Registrations open for Churches Count on Nature 2026

Churches Count on Nature, part of Love Your Burial Ground Week, is an annual initiative that encourages people to visit churchyards across England and Wales and record the plant and animal species they find.

The scheme is a joint initiative from Caring for God’s Acre, The Church of England, The Church in Wales and A Rocha UK.

In 2026, Churches Count on Nature will run from 6-14 June.

Churches are invited to open their churchyards and burial grounds to their communities to explore the amazing variety of wildlife they contain. Taking part is a great way to connect with nature, involve your local community and celebrate the biodiversity found in these special places.

If you would like to run an activity or event in your churchyard or burial ground, registrations are now open.

It is free to register your event, and once registered it will appear on the Churches Count on Nature national events map, helping people in your area find and join your activity.

If you register by 23 May, you will receive:

• Two free Starter Guides
• A Guide to Wildlife in Burial Grounds

Last year’s Churches Count on Nature was a great success:

• 380+ counting events took place across England and Wales
• 6,000+ participants joined in
• 8,668 wildlife records were submitted
• 1,670 species were recorded

The data collected helps build a clearer picture of where different species are found across the country. This information can support churches in enhancing biodiversity and managing their land in a wildlife-friendly way.

Taking part can be simple and flexible. Events can be as small or as ambitious as you like, and many churches combine wildlife recording with activities for their local community.

Here are some ideas to help you get started:

• Guided wildlife walks around the churchyard
• Birdwatching, butterfly or wildflower identification sessions
• A nature trail or scavenger hunt
• Family nature days or children’s activities
• Photography sessions or art inspired by nature
• Gardening or conservation sessions to improve habitats

Visit the event resources page from Caring for God’s Acre for practical guidance and downloadable materials that might be useful for your event or activity.

This year, there will be a series of lunchtime webinars you can attend ahead of Churches Count on Nature. The programme will cover a variety of topics, such as lichens, and which plants work for which butterflies, to nature in urban churchyards, as well as engaging children and school groups with wildlife.

Webinar dates and booking information will be published on this page soon.