What biodiversity & wildlife is in YOUR churchyard?

Judith Allinson writes:

Churches Count on Nature 7-15 June 2025

Could you encourage people at your church to take part in “Churches count on nature” week this 2025? See: Love your Burial Ground Week & Churches Count on Nature – FAQs

We can all take in interest in our church-land. The more we find out about nature, and how things work, the more interesting it becomes.

  • Buy a hand lens – (or show people how to use your smartphone to magnify things) –
  • Invite a local naturalist to show certain features. – This is a great way of engaging with the local community.
  • Send your recordings in – a) it helps with national surveys; b) you will get a sense of satisfaction from doing this.
  • Make a display to put up in your church to show people what interesting things there are.
  • Consider is there variety in your churchyard?
  • Activity 1: Set up a 2 by 2 m square (with garden canes) and record all the plants and insects in it.
  • Activity 2: At this spot sit and listen for a designated time: (e.g. 5 minutes:) Write down (or at least remember) all the different things you can hear. (This also makes a good form of meditation)

Here are some example “Count on Nature” projects.

5 June 2021 – Sharow Churchyard (near Ripon) – Churches Count on Nature – Open Day

9 June 2021 – Churches Count on Nature Survey Day at Sharow Church (near Ripon)

6 June 2023 – Embsay near Skipton – open day for adults and school visit

June 2022 Embsay near Skipton – Wildlife Survey and open day

A Red Admiral butterfly (with wings folded) visits our lichens chart at Embsay June 2022 churchyard count on nature

Rough Hawkbit in foreground. School children take part in Sharow 2021 Churches Count on Nature beside church.

Settle Eco-Explorers recording wildflowers and creatures in a square at Clapham Churchyard, N Yorks, 2023

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Author: Editor 1 | Date: 10 October, 2024 | Category: Biodiversity | Comments: 0


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