Parishes in and around the Diocese of Gloucester can now register to participate in Churches Count on Nature, an annual scheme where people visit churchyards and record the plant and animal species they encounter.
Churches Count on Nature is part of Love Your Burial Ground Week, held over 3 to 11 June, and is a joint initiative promoted by Caring for God’s Acre, the Church of England, the Church in Wales and A Rocha UK.
The count can serve not only to raise awareness and encourage care of the wildlife in churchyards but to provide local communities with a shared activity that can bring people together.
Registration is free and can be done quickly via the Caring for God’s Acre website. Records will appear on the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas, where they will be freely available to anyone interested in the biodiversity of their local burial ground.
If you’ve already started counting, or want to submit your data all year round, the iNaturalist app offers an easy way to add records and even identify what you have seen.
Churches are being encouraged to connect with local schools, wildlife groups, and those who may not have visited before to discover their churchyards.
If you plan to run an event as part of Love Your Burial Ground Week in June, you can register it here and it will appear on the Churches Count on Nature list and map. There are a range of Resources available to help make a success of your event, including posters, how to record wildlife using the iNaturalist app, risk assessment templates and advice, and activity packs for children.
The Church of England’s Lead Bishop for Environmental Affairs, the Bishop of Norwich Graham Usher, said: “We are very excited about large numbers of churches across the country signing up to take part in Churches Count on Nature again this year. Registering for this initiative is a brilliant way for churches to encourage a local response and help to restore the natural habitats on our doorstep.”
Love Your Burial Ground Week runs from Saturday 3 to Sunday 11 June 2023. For more information, visit: Register your church or event for this summer’s Churches Count on Nature.
Watch this short video for inspiration and ideas
I have been advocating this for a long time. Persuading farmers not too mow until late July etc
Churchyards are precious places not only for people but plants and wildlife too . I would be delighted to support this project .