A Rocha Eco Church Programme Silver Award
We have an eco group that takes a close interest in developing and directing our strategies for protecting God’s earth, helping us to focus on doing what we do in a sustainable and earth-friendly way.
We are delighted to announce that we were awarded the A Rocha Eco Church Silver Award in recognition of our efforts to care for God’s earth in the way that we manage our life at Christ Church with St Mary’s in October 2022.
The award is an acknowledgement that we are heading in the right direction but we cannot be complacent, and that is why we are currently working towards the Gold Award; and are continuing to implement our land management plan and find ways to improve our site and operations to help increase biodiversity and reduce our impact on the environment.
If you would like to know more about what we do as a church or what you can do as an individual or family to protect God’s earth then please get in touch using the email address below:
You can view and download our certificates at the bottom of the page.
To find out more about the A Rocha Eco Church programme, visit their website below:
https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/
Our Land Management Plan
As part of our response to the need to take more care of God’s planet, we have begun work on a Land Management Plan. Taking advice from a range of local experts and enthusiasts, we have surveyed our Church and Burial grounds, looking for ways to encourage wildlife and plant diversity.
In the process, we have discovered some valuable ancient grassland which we can manage carefully to encourage more native species that will be beneficial to pollinators and other wildlife. This will involve stopping our intensive mowing programme in certain areas, to allow certain species, such as the Cuckoo flower below to establish. It and other native species provide valuable larval food. The careful management of these areas of grass can prevent it from being invaded by more vigorous plants that can overwhelm and replace what is a vital habitat for birds, invertebrates and animals.
In most situations, July is the best time for cutting, with a further cut in September/October often being beneficial. However, cutting times can be varied to suit local conditions. After cutting, it is very important to rake off and remove the clippings. If left on, they can smother delicate plants and increase fertility which encourages rank growth at the expense of wildflowers. If clippings are left to dry for a few days after cutting, flowers can shed any ripe seed and insects are able to make their escape.
