Churches across all denominations in England and Wales 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.
The biodiversity survey, supported by environmental charities A Rocha UK and Caring for God’s Acre, as well as The Church of England and The Church in Wales, will take place from 7-15 June 2025.
In the last four years, over 1625 counting events took place across churches in England and Wales, with over 30,000 people involved! More than 43,021 wildlife records were submitted to Caring for God’s Acre, and 3,021 species were recorded. The data will be used to determine where different species are located in the country. This can aid churches of all denominations in increasing biodiversity on their land for the enrichment of the environment and local communities.
Churches Count on Nature is part of Love Your Burial Ground Week. We’re encouraging churches to connect with local schools, wildlife groups, and those who may not have visited before to discover their churchyards.
Could you engage with the natural world and take part in this churchyard wildlife count this summer? Explore further resources here, and then register your event here.
Hear some highlights and memorable moments from churches who have taken part in previous years:
“Watching the children get so excited at all they were finding”
“Just the sheer diversity we found in such a small spot that we thought we knew but didn’t!”
“Beautiful sunshine & spending quiet time in nature”
“Showing people the diversity of the churchyard plants”
“Just everyone involved in Nature – all were very happy and enjoying the environment”
Impact on managing churchyards.
Churches shared how learning about the wildlife found in their churchyards changed how they think about their space and would manage it going forward:
“We have altered our mowing regime to leave uncut areas to encourage more nature”
“Being more observant, wildlife-friendly planting, making church grounds more accessible”
“An understanding of how wildlife in a churchyard is noted and appreciated alongside the formal tidiness of grave areas.”
“We have created a wild area that is not mowed during the summer”
“The more we record, the more we are aware of the interrelationship between species and that informs how we manage the churchyard.”
During Churches Count on Nature 2025, Caring for God’s Acre and the Church of England Environment Programme will run a special series of webinars on different aspects of land and nature. We’ll be sharing the details of the webinars on our website so check back on our events page and follow along on social media to stay up to date:
Instagram: @arocha_uk
Facebook: @Arochaorguk
Linked In: @Arocha-uk
X: @ARochaUK
