A competition which “celebrates churchyards which are managed to provide a peaceful haven for people and wildlife”.
.
To what extent should our cemeteries be havens for wildlife?
Wildlife in cemeteries – Vision Group for Sidmouth
Managing wildlife in Sidmouth Cemetery – Vision Group for Sidmouth
.
Well, the Devon Campaign to Protect Rural England thinks so, with its annual competition to find the most wildlife-friendly cemeteries in Devon:
.
Devon’s best graveyard has been named
Churchyards are recognised for the beauty instead of scary connotations in annual competition
Local countryside and conservation charity Devon Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has chosen St Margaret’s Church at Northam, near Bideford, as the winner of this year’s Devon’s Best Churchyard competition…
Last weekend a sustainable oak plaque and a cheque for £200 was awarded to representatives of the community of volunteers who help maintain the beautifully biodiverse churchyard on the north Devon coast…
It’s the third year of the competition which celebrates churchyards which are managed to provide a peaceful haven for people and wildlife. Each entry is visited by the judges and assessed on a range of criteria. They are not seeking the most pristine or manicured churchyards, but those which encourage biodiversity and offer something special to the local community.
Devon’s best graveyard has been named – Devon Live
.
And in East Devon, East Budleigh has also been recognised:
.
All Saints collected ‘highly commended’ in 2020 churchyard competition
East Budleigh’s churchyard is one of two recognised in regional conservation awards.
The awards celebrate churchyards which are managed to provide a peaceful haven for people and wildlife..
“The churchyards are all different, but every competition has to have a winner and we judge what we see on the day we visit. “It was good to see that some of them had taken on board our comments from previous years and had acted on them: lots of bird boxes, bug hotels, new gates and signage.”
East Budleigh and Exmouth churches recognised by Devon CPRE | Exmouth Journal
.
See also:
Devon’s Best Churchyard Competition | Devon Planning Applications | CPRE Devon
Churchyards praised for encouraging wildlife and biodiversity | Diocese of Exeter
Love Your Burial Ground Week — Caring For God’s Acre
.
photo: All Saints Church, East Budleigh. Picture: CPRE Devon