Our Purpose

Elm Grove Sanctuary Trust/Limited was founded in 1987. It is a Not-for profit Foundation listed with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). We rely upon private donations from individuals who support our work and enable this to continue.

• Elm Grove Sanctuary Trust offers support, encouragement and hope for all people, irrespective of race or creed, especially when they are in need. Our focus is based upon a deep compassion for all life in respect of the beauty and awe of our natural world. The daily human challenges confronting us all call us to stand beside each other as we seek to find solutions, to lift despair, and to offer hope for better outcomes.
• We support the need for a holistic approach to education for our younger generation with a focus on community engagement in the education of our young people. We especially seek to support equality of opportunity for Indigenous youth to enable them to reach their full potential resultant from colonisation and generational trauma.
• We hold in grave concern the health of our planet – a direct result of human consumption and failure to realise the sacredness of our natural world of which we are an integral part. We seek to draw people to a greater understanding and connection to our role as Guardians of Creation.

Donations

If you would like to support the work of the Elm Grove Sanctuary Trust by making a donation, your support will enable us to continue our outreach to those in need. All donations are tax deductible and can be made to:

EGS Trust Project Account

BSB: 032 766

Account: 13 9061.

Please provide your details for your tax deductible receipt by emailing us at egstrust2@gmail.com

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‘Just as there are laws of physics by which the physical universe can be defined and understood, so the natural order has principles of relating which can be ignored but cannot be abrogated by humanity. Science and religion converge in testifying to the truth that the earth is a single house with an underlying interdependence. When this interdependence is ignored, the consequences are potentially calamitous.’ Bishop George Victor Browning PhD, DLitt ‘Sabbath and The Common Good’ 

‘The age of nations has passed. Now, unless we wish to perish we must shake off our old prejudices and build the earth. …The more scientifically I regard the world, the less I can see any biological future for it except the active consciousness of its unity. Life cannot hence-forth advance on our planet …except by breaking down the partitions which still divide human activity and entrusting itself unhesitatingly to faith in the future’.  Pierre Teilhard de Chardin ‘The Spirit of the Earth’

The Story of our logo

Our Elm Grove Sanctuary Trust’s logo was formed from an elm leaf. It was designed by Natasha Lloyd Jones and it contains the whole tree as the far-reaching roots intertwine to form the circle. The tree of life that sustains us all. A rich symbolism that can be found within each one of us under many names and expressions of thought.

“We are all in our own way ‘leaves’ with stories we want to share and recapitulate before we fall from the tree!  For me this carries a sense of deep reflection but also celebration.  Reflecting and celebrating the mystery we dare to name as God.  It is very personal.  We all need to know that our story will be listened to and accepted as my story just as I need to listen to and accept others’ stories.  Story sharing is not debating ideas.  But it is the sharing of ideas and experiences in the context of our lives, what has given us meaning.  It is not abstract; it is embodied meaning.  It is about relationship and relationships. It is about understanding ourselves in relation to the Whole of Life – ’to understand the leaf with what we know of love, is to seek all we need to know of wisdom’ (Living Dangerously, Ian McFarlane). Understanding ourselves, and each other. Love and Wisdom.” David Oliphant

 “Leaves are ephemeral but the trees they are attached to are long lasting, and have deep roots. There’s actually a direct connection between leaf and root – through which the spirit of life flows!” That’s basic science, but it’s also about us!” Peter Sands

“I love the metaphor of the tree, with its leaves and roots and strong trunk. I love how the fungi under the ground connect the trees together to sustain them and so many creatures find their home there…” Angela Young