Conservation in the Churchyard

Did you know that part of St Lawrence Churchyard is a designated conservation area?

This part of the Churchyard is a precious piece of land; an island in a sea of modern life.  As such BGPC have consulted with conservation experts within our community who have advised the following should be carried out;

In Summary:  If feasible this year (2021):

CUT paths and sections of the area as appropriate, any time from August through Autumn where conditions allow. Remove arisings if possible. They could be stacked on site to make a “habitat pile”

Future Years:

Cut in March and August/September where you would like paths and where it is possible, to allow more flowering of the native wildflowers already present.

Provide interpretation to explain the value of the area and the reasons for management.

Involve residents (and school, churchgoers, local Limewoods Wildlife Watch Group (Junior club of the Wildlife Trust?) where possible  eg monitoring of wildflowers and wildlife.

There should be no need to add any plants to the area. In fact, it is important to convey that the grassland already includes a rich diversity of wildflowers which only need their optimum conditions to thrive. They in turn, will provide habitats for wildlife such as bees and butterflies and many other small animals.

In early June several voluteers counted all the different flora in the area and the findings were incredible;