Caring for God’s Acre are organising a Cherishing Churchyards Week in June and are looking for parishes interested in taking part. KR St Piran 1014 (54)

From Saturday, June 6 to Sunday, June 14, the aim is to celebrate and raise awareness of the natural treasures contained within churchyards and burial grounds.

Churchyards are special places:

They often contain a rich diversity of plant and animal life.
They are important places for archaeology and history.
They often have distinctive and veteran trees.
The stonework and boundary walls provide a home for a mosaic of mosses, ferns and lichens.
They provide a tranquil place for quiet reflection.
They are a resource for inspiration and community learning.
Churchyards are often within walking distance of local communities and can provide a focus for community involvement.

Are you interested in celebrating your local churchyard or burial ground?

Examples of activities include: DSC02064

For families: A quiz, a treasure hunt, a mini beast safari, tree bingo, letter or leaf rubbing, making gargoyles out of clay…

Open days: guided tours, slide talks, tower tours…

Volunteer activities: making compost areas, scything the grass, repairing the boundary walls, memorial recording, bramble clearing, nest box making, path clearing…

Workshops: dry stone walling, memorial safety and care, plant identification, animal identification, dawn chorus, geology, tree care, archaeology, creative writing, art, singing…

If you would like to register your event as part of National Cherishing Churchyards week, please click here

pdf icon Burial_Ground_Botanical_Companion_Booklet (1) Caring for God’s Acre booklet