Now the green blade rises - ways to nurture nature

Spring may seem slow to come this year but the days are now getting longer and warmer and it’s time to enjoy and celebrate the nature around us.

Many of our churches are preparing events in the coming months which focus on the environment. Now is the time to get involved or to plan your own.

Here are some of the initiatives we’re supporting.

This event focuses on the natural treasures which are our churchyards and burial grounds. People of all ages are encouraged to take part in a biodiversity study to count the different species of plants and animals they can find.

As churchyards are usually undisturbed and non-farmed pockets of land, they can be host to a great variety of wildlife not seen in other green spaces, particularly in urban areas. Old churchyards often have fantastic flower-laden and species-rich grasslands as they have been so little disturbed over the centuries.

The week is supported by the environmental charities A Rocha UK and Caring for God’s Acre, as well as the Church in Wales and the Church of England.

There were 36 events last year in Wales and it would be great if that increased this year.

You can register your event or activity, find out about others taking place across the country and access useful resources, including helpful webinars and tech tips, on the Caring for God’s Acre website. Once you’ve registered, you’ll be sent a pack that will help with identifying species (Welsh language versions are available too).

It is a fantastic and fun way to involve children and young people (maybe the local school or uniformed groups) as they always love a bug hunt!

The Great Big Green Week, also June 8-16, is a nationwide campaign to celebrate environmentally-friendly activities while raising awareness of the urgent need for climate action by us all.

There are lots of resources, templates and graphics you can use and funding is also available. It is important to register your event so that local people and media can see what's happening and attend.

You could team up with other churches to put in a joint bid for some funding in a locality - maybe for a series of events in different church locations for example?

Visit the Climate Cymru website here for more details.

If your church has been active in environmental activities, consider putting in an application to the Church Times' Green Church Awards 2024. The awards aim to celebrate the remarkable efforts made by individuals and congregations to offset the damage being done to the earth, and to set good examples to others who might be inspired to follow suit.

There are seven categories to choose from - so take a look at the website and get your achievements recognised. The closing date is 30 June.

Lots of ideas but limited resources? You can apply for free garden packs from the Local Places for Nature scheme, which is run by Keep Wales Tidy. It’s a great project which lots of churches have already benefitted from, but the organisers are keen to get more churches involved across Wales.