This year’s Season of Creation theme of Living Water is a vital one, and significantly links to climate action. We are encouraging churches to participate in marking the festival, getting involved in actions to protect and restore rivers and waterways as well as thinking about the importance of climate action as part of our care for rivers and the ocean.
Season of Creation resources
The international Season of Creation runs from 1 September to 4 October 2026. The theme this year is Living Water, drawing from the passage in Ezekiel 47 especially verses 9 and 12. You can download the Celebration Guide which contains an invitation, theology, prayers, ideas and advocacy suggestions. More resources are available from their resources page.
Pilgrimage
- Use some of the prayers and readings from the Season of Creation resources.
- Invite people to make a personal commitment to care for creation, and suggest opportunities for further action, locally and/or nationally.
- Invite your MP or other elected representatives to join you, as well as other local churches.
- Combine with a citizen science activity, such as monitoring the water’s health.
Join in citizen science
Observe wildlife and pollution at your local river/waterway as part of Big River Watch in September or April. You’ll need someone to download the app at The Big River Watch | The Rivers Trust
Complete citizen science water testing of your local river/waterway as part of Great UK WaterBlitz – Earthwatch Europe , 18-21 September. You’ll need to contact them in advance to register and get your testing kit.
Reduce water impacts
As climate change brings hotter summers and greater pressure on freshwater supplies, we can all use water more wisely.
- Install water butts to harvest rainwater for gardens and church grounds.
- Use water-saving settings on washing machines and dishwashers, and consider cistern bricks and eco shower heads.
- Encourage schools, businesses and other high water users in your community to reduce their water use.
Check out the Eco church guide to water use and capture.
Ask for Clean Water Now
The UK Government will be preparing a Water Bill to pass in 2026/2027. Clean Water Now is a shared campaign to ensure the bill will:
- Stop the polluters − crack down on sewage and intensive agricultural and chemical pollution.
- Fix the broken system − stop water companies putting profit before people and nature, with proper oversight and community involvement.
- Restore nature − bring rivers, lakes and seas back to life with cleaner water, healthier habitats and safe access.
Support Rights of Rivers
Consider signing up to the Rights of Rivers Declaration, either as individuals or endorse it as an organisation.
The declaration states that all rivers are:
- Living entities.
- Entitled to fundamental rights.
- Entitled to legal guardians.
And that:
- These rights shall extend to the health of watersheds and river basins.
- Indigenous communities will be represented in river guardianship.
- All states will implement these rights and provide the resources necessary to ensure they are realized.
Work with local groups
It’s good to find out who else is working to protect rivers and waterways locally to you and see if you can work together. Some groups may be inspired by different ideologies and theology, but it’s good to see how our care for creation can have some similar aims and build links with active community groups.
The Rivers Trusts coordinates a network of over 60 member trusts in the UK and Ireland. Visit their network map to find a trust local to you.
The River Rights Network lists information about local groups working together to protect:
River Ouse in Sussex, River Plym in Devon, River Don in South Yorkshire, River Cam in Cambridge, River Medway in Sussex & Kent, Channelsea River in East London, River Dart in Devon, River Exe in Somerset & Devon, River Kent in Cumbria, Gaywood River in Norfolk, River Loddon in Hampshire, River Char in Dorset, River Severn in Powys, Shropshire, Worcestershire & Gloucestershire, River Clyde in Lanarksire, Glasgow and Firth of Clyde, River Usk in Carmarthenshire, Powys & Monmouthshire, Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland, River Itchen in Southampton, River Roding in London, Helford River and River Fal in Cornwall, River Wye in Herefordshire, River Eden in Cumbria, River Tyne in Cumbria, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear.
International ocean protection
As well as local actions, we need to coordinate with international efforts to protect the ocean.
The Faiths High Ambition Coalition for Ocean and Nature Action invites local and national churches to pledge actions to protect the ocean. Be inspired by their Sacred Ocean report and make your pledge.
A Rocha International has a range of ocean protection resources including information about plastics clean-up, beach cleaning, prayer for the oceans and related media.
