S. Claire Whalen, an Oldenburg Franciscan known for her support in the southeastern Indiana area for sustainable agriculture and family farming, wanted to share her love of Mother Earth and help her Congregation with revitalizing their family farm, Michaela Farm. She and several other Sisters created a new eco-card game called Three Square for Earth Care**.

S. Janet Born was a co-creator for the game concept while S. Claire designed the cards and wrote the directions. Artist S. Ann Vonder Meulen painted the thirteen original watercolor images of plants and animals that appear on the faces of the cards and a view of Earth from space for the back of the card. Erica Baechle, an Oldenburg Academy and Marian College graduate, did the graphic design work. The cards were printed by “Playing Cards-R-Us.”

Three Square for Earth Care is a rummy game played on a tic-tac-toe square. Two to three players can play together, or four can play with two decks. Individuals can even play solo by setting up two squares.

The object of the game is to make sets (or runs) in columns, rows, and/or diagonals and have the lowest score possible among cards remaining on the square that do not form sets.

The game makes a perfect gift for birthdays, anniversaries, holiday gifting and special occasions. Family gatherings are always looking for something new to try. The concentration needed to learn this new eco-game may well be the stress-reducing activity for which you are searching after a hectic day at work.

This is a game for all ages that is challenging and fun. Keep you brain cells active while enjoying the attractive Earth images!

** Three Square for Earth Care eco-card game is copyrighted in 2001 and 2007.