As Alistair McQueen mentioned in our first Quarterly Newsletter in April, Cayton Parish has its own volunteer eco group - and it’s growing! At our recent meeting we welcomed two new members who want to help us support and celebrate the glories of creation. We meet around four times a year and new members are always welcome, whether they attend church services locally or not.

So what have we been up to recently?

• We now have three Silver Eco Church Awards (for All Saints Ripley, St John’s Bishop Thornton and St Wilfrid’s South Stainley). We are working towards applications for St Michael’s Churchyard, Markington and St Andrew’s Burnt Yates.

• We have been reviewing our mowing contracts for all five churchyards and working out mowing regimes that keep the most visited and most recent graves tidy and accessible, while allowing older less visited parts of the churchyards to be managed for wildflowers, bugs, butterflies, bees and biodiversity in general. We have learned that cutting intentional, attractive paths through ‘wilded’ areas both enables access to lesser visited areas and reminds everyone that the churchyard is being actively managed.

• We have planned a family fun afternoon for Bank Holiday Monday 31st August creating Hedgehog Houses from wooden wine crates. Look out for further details in church newsletters (sign up to our weekly newsletter via our website here: https://www.caytonparish.org/?p=5000)

• There is a church clear up event at St Andrew’s Burnt Yates on Saturday 12th September. Come along to clear moss from the paths, clear out old wood and weeds around the trees, paint the gates, or other tasks as appropriate. Or just come to cheer us on and make hot drinks!

What ideas do you have and would you like to join us? If so, email  revd.linda.boon@gmail.com.