A PROJECT that has created a “sanctuary for wildlife and for people” is celebrating with its first open day.
Calstock’s Living Churchyard event will be held at St Andrew’s Church on Saturday (June 22) from 9am to 4pm.
Music, yoga, dance, bellringing and quiet outdoor prayer will take place, as well as a host of different activities all aimed at encouraging people to discover the thriving space for nature that has been nurtured. Lost stories of those who are buried at St Andrews will be told in drama from Calstock Primary School children and walks around the gravestones. The focus of the day will be the community orchard, and the creation of a new labyrinth on an adjacent piece of land.
“It’s the first time we’ve had an open day and it’s a celebration really of what we’ve done,” said volunteer Jane Weatherby. “The project is in the closed part of the churchyard, where there are no longer burials.
“We know that foxes visit and a myriad of birds. The small mammal society will be setting some humane traps so that we can discover the animals that come out at night. And there’ll be a Bio Blitz, so we’ll be recording what is there.
“The churchyard is an absolutely beautiful space,” Jane continued. “It’s still managed – there are broad footpaths cut through so that people can walk without brushing against long grass. It’s about having a balance between areas for people and for wildlife.”
To see the timetable, look for Calstock Living Churchyard on Facebook.