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Weekly Newsletter | |
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Living Churchyards project
St Albans Diocese Living Churchyard Project
The Council is working towards the implementation of the Diocese of St Albans ‘Living Churchyard' Project , the aim of which is to ensure that churchyards are managed in a wildlife-friendly manner, whilst remaining sensitive to the needs of all the users and in particular to the churchyards primary function as a resting place for the dead.
Grassland habitats within churchyards have become havens for wildlife following the extensive loss of ancient, unimproved meadows and pastures. These meadows were once rich with wild flowers, butterflies and insects as a result of the management of low intensity grazing and cutting. Traditional management has since been replaced by the widespread application of fertilisers, herbicides and large scale reseeding and ploughing and Churchyards can now form the remaining fragments of old, unimproved, wildlife rich grasslands which are often the last refuge within a parish for the species and habitats they support.
Churchyard habitats can support a wide range of species from insects and butterflies (meadow brown, peacock and painted lady butterfly) to amphibians (frogs and toads) and reptiles (slow worms) to birds (swifts, martins, swallows, barn owls, sparrowhawks) and mammals (bats and hedgehogs.)
Implementation of the Project
Hertford Town Council intends to implement a maintenance regime within its churchyards which will include the following:
1. No use of chemicals including pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides,
2. The removal of grass cuttings,
3. Small plants and lichens to be left on walls and monuments,
4. The annual inspection of trees and the maintenance of an established pollarding regime,
5. The maintenance of a list of plants and animals seen in the Churchyard.
6. The erection of bat boxes.
A plant survey will be carried out in the Churchyards in Spring and Summer 2010 and as many grasses and flowers and locations as possible will be listed, which will enable the best suited mowing regime to be implemented. Dramatic changes in the management routine could have a damaging effect on grassland, so any changes will be implemented gradually, with vegetation being monitored to check for any changes in composition.
Grassland habitat
There will be different conservation mowing regimes as listed below which will aim to conserve the maximum diversity within the four churchyards. Obviously conservation management will be a balance between what is possible and acceptable with areas around tended graves and path systems being cut regularly.
Otherwise, in the Conservation Areas of the Churchyards the mowing regimes will be as follows:
Spring flowering grassland - To be cut once in February/March if the vegetation has grown, the area will then be left uncut until mid June continuing every four weeks until the end of the growing season.
Summer flowering grassland - grass cutting will commence in March and will continue to be cut every four weeks until the middle of May. The vegetation will then be left uncut until the end of July when four weekly cuts will resume until the end of the growing season.
Spring and Summer flowering grassland: To be cut in February/March and then left until the end of June. Cutting will re-commence in July and remain four weekly until the end of the growing season.
Those flowers which do not seed until late summer will be cut around until they have set seeds.
Butterfly/insect areas will be cut once in mid July with cuttings raked off afterwards.
An Amphibian and Slow Worm Area will be cut once in October to a height of 10-12 cm. This area will be around the edge of the Churchyards, where possible.
Further areas of habitat could be found in trees, boundary hedges, scrub, on gravestones and walls and within compost heaps. All of these areas will be managed in the most environmentally friendly manner possible, following guidelines recommended by the ‘Living Churchyard' Project.
The project will be a ‘work in progress' which will develop to full potential over a number of years.
The Council is working towards the implementation of the Diocese of St Albans ‘Living Churchyard' Project , the aim of which is to ensure that churchyards are managed in a wildlife-friendly manner, whilst remaining sensitive to the needs of all the users and in particular to the churchyards primary function as a resting place for the dead.
Grassland habitats within churchyards have become havens for wildlife following the extensive loss of ancient, unimproved meadows and pastures. These meadows were once rich with wild flowers, butterflies and insects as a result of the management of low intensity grazing and cutting. Traditional management has since been replaced by the widespread application of fertilisers, herbicides and large scale reseeding and ploughing and Churchyards can now form the remaining fragments of old, unimproved, wildlife rich grasslands which are often the last refuge within a parish for the species and habitats they support.
Churchyard habitats can support a wide range of species from insects and butterflies (meadow brown, peacock and painted lady butterfly) to amphibians (frogs and toads) and reptiles (slow worms) to birds (swifts, martins, swallows, barn owls, sparrowhawks) and mammals (bats and hedgehogs.)
Implementation of the Project
Hertford Town Council intends to implement a maintenance regime within its churchyards which will include the following:
1. No use of chemicals including pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides,
2. The removal of grass cuttings,
3. Small plants and lichens to be left on walls and monuments,
4. The annual inspection of trees and the maintenance of an established pollarding regime,
5. The maintenance of a list of plants and animals seen in the Churchyard.
6. The erection of bat boxes.
A plant survey will be carried out in the Churchyards in Spring and Summer 2010 and as many grasses and flowers and locations as possible will be listed, which will enable the best suited mowing regime to be implemented. Dramatic changes in the management routine could have a damaging effect on grassland, so any changes will be implemented gradually, with vegetation being monitored to check for any changes in composition.
Grassland habitat
There will be different conservation mowing regimes as listed below which will aim to conserve the maximum diversity within the four churchyards. Obviously conservation management will be a balance between what is possible and acceptable with areas around tended graves and path systems being cut regularly.
Otherwise, in the Conservation Areas of the Churchyards the mowing regimes will be as follows:
Spring flowering grassland - To be cut once in February/March if the vegetation has grown, the area will then be left uncut until mid June continuing every four weeks until the end of the growing season.
Summer flowering grassland - grass cutting will commence in March and will continue to be cut every four weeks until the middle of May. The vegetation will then be left uncut until the end of July when four weekly cuts will resume until the end of the growing season.
Spring and Summer flowering grassland: To be cut in February/March and then left until the end of June. Cutting will re-commence in July and remain four weekly until the end of the growing season.
Those flowers which do not seed until late summer will be cut around until they have set seeds.
Butterfly/insect areas will be cut once in mid July with cuttings raked off afterwards.
An Amphibian and Slow Worm Area will be cut once in October to a height of 10-12 cm. This area will be around the edge of the Churchyards, where possible.
Further areas of habitat could be found in trees, boundary hedges, scrub, on gravestones and walls and within compost heaps. All of these areas will be managed in the most environmentally friendly manner possible, following guidelines recommended by the ‘Living Churchyard' Project.
The project will be a ‘work in progress' which will develop to full potential over a number of years.
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