The Eco-Group has members drawn our various church congregations and our village communities. We simply share a delight in nature and a desire to increase the sustainability and ecological diversity our churchyards, reduce the carbon footprint of our church buildings and help our church communities increase their knowledge of and commitment to reducing the impact of climate change on this beautiful but fragile planet.

We have so far surveyed 3 of our 5 churchyards, drawing up plans for their sustainable development. For example, when we visited St Michael’s Markington recently, we spotted a glorious array of primroses and cowslips growing on the grass slopes at the front of the church. Local wildlife enthusiast Tony Stobbs pointed out that these could be further encouraged by leaving the grass to grow in this area until they set seed. We are looking at reducing the mown areas in all our churchyards, concentrating mainly on those areas where graves are actively visited and tended.

On Monday 8^th May we will have a family bird-box making afternoon, seeking to create a variety of bird boxes for our 5 church buildings.

We have lots of other plans and it’s a friendly group. Would you like to join us? If not, would you pray for us?

Tony Stobbs has also agreed to resume writing his popular Nature Notes. Here is his latest contribution.

Nature Notes of Throstle Nest Farm

About seventy years ago I remember a Corncrake calling day after day, in the top field which was a wheat crop. That was the last time I ever saw or heard one. This year we have a pair of Egyptian Geese nesting in one of the ponds for the first time. This brings the total of birds which have nested on the farm up to sixty-five species. It has made me think of the birds we have lost and those we have gained. Last year we had Mandarin Duck (four broods) also three pairs of Buzzards, on the farm (all reared two young). Who would have dreamt of Buzzards nesting in our area a few years ago? For the best part of a hundred years, they have been confined to a small area in the Northwest, with maybe six to eight pairs rearing young. Then they seem to have exploded and now they are the commonest Bird of Prey in the country. Curlew numbers unfortunately are dropping in every part of the country. We had one pair last year, then the eggs disappeared (Carrion Crow or Badger maybe). On the other hand, White Egrets are moving north; they are pure white and about half the size of a Heron. Will they be next species to nest on the farm? Who knows!! CAS