In a push for vibrant churchyards, Bishop Graham Usher calls on the Church of England to embrace rewilding initiatives. With over 7,100 hectares of churchyards under local parishes and vast farmland and forestry holdings, the Church’s General Synod gears up to vote on biodiversity plans.
Bishop Usher envisions these spaces as ‘places of the living, not just the dead,’ urging unmown areas to flourish with rare plant species. Acknowledging community ties and mourning considerations, the Church seeks a balance between biodiversity and public access.
Already, parishes like St Mary’s in Wargrave showcase success with rewilding efforts, signaling a promising future for nature-positive impacts within the Church’s domain.
