The Eco Church team at St Andrew’s in Holt had an action packed week planned for the annual Churches Count on Nature campaign, but had a battle with the elements on their hands, as Fiona Joliffe explains:
It was NOT the weather we would have chosen to survey sites in and around Holt, expertly led by Tony Leech!
On Monday, we arrived at Kelling Hospital (by kind permission of the Estates Manager), in pouring rain. We trudged round its varied habitats of meadow, woodland and informal gardens, trying to keep our clipboards dry. Then the rain eased, and we found 90 different wild plants including a patch of Himalayan balsam and a new discovery – lesser swine cress. A steam train in the background and a newly fledged family of blue tits added to the experience.
On Tuesday, we visited The Tree House, a community treasure that all ages can enjoy. A mosaic of cut paths through long grass, a vegetable patch with wonderful lettuces and flowering borders were investigated. Over 60 wild plants were logged including three previously undiscovered bee orchids.
Wednesday evening saw about 14 people explore the Site of Special Scientific interest that is Holt Lowes, famous for its adders and nightjars. None of those were seen, but we were treated to marsh lousewort, common spotted orchids, marsh helleborines and a distant sighting of grazing ponies.
We rounded off the week in our own St Andrew’s churchyard and began by admiring our bee orchids near the church entrance. They are in an area mown regularly in previous years but now kept long during the summer and only cut in the Autumn. This year, we concentrated on the East End of the churchyard and found over 80 different plants. Many commented that they were amazed at how many different plants they had seen in and around them in Holt. Others told us what a pleasant morning it had been. Another said, “The more you know, the more you notice.”
Churches Count on Nature week is an ideal way of raising awareness of the biodiversity we have in our churchyard, and around us in Holt. We have more plans for next year!
