Eco Church

St Christopher’s gained the A Rocha Eco Church Silver Award in 2021.

Since then we have been producing eco tips for our congregation to show our commitment to this award.

Eco Tips

For more eco-tips, sign up to A Rocha UK’s Wild Christian email: arocha.org.uk/wild-christian 

August

What can we do to ensure nature has a chance in these dry and hot times? Here are some of our top actions for wildlife. 

  1. Put a dish of water out and you will help to keep all kinds of wildlife hydrated. Insects, small mammals, birds and even badgers, foxes and deer will benefit. Putting a stone in a plant saucer will help bees to perch and drink without drowning. 

  2. Don’t forget to continue to supply food for wildlife. Drought can mean that grains dry up faster and insect numbers reduce, so wildlife relies on us for extra support.

  3. Avoid cutting your grass. Keeping grass long will help retain moisture, provide a source of shelter for insects and mammals and keep the topsoil from blowing away.

  4. Keep your bushes unpruned. Creating shaded areas will help reduce your garden’s temperature, slowing the effects of drought. 

  5. Don’t waste water trying to keep grass alive – instead, focus your attention on flowering and fruiting species. This will help to keep a food source for pollinating insects and for birds and other animals. 

  6. Adding mulch around trees, shrubs, and plants in your garden helps retain soil moisture, reduces watering needs during drought and improves soil health. Use organic mulch like grass cuttings, wood chips or straw, spread two to three inches deep and avoid direct contact with plant stems.

July

It’s Plastic Free July and this year we’re thinking about laundry, a top source of microplastic pollution. Fibres from synthetic clothes (polyester, nylon, and acrylic for example) shed tiny fibres during washing and drying. These enter the sewage systems and are hard to filter out. Use a microfibre bag or ball to catch the fibres. Learn more about reducing plastic pollution in the laundry process at

plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/plastic-free-laundry/