Photocredit: David Smart
Love your Burial Ground Week is a celebratory week which Caring for God’s Acre has been running for many years. During the week all who help to look after churchyards, chapel yards and cemeteries are encouraged to celebrate these fantastic places in any way they choose. From bioblitzes and history tours to picnics and even abseiling teddy bears, the possibilities are endless!
Churches Count on Nature 2023 is part of Love Your Burial Ground Week, focusing on the incredible wildlife to be found in churchyards and chapel yards. It is a is a joint initiative promoted by Caring for God’s Acre, the Church of England, the Church in Wales and A Rocha UK. Since it began two years ago, over 900 events have taken place, and 27,000 biological records have been sent in.
Would you like to join in with Churches Count on Nature 2023? You can participate by doing a nature count in your own churchyard. The activity can be as big or small as you like - you could organise an event for your Messy Church or local brownie group, bring in wildlife specialists for a larger public event, or simply download the iNaturalist app and explore the churchyard one evening.
If you're interested in learning more about Churches Count on Nature 2023, head over to the Caring for God's Acre website. You'll find a wealth of information and support on the Be Involved pages. We look forward to finding out what plants and animals you discover!
Handy links:
More about the week:
https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/get-involved/love-your-burial-ground-week/
2023 Map of registered events and activities:
https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/get-involved/view-events/
Registration page:
https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/get-involved/event-register/
Recording plants and animals - how to use iNaturalist:
https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/about-recording/add-your-records/
Webinars ran by the Church of England as part of the week:
https://www.churchofengland.org/about/environment-and-climate-change/webinars-land-and-nature-churches-count-nature