Webinars on land and nature, for Churches Count on Nature

‘During Love your Burial Ground Week (4th-12th of June) Churches from all denominations are being invited to a week-long ‘nature count’ to monitor and celebrate the biodiversity in churchyards. This Churches Count on Nature initiative will see people visiting churchyards to record what they see – from the ancient yews to tiny ladybirds. The data will then be collated on the National Biodiversity Network.

It is jointly run by the conservation charities Caring for God’s Acre and A Rocha UK, together with the Church of England Environment Programme and the Church in Wales.

During Churches Count on Nature 2023, the Church of England Environment Programme is running a special series of webinars on different aspects of land and nature.

Find help with churchyard management, inspiring examples of how Church land at all levels is being managed, hear from Bishop Graham Usher about becoming more aware of nature, and get informed about the big picture of the twin crises for climate and nature.

For the first time, and to reflect the partnership with the Church in Wales, we are also trialling a webinar simultaneously translated into the Welsh language, on Eco Church Land.

Scroll down to find details and booking links for all 5 webinars.

You can also find past recording of all the wonderful webinars from both 2021 and 2022 on YouTube. If you are planning holding a CCoN nature count, we particularly recommend watching “Knowing your ant from your elder” Why and how to record during Churches Count on Nature.

Mon 5th June, noon: Practical guidance on churchyard management

Correctly managed, churchyards can be vital spaces which support mission, people, AND nature. This session will tell you about the ecological importance of churchyards and how to create a practical churchyard management plan.

Speaker: Andrea Gilpin, from of the conservation charity Caring for Gods Acre.

Monday 5th June, 12-1pm, BOOK HERE

Tue 6th June, noon: Examples of managing Church land for climate and nature

Come to this session to get inspired by good practice from around the country. You will learn how the panel are approaching managing land for climate and nature, at a national, diocesan, and local level.

Speakers:
* Mark Betson, National Pubic Policy Advisor.
* Senior Rural Asset Manager, Church Commissioners
* Jeremy Smith, Land Agent, DixonSmith LLP
* Marina O'Connell, Director of Apricot Centre CIC
* Local Church - tbc

Tuesday 6th June, 12-1pm, BOOK HERE

Wed 7th June, noon: Paying attention to nature, with Bishop Graham Usher, lead bishop on the environment

~~Tue 7th June, noon-1pm~~ Watch the recording here
The seminar will use the skills of the 18th century parson-naturalist Gilbert White of Selborne to explore how we might see the wonder and joy of nature around us more clearly.

Bishop Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, is the Church of England's lead bishop on the environment, and was originally an ecologist by profession. He will reflect on how being more aware of the glory of God's creation can connect directly to practical action to protect it.

Wednesday 7th June, noon-1pm, BOOK HERE

Thur 8th June, noon: Eco Church Land (Eco Church Rheoli Tir Eglwys)

Delivered in English with simultaneous translation for those that wish it into Welsh.

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This webinar will look at the 'Land' section of the Eco Church framework.

Land is a key category of Eco Church and whether a church has a significant amount of land, a thin border of land around the main building, or even a paved over area, there is plenty that can be done to manage the land for nature and people.

This webinar will look at just some of the many possibilities for managing church land, drawing on examples from bronze, silver and gold awarded churches.

Speaker: Delyth Higgins is the Eco Church Officer for Wales at A Rocha UK, the charity behind Eco Church.

Thursday 8th June 12-1pm, BOOK HERE

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Bydd y gweminar yma yn edrych ar yr adran ‘Tir’ yn nghynllun Eco Church.

Mae Reoli Tir Eglwys yn rhan allweddol o Eco Church, ac mae yna ddigon allwch chi wneud i reoli’r tir o safbwynt natur a phobl os oes gan gapel neu eglwys maint sylweddol o dir neu ddarn bach iawn o amgylch yr adeilad.

Bydd y gweminar yn edrych ar rhai o’r posibiliadau i edrych ar ol tir eglwysig gan dynnu esiamplau o eglwysi sydd wedi derbyn gwbor efydd, arian neu aur.

Siaradwr: Delyth Higgins, Swyddog Eco Church Cymru.

Dydd Iau 8 Mehefin 12-1pm, ARCHEBWCH YMA

Fri 9th June, noon: From global to local - tackling the twin crises for climate and nature

This last webinar in the series ends with the big picture, for the UK and globally, and how this relates to local action.

You will get an overview of the twin crises we face (climate change and biodiversity loss) and the linked solutions that exist, which can come from becoming "nature positive". What, if anything, has changed after 2022's two international COPs, on bio-diversity and climate, and how does this big picture link to national and local responses.

What could the UK's route be to becoming Nature Positive, whilst also contributing to meeting Net Zero commitments here in the UK? How can Church land contribute?

Speaker: Pete Brotherton is Director of Science and Climate Change at Natural England, the Diocesan Environment Officer for Peterborough Diocese, and honorary Lay Canon of Peterborough Cathedral.

Friday 9th June, 12-1pm, BOOK HERE

Recordings of past webinars

The recordings of our 25 webinars from 2021 and 2022 can be found in a playlist on YouTube here, or individually below.

2021:

Nature and climate : twin crises, shared solutions watch recording (starts at 2mins15)
Forest Church watch recording
The National Burial Grounds Survey watch recording

Finding our faith in trees watch recording
5 steps to good management of your churchyard or burial ground watch recording

Practical examples from Bristol Dioceses of churchyards managed for nature watch recording
Blooming and beautiful : flower-rich grasslands watch recording
Bats in Churches watch recording

Devon Living Churchyards Project watch recording
Eco Church : Land watch recording

A beginner's guide to biodiversity and ecology watch recording
Biological recording for Churches Count on Nature and the Beautiful Burial Ground Project watch recording

2022

“Knowing your ant from your elder” Why and how to record during Churches Count on Nature watch recording
Life on the Edge Exploring the Oceans Through Science and Faith watch recording
Getting involved in the Bats in Churches project watch recording
Eco Church Land watch recording
How the Church Commissioners are managing land for climate and nature watch webinar
Blooming and Beautiful - Flower Rich Churchyards watch webinar
The Nature Recovery Network watch webinar
Sustaining church: Using your church spaces for growing food and growing mission watch webinar
Urban Hope - how to create space for nature in a small space watch webinar
Becoming Nature Positive: tackling the joint crises of biodiversity loss and climate change watch webinar