RECTOR: Rev’d Nicola Grieves
Part I The National Problem The Woodland Trust’s 2025 report reveals that our woodlands are in crisis. They have become simplified, uniform, and less full of life. Wildlife that inhabits our woodland are plummeting because of a direct result of the poor health of the...
We can help the planet and our health. Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, is used to make billions of plastic food containers, protective liners of food cans & toys. BPA is considered an endocrine disruptor and cause adverse effects in humans. It can be absorbed by...
As the summer holidays draw to a close and the gentle arrival of Autumn approaches, I find myself reflecting on the concept of...
Some positive news! Environment Secretary Steve Reed’s pledge is based on: A 50% reduction in spills from storm overflows - an outlet from the public sewer that spills both sewage and rainwater into the environment - by 2030. A 50% reduction in the amount of...
Announcement from the Bishop The Right Revd Graeme Knowles, the Acting Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, is delighted to announce that The Revd Nicola Grieves has been appointed as Rector in the Barrow Benefice. Nicola is currently Assistant Curate in the Barrow...
Some positive news! Environment Secretary Steve Reed is set to pledge a halving of sewage pollution from water companies by 2030, aiming for Britain's cleanest rivers on record. The plan includes a £104bn investment to rebuild crumbling sewage pipes, introduce...
I am a real fan of doing a Jigsaw and find I can while away a good few hours relaxing, just sitting, sorting, and putting...
Jackie has always been interested in nature and wildlife. In the past she has volunteered on school educational projects with Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Risby village tree planting, making beetle bumps, weeding paths to avoid pesticide spraying and litter picking, a...
Butterflies like warmth so choose sunny, sheltered spots when planting nectar plants. Choose different plants to attract a wider variety of species. Place the same types of plant together in blocks. Try to provide flowers right through the butterfly season. Spring...
18 July - 10 August 2025 Visithttps://bigbutterflycount.butterflyconservation.org/ or download the free Big Butterfly Count app. Step 1. Get readyDownload the butterfly ID chart or free app for iOS and Android to identify and record the butterflies you spot. Step 2....
18 July - 10 August 2025 Following the results of the Big Butterfly Count 2024, Butterfly Conservation have declared a butterfly emergency. Overall, participants spotted just seven butterflies on average per 15-minute Count in 2024, a reduction of almost 50% on 2023’s...
You can swiftly sign (and amend if you wish) an email to the PM at Zero Hour – Join the campaign for the Climate and Nature Bill. As the UK heads for what looks like another unusually hot and dry summer, now is the time to remind our government of the urgency of...
8 June, 3.30pm | St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1LS This year the Climate Sunday service has a theme of 'Celebrating our Care for God’s Creation', and will give thanks for all that is happening to protect creation and promote climate justice. A warm...
Be a grower not a mower and help us combat the Butterfly Emergency The Butterfly Emergency hasn’t gone away, and we need urgent action now more than ever. This summer, we're asking people across the UK to make a promise to butterflies and moths. Will you put away the...
#NoMowMay is one of the easiest ways to help and connect with wildlife, and the perfect way to start supporting nature in your garden (in May and beyond!).” Join in by letting the wildflowers grow and be part of the No Mow Movement.To register go to...
Nature has woken in the northern hemisphere. Queen Bumblebees have been searching in our garden for several weeks for a suitable nesting site. Our resident Blackbirds have been busy foraging for nesting material. And some gregarious Starlings, a Red List species, have...
Bishops’ Lent Appeal – 2025 The 2025 Lent Appeal will be for Kagera and this year's theme is taken from the hymn ‘Great is thy faithfulness’, ‘Bright Hope for Tomorrow’. Coffee mornings, Kagera services, African doughnuts, children’s crafts – there are some exciting...
I mentioned in January how the Bat Conservation Trust, the Church of England, Natural England, Churches Conservation Trust and Historic England have come together to offer places of worship in England the opportunity to apply for the new Living Alongside Bats in...
Wild daffodils offer sweet nectar and nutritious pollen. But many modern varieties have little or no nectar and pollen. Over time, selective breeding for aesthetics has altered the features or the wild daffodil or narcissus. Plant breeders have produced thousands of...
For most bumblebee species, winter is a time for hibernation. Queens can be expected to spend about half of their life in hibernation! But for the Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), winter can be as busy a time as the rest of the year. In the warmer parts of...