Making Space for Nature in our Burial Grounds and Churchyards

 Delivered online via Microsoft Teams

To learn more about our in-house option, please contact us for details: [email protected]

The UK is currently in the lowest 12% of global countries and territories for levels of biodiversity. Many local authorities are now declaring ecological emergencies to try to address these losses.

So, it may be asked, where do cemeteries and burial grounds come into all of this?

Cemeteries and burial places make up over 4% of the UK’s greenspaces and provide vital refuges for many species of flora and fauna, which in some instances are found nowhere else. Historically, burial grounds have a long-standing association with nature - a link which needs to be strengthened in a world where opportunities for nature are increasingly under threat. This recognition has led many local authorities to consider how best they can use such spaces to protect and enhance the opportunities for biodiversity.

The course will look in depth at the challenges of gaining acceptance to naturalise areas of burial grounds and the approaches some local authorities have taken to improve opportunities for biodiversity in these spaces. In addition, we will provide practical guidance developing action plans to help deliver more biodiversity friendly burial grounds and the benefits this provides.

This highly interactive training includes a mixture of presentations, group work, quizzes and videos.

Who should attend?

This course is a critical learning opportunity and must attend event for all those who are involved in cemetery, crematoria and closed churchyard management. It will also appeal to any officers and elected members who have a role to play in increasing biodiversity, addressing climate change and developing community engagement.

Because of the growing need to use greenspace assets in developing a wide range of ecosystem services, the value of burial grounds should not be underestimated and neither should their cultural and historical value to the communities they support. Therefore, this course will offer a great deal of knowledge and practical experiences both for officers and elected members alike.

Learning Outcomes

During this session, you will:

• Identify the different environmental benefits burial grounds can bring.
• Develop an understanding of the role of burial grounds in wider ecosystem.
• Recognise the needs and worries of the bereaved when considering naturalising burial grounds.
• Appreciate the work carried out by local authorities to improve biodiversity levels in their burial grounds and the successes achieved.
• Understand the importance of gaining community support.
• Develop an action plan to successfully and sustainably improve biodiversity levels in burial grounds.