Churchyards and other sacred places offer havens for wildlife and many are refuges for old hay meadow flowers, such as meadow buttercup, pignut, ox-eye daisy and yarrow.  Shrubs, hedges, areas of longer grass and trees all provide a variety of homes for small mammals and birds and walls and tombstones provide crevices for insects and homes for lichens and ferns.

In more urban churches and sacred places, formal flower beds, shrubberies and tubs and flower boxes can all be planted with species that will attract wildlife.

So, whether your sacred place is in a town or the country, there is lots of potential  to encourage wildlife by providing food and shelter.

Download leaflets about the project, wildlife and how to look after your site

Download our 'Sanctuaries for Wildlife leaflet'

Churchyard wildlife 

Download our 'Managing Grasslands - Cutting and Mowing' leaflet

Download information on funding sources for community groups

Download posters to display

Main Poster

Flowers in churchyards

Mowing in the churchyard

Gravestones and the church walls  

Download resources to use with children and school groups click here