James Culley, Percussion Group Cincinnati, explains a few instruments he will use at St. Luke’s Church on Saturday. Fellow group mates, Allen Otte and Russell Burge can be seen behind him. P-J photo by Katrina Fuller

At St. Luke’s Church, celebrating Earth Day includes music, art and a community of hope.

To start the day, the church opened their doors to Percussion Group Cincinnati for a music workshop where children and adults heard a variety of music from around the globe and experienced many different instruments. Later on, the church also presented an eco-themed art show titled “E.O. Wilson’s Biophilia Hypothesis, Loving Bats and Birds and Leaves,” as well as an Earth ceremony and a concert by Percussion Group Cincinnati.

Percussion Group Cincinnati includes members James Culley, Allen Otte and Russell Burge. The group focuses on world beat, indigenous and traditional instruments, such as marimbas, drums, gongs, piano and earthen pots.

The members are faculty members as well as ensemble-in-residence at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

The Rev. Luke Fodor, pastor of the church, said the workshop allowed the musical group to “connect to those in attendance with the heartbeat of the Earth.” The workshop drew many children into participation, which was the goal, he added.

“The idea is to raise and instill in young people a passion for the environment,” Fodor said.

He said all the events were part of the GreenUp Jamestown initiative and were geared toward involving the community and youth in particular in environmentally conscious events. He said the initiative began as a way to bring people back to the roots people have in Chautauqua County.

“One of the reasons people settled in Jamestown back when James Prendergast came many, many years ago was the beauty, the environment and all the natural resources,” Fodor said. “We’ve unfortunately exploited them for a long time, and we’ve kind of realized that we need to take care of them a bit better.”

He said Jim Colby, a local artist, had spoken with him regarding art programming relating to the environment, which led to the GreenUp Jamestown program.

“We live here because we love it, and we love the beauty,” Fodor said. “Part of what we were working towards was to help bring people together, and art was the beginning. Jim and I started working on all of this and the GreenUp Jamestown initiative was born.”

At first, the program involved only the church, but then branched off into different areas and involved other organizations, he said. He said the initiative then became a way to connect the community for a common cause.

“We just started talking to people (like) Twan Leenders at RTPI,” Fodor said. “He talked to us about how from his perspective it’s amazing given all of the environmental degradation that has happened through industrialization and all the rest that still our water sources are still quite clean and clear, there are endangered species that are here and nowhere else in New York state, like the Eastern Soft-Shell Spiney Turtle that’s in the Chadakoin (River).”

He said similar stories and ideas came out of the talks, and events sprung up from various areas like Roger Tory Peterson Institute and the Robert H. Jackson Center. The hope is to continue the initiative next year and beyond, creating a grassroots movement to protect the environment and bring the community together.

“We want to make sure people are aware of just what a resource this (place) is,” he said. “The statistics are not great for environmental degradation going forward. The goal is for us to think about energy production in a positive way, and I’m a bit worried by the new EPA director.”

While industry needs to flourish, Fodor said it is important to consider sustainable choices. Pulling back regulations might be harmful, he said.

“What I would hope at this time is that people would understand that we’re trying to find ways that we can create sustainable, renewable energy that doesn’t deplete the environment, but strengthens it and supports it,” Fodor said. “We’re hoping next year to have a roundtable conversation with elected political officials, and I’ve already reached out to a few of their offices to try to get a date for next year. When you’re in this part of Western New York, you realize the environment is all we have. Farmers are all we have.”

For more information on the initiative, visit www.greenupjamestown.com.