Season of Creation

Every parish is different – in size, location, type of land and buildings, and much else besides. Some of the ideas below may already be in place in your parish, and some may not be possible. We have tried to give as wide a selection as we can – and welcome new ideas, especially ones that have worked in your parish.

There are several very simple things that can be done, that will have almost no financial cost (and could even save money), and do a very great deal to raise awareness and protect nature.

Rewild part of the parish grounds. Pretty much every parish will have a garden, or some grounds, and with a dedicated small group this can be transformed into a haven for bees and butterflies, bugs and insects. It is not as simple as not cutting the grass (though that is a start) and it does take some care to get it going properly, but it costs just a few packs of seeds and some volunteer time. For good info about how to get started look at the Rewilding Britain website and tips from Springwatch on the RHS website.

Fit some cycle racks. The cost is about £150 – £200 and it may well be that a parishioner would donate money for this specific item. Fit them near to the church doors, if you can – it is better for security, and raises awareness. Tie it in with promoting walking or cycling to church, and for those who do not have the mobility to do this, with car sharing.

Have a careful look at parish heating and lighting. Are buildings being heated and lit when they are not in use? This, of course, is both costing money and wasting energy. Investing in good timers, and liaising carefully with hall users, can lead to great savings. One obvious thought is if your hall users don’t come in at half terms or holidays, but your heating and lighting stays on. It is more work to override settings, etc., but every bit of energy wasted is a cost to God’s creation, and to the poorest people in it.

Change bulbs to LED. Gradually, as bulbs go, use LED. In most cases you’ll be able to use existing fittings – but do check carefully. It can be an issue on dimmable fittings. LED bulbs last for many years and use very, very little energy.

For more tips around energy, including larger items such as reviewing your house, hall and church insulation, and fitting solar panels or ground source heating, have a look at the excellent website of the Energy Saving Trust: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/

How to make your garden wilder

What if we were a nation of wild gardeners? Want to throw wildlife and nature a lifeline making your garden wilder? Here are 10 steps.

This is also cost-free, and high impact. Within almost every parish – and certainly within every partnership area – there will be one or more parks. Across the Diocese there are areas of national significance – look at the page dedicated to this to discover the amazing beauty less than an hour from where you live, and perhaps just a few minutes away.

Think about what your parish could do:

A Saturday walk, through places of natural beauty in the parish. It could be a Rosary walk, with a decade prayed in each new place of beauty. It could include games for children and families. You could ask people to ensure their lunch contained no plastic, as a little extra challenge. Or treat walkers to a bar of Fair Trade chocolate.

Linking with a local park that needs volunteers. This includes every local park, and every location looked after by the Wildlife Trust (London or Essex), Thames Chase, or the RSPB. Perhaps there are already parishioners who volunteer in such a way? Could they tell their story at Mass one week, to inspire others? Our retreat house for young people, Walsingham House at Abbotswick, would also love extra volunteers to assist those already looking after the 14 acres of grounds each Tuesday. Email [email protected] to find out more.

A parish picnic in a place further afield. Have a look at the page full of natural beauty spots within Essex and East London: https://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/laudatosi/laudato-si-our-beautiful-diocese/