Churchyard Biodiversity and Heritage Project

06/05/2026

It's and it's time to turn over a new leaf.

Since 2018, Plantlife have been encouraging, the public, businesses and local councils to put away the mower for the month of May.

But what is all the fuss about why we should be letting our gardens, verges and community spaces go "wild" ?

🌱Since the 1930s 97% of flower rich meadows have been lost across the UK.
🌱Flower rich meadows now account for less than 1% of the UK.
🌱But there are over 20 million gardens in the UK, so together a small change can make a huge difference!

By not mowing through May you will be providing vital food for pollinators, creating a refuge for butterflies and moths as well as helping to support wildflowers.

If you've not started yet there is still time to put away the mower, sit back and watch nature thrive.

Check out the Plantlife website for more information about No Mow May: www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/

loveplants

01/05/2026

Things to look (or listen!) out for in May:

🌸Nicknamed 'Mayflower', hawthorn trees usually start blossoming in May and have long associations with May Day and spring. However, climate change is bringing their flowering forward, so you may spot mayflowers earlier in the spring.

🪶Migratory birds such as swifts and swallows are appearing in the skies after their journeys from warmer climates. Telling the difference can be tricky as they zip overhead, but look out for their distinctive tails and underbelly colours to help spot who's who.

🐝There are over 280 species of hoverflies in the UK and they play a vital part in pollinating food plants around the world. They especially love ivy, blackberries and heather and you will likely see them living up to their name as they hover around the plants. Don't worry: despite their similarity to bees and wasps, they are stingless!

🎵 3rd of May is Dawn Chorus day. If you are an early riser, why not set your alarm for half an hour before dawn and enjoy the choir from your garden or open window. Or join us in Rugby (4th May) or Astley (6th May) for a guided Dawn Chorus walk (details and link in bio)

29/04/2026

Churchyards have the potential to be significant sites for carbon storage - which is important for the fight against climate change, has implications for soil health and also interacts with above ground habitats, management and species diversity. There are still many unknowns and lots to discover, so is one of the research aspects of the Churchyard Biodiversity and Heritage Project.

A couple of weeks ago we ran a couple of weeks ago we ran a Soil Carbon Sampling training session at St James' church, Southam, for our Development Phase churches and some of our friends from . We learnt how to collect the samples for testing and do a VEST test to assess the quality of the soil and project volunteers and staff are currently collecting samples and data for sending to the lab for analysis.

Thanks to Dr Alan Radbourne, Caring for God's Acre, St James Church, Southam and all our volunteers.

See the full video on our website! Link in bio

29/04/2026

28/04/2026

Update from St Matthew’s Church Salford Priors City Nature Challenge activities on Sunday. Nature spotters found nearly 50 species in just two hours!

28/04/2026

Update from our City Nature Challenge nature spotting lunchtime at Priory Row yesterday - over 80 species spotted in the garden - including: Good Friday Grass, a beautiful carpet of Germander Speedwell, St John's Wort, Nomad bees, 7-spot ladybirds - and a few butterflies that were too speedy for us to identify!

See the full list here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=52.4100602802915&nelng=-1.507556078970591&on=2026-04-27&subview=map&swlat=52.408789118648144&swlng=-1.5084247730054368&view=species

Church of England Diocese of Coventry

iNaturalist is a social network for naturalists! Record your observations of plants and animals, share them with friends and researchers, and learn about the natural world.

25/04/2026

Lots to spot at St James, Old Milverton today! From Daisies and Dandelions to Pignut, Butterflies and Bees that Bumble 😉🦋.
Adventures at St Matthew’s Church Salford Priors tomorrow. Drop in between 2pm and 4pm and see what you can find.
Can't make it? Join in by seeing what you can spot in your garden or local greenspace.

24/04/2026

Update from the Lunch-time City Nature Challenge Nature Hunt at St. Edmunds Church Shipston:

Well done everyone 🥳.
Why not - pop along to the churchyard over the weekend and see what you can spot?
Join in - pop along to another of our events over the weekend or over the coming months?
Next up - St James, Old Milverton tomorrow morning🤩

24/04/2026

First of our nature spotting events this weekend is starting soon! Come and join us in the sunshine for some City Nature Challenge wildlife fun .🐞🌿


St. Edmunds Church Shipston Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Caring for God's Acre The National Lottery Heritage Fund

24/04/2026

City Nature Challenge is go! 🚀🌳🌿🍄🐞🐌
What will you spot?

Look here for the UK leaderboard: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-uk-leaderboard-umbrella-project
Look here for what's being spotted in Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-warwickshire-coventry-and-solihull
And....look here for events across the area during the four days of the challenge (scroll to the bottom of the page for off-campus events): https://warwick.ac.uk/sustainability/events/events/citynaturechallenge26/

24/04/2026

Want to get out in the sunshine today? Join our friends for nature spotting at the Charterhouse and take part in the City Nature Challenge too!

Join us in recording as many wildlife species as possible for the City Nature Challenge! We'll be doing various species focused activities.