliver an additional 50,000 acres of conserved land.
How will the Great Springs Project help integrate different neighborhoods and communities?
Great Springs Project (GSP) created an Equity Task Force early in the trail visioning and planning process. GSP has ten Guiding Principles for trail development thanks to the work of this Task Force. A few examples to highlight:-
The trail network should be accessible to people of all ages and abilities providing a mix of trail types so that all people are able to enjoy various parts of the system.
-
Trails should connect to places people want to go – neighborhood to school, neighborhood to another neighborhood, neighborhood to a park, cultural resources, natural areas and springs.
-
The trail network should help protect the springs while enhancing community livability with places to rest along the trail, scenic viewpoints, public art and educational signage. These, along with historical elements and cultural references, should promote a sense of place.
-
-
How do you find God in nature?
For me, God is everywhere and especially in nature and outdoors. I’ve always been a master at multi-tasking. I use long runs, now long walks, to think about many things and this includes prayer, especially prayer of thanks and gratitude for the beauty in nature and good health to enjoy and experience many outdoor activities. Here’s an example of beauty in nature – right now all over Austin, the Pride of Barbados is blooming brilliantly. God is good; all the time God is good. God created this beautiful plant to withstand the harshest of Texas’ heat and drought and bring stunning beauty to our community.
Anything else you would like to share? How can parishioners learn more?
The Great Springs Project team are passionate professionals on a mission to deliver the Great Springs Trail by Texas’ Bicentennial in 2036. The team along with the Board of Directors are an inspiration to me. Every interaction is a reinforcement to stay focused, work diligently, and remain true to long term goals and commitments, much like the gameplan of my earthly journey for the blessing and reward of eternal life.
For those who are interested in learning more, I highly encourage a visit to the Great Springs Project’s website. Please reach out if you’d like to learn more about and/or get involved with the Great Springs Project. You can also connect and learn by following Great Springs Project on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
-