All Posts By

Debbie Philp

Jan 23
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How to be an Excellent Volunteer

By Blog, Real Wilding
You’ve been thinking about volunteering for your favorite local nonprofit, and that’s awesome. Most nonprofit organizations rely on volunteers for both the day-to-day work and to coordinate and staff events. Many, like mine, have no employees and everyone involved is volunteering their time. I’ll let you in on a secret, though. Most of us, especially small nonprofits, struggle to recruit…
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Jan 13
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Follow Your Breath

By Blog, Spiritual Ecology
Does your mind or heart race? Try a simple breath technique for centering and calming the nervous system. There are two methods for following your breath: focusing on a single point, such as the tip of your nose, and tracking the breath from the nose to the lungs and back. I guide you through both in the video and below.…
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Dec 08
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From Gratitude to Reciprocity

By Inspirational Talks
This talk exploring how gratitude can be the foundation for service and activism was first presented to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Glens Falls in Queensbury, New York, on November 30, 2025. The presentation was preceded by the Akwesasne Thanksgiving Address, read responsively with the congregation. Akwesasne is a Mohawk Nation staddling the U.S.-Canadian border in New York along the…
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Oct 07
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Ode to Oaks

By Inspirational Talks
This exploration of the wonders of plants was first presented to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Glens Falls in Queensbury, New York, on October 5, 2025. The talk is balanced between science and spirituality and is appropriate for most audiences. The first time I went to a state wildlife rehabilitation conference, the keynote speaker was some guy named Doug Tallamy.…
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Sep 25
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To Know a Turtle

By Blog, Real Wilding, Spiritual Ecology
The family who knew her best called her Shelley. Those of us who had to contain her for care affectionately nicknamed her Houdini. Shelley was a 30-pound, two-foot-long common snapping turtle who lived in a pond behind a home occupied by three generations of caring humans. The family and their neighbors watched the road to make sure no turtles were…
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Sep 23
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All Her Beings

By Blog, Real Wilding, Spiritual Ecology
In 2022, when I graduated from seminary, I made a personal vow of ministry. I committed to caring for the Earth and all her beings. “All her beings” was a pretty big ask. After all, there are around 7.8 million species of animals, close to 300,000 plant species, 600,000 different kinds of fungi, and at least 5 million insect species…
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