Bishop Auckland Methodist Church

The Green Church Showcase

Could a group meet on Wednesday mornings? asks Rev John having read the idea on the Green Christian Website which links through to a project in the Church Times

Has your church, church school, diocese or Christian group done something amazing to combat climate change or to protect nature?

We want to share your story with a wider audience.

The Church Times, in collaboration with members of both the Church of England and Roman Catholic environmental working groups, is looking for inspiring church initiatives which protect the planet….

Rev John read in the blogpost that caught his attention in the first place:

“Could you create a wildlife hedge on your church boundary, or to mark off a piece of land within it? Plant “whips” of hawthorn, hazel and other suitable native trees and shrubs, and in several years’ time get a volunteer group to lay it in the traditional fashion. Your local Wildlife Trust or the National Hedge Laying Society websites are good sources of further information.

A traditionally managed hedge provides many opportunities for wildlife to flourish, including cover for nesting birds, a wildlife corridor and shelter, a growing environment for shade loving plants, food for birds and other animals and a home for a wide variety of invertebrates.

“Incredible Edible” is a nationwide project, with many groups scattered around the country. It’s well worth looking at their website to see where your nearest one is. A church could easily partner a local group by setting aside part of its grounds to grow edible plants, making a raised bed or simply siting a planter somewhere to grow herbs and edible flowers (great for pollinators as well as providing food for humans). A mini orchard with a few apple trees on dwarfing stocks might be another possibility.

If there isn’t a local group, why not start one? It’s an effective way for a church to connect with the local community – people who will work with you on the plots and planters and those who will take produce from them.” 

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