The Grampound Times
Summer 2006 (Edition 42 - Carnival Edition)
Our community in Cornwall
Living Churchyards
This scheme is aimed at identifying all the living organisms that are to be found in a churchyard.
Why a Churchyard? Because most of the rural churchyards are the very places in the countryside that have had very little impact from modern things such as fertilizers and sprays.
The policy will be to firstly mark the different plants with name labels. This will be done as they flower.
Areas will be left to allow seed heads develop and get more wild flowers seed naturally. There have been comments in the past about certain areas in the graveyard looking untidy. This will still occur but paths will be cut to allow easier access to enable the viewing of old gravestones. All the gravestones have been identified on 4 area plans and these can be downloaded from the website www.Grampound with Creed.
Two small areas have been sown with a seed mixture that contains the plant called Yellow Rattle. This plant is a parasite that lives off grasses and if it can be established in the Churchyard it will reduce the need to mow the grass and encourage the flowering of less vigorous plants.
It will be a policy to cut the grass in the current burial area about every 2 weeks or as and when needed. The area close to the small entrance gate has a lot of primroses and this area will have reduced number of cuts but paths will be kept.
Small heaps of grass will be created to encourage insects etc. Also small heaps of logs/twigs.
There are quite a few different fungus in the Churchyard and it is to be hoped that a survey of these will be done in the future.
The following Butterflies have been identified as visitors to the Churchyard:- Gatekeeper; Speckled Wood; Ringlet; Red Admiral; Peacock; Orangetip; Comma; Common Blue
There are bats in the area and a Greater horseshoe colony has been established for some time. Bats are a protected animal and if anyone finds that they have them in a roofspace it is advisable to inform the Wildlife Trust. There are legal constraints on disturbing bats.
Since the new footpath from Creed Church has been established I have been quite surprised to find that there are Kingfishers and Dippers living on the river. Because of this I am suggesting that interested people get together for a preliminary chat about forming a Wildlife Recording Group. The object will be to record what is seen in the countryside of Grampound in Creed Parish.
If there is sufficient interest I would be prepared to help organise talks and walks. Please contact me on 882145 any evening after 7pm or weekends.
Paul Brewer.
© 2006 Grampound with Creed Parish Council