Learning from Churchyards: Insect Reservoirs

How many bees and other insects have you seen so far this year? I was shocked by how few bumblebees, hoverflies or butterflies have been visiting my lavender. There haven’t even been wasps making a start on the early apples. It’s only since the warm weather in August that insect numbers have gradually increased and even now we can leave windows open at night and nothing flies in. The cold, wet spring and early summer have been disastrous for these small creatures and that’s bad news for the animals which rely on them for food. One Forncett resident described how every one of the many bird nests in his garden had failed to fledge any youngsters. Is there anything we can do to help? Insects need nectar or pollen, somewhere to lay eggs, for their young to feed, grow and transform into adults and with this we can make a difference.

St Mary's Church Wroxham, June 2024 Photo: A Rae

Thoughtfully managed churchyards give us a great guide that any of us can follow whatever size of plot we are lucky enough to look after. In June some of the committee members from Forncett Nature Matters and the Friends of St Peter’s joined a Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) ‘Caring for Churchyards’ visit to St Mary’s, Wroxham. This wonderful churchyard has well defined conservation areas where a wide range of wild flowers and grasses flourish, creating a reservoir of nectar and pollen for insects of all sorts. Neatly mown areas make a beautiful contrast to the wilder spaces and mean that tended graves remain easily accessible. It was stunning. Once the flowers set seed in July the whole area was cut and raked, and then kept cut until the following spring when the cycle begins again. The overall effect was of a well-loved space where graves were respected, wildlife was nurtured and serenity was free for everyone.

A patchwork of habitats. Photo: A Rae

Churchyards are particularly valuable as they are some of the very few areas of undisturbed grassland in the country. The NWT identifies a few species as especially important markers of valuable habitat including, meadow saxifrage, burnet saxifrage, oxeye daisies and ladies bedstraw. St Peter’s churchyard is lucky to have all of these and NWT volunteer Adele Geere has started a year long survey so we get a full picture of the richness of the environment. With advice from NWT the conservation area at St Peter’s has been moved to the front of the churchyard where the diversity of plants is richest. This area was cut and raked off in July thanks to a wonderful team of local volunteers, encouraged by Tony at the Old Vineyard Coffee Shop who offered free hot drinks to everyone who helped. Thank you! Managing and learning more about the churchyard at St Peter’s is an important aspect of the recent National Lottery Heritage Fund grant – look out for more community activities as ‘Four Seasons in a Country Churchyard’ develops. There is also a lovely historical link through the medieval / Victorian pew carvings in the church showing activities in the agricultural year. St Edmunds Church too has an explosion of colourful wildflowers in spring and early summer – a great place to get ideas.

Cutting the new Conservation Area, St Peter's Church, Forncett, July 2024. Photo: A Rae

 Insect reservoirs are something we can each create in our own small ways, adding to the green corridors so necessary for wildlife to flourish. I’ve been leaving a small area of my front lawn to grow long from March to July - gradually flowering plants have been increasing, I can hear grasshoppers and see a green woodpecker enjoying the ants. With the rest neatly mown as is done at Wroxham it looks as if it’s meant to be there. Some of the beautiful gardens in FoSP Open Gardens weekend this summer had stunning flower- rich ‘wild’ areas. Front verges too can become little meadows for 2 or 3 months – oxeye daisies, field cranesbill, wild carrot and hawkweeds will all flourish given a chance. They look beautiful and provide refueling stations for insects when they emerge. Verges look most natural where native wildflowers are encouraged. Try using them in your garden too, along with the many other flower varieties that also provide excellent nourishment for insects.

If you’d like help to make an insect reservoir of your own Forncett Nature Matters can help, both with ideas and with seeds and plants – contact us by email or have a chat with one of the Steering Group. This is happening at the top of Tabernacle Lane where a small plot around the name sign is being nurtured. You don’t need a space the size of St Peter’s churchyard to make an impact, together we can create the patchwork nature needs.

September 2024