Best Community Climate & Nature Action
Credit: St. Lawrence’s Church.
St. Lawrence’s Church is growing trees for climate and nature and inspiring more churches to do the same.
The Campaign
Since November 2019, a small team from St Lawrence’s Church Hungerford has been planting trees as positive action to make a difference in fighting climate change and protecting the environment. Church-goers and local community members have worked together with local landowners and trees from the Woodland Trust and other charities, planting suitable trees which boost biodiversity as well as capturing carbon. They started partnering with a local school and planted a tree for each child. Subsequently they have mainly worked with local farmers who have been involved in the decision about which trees and where to plant.
Credit: St. Lawrence’s church Â
Being shortlisted for the Best Community Climate & Nature Action Award is a wonderful celebration of the achievements of our community of tree-planters in Hungerford and everyone who has supported our work. We’re also pleased for the opportunity to inspire more groups who could undertake similar projects and deliver more of the action for climate and nature which is urgently needed.”
Rev. Mike Saunders
Vicar, St. Lawrence’s church Â
The Change
To date, the group has planted over 9,100 native trees. These trees are providing habitats for wildlife and soil stabilisation, and they will sequester carbon and provide shelter and shade for years to come. The work has been shared publicly as a case study for Eco Church and Operation Noah, encouraging other churches that this is something any group could do. They have inspired other local groups to plant trees and are spreading hope that there are practical actions that people can take to respond to the climate crisis. Different generations have been involved in planting trees together, with those from within and outside the church. Some of the farmers involved are very enthusiastic about agroforestry while others have supported work to create hedges at the boundaries of their land. The team showcases how a small community can have a big impact and move people from a place of despair to hope by taking positive action to tackle the climate crisis, in a way which also has local benefit.
The Future
The team plans to continue planting trees within the partnerships they have made. As a case study for wider action, they serve as an example to parishes across the Church of England and other denominations. With over 8,000 parishes across the Church of England, the potential impact, if replicated widely, could be huge. By acting as ambassadors for tree-planting and sharing their story, the team hope to multiply their impact exponentially.
Who else was involved?
Reverend Mike Saunders; Mike Morecroft from Natural England; Woodland Trust; Greenham Trust; Hungerford Environmental Action Team (HEAT); Hungerford Primary School; local landowners; Eco Church; and Operation Noah.Â
