St Nicholas' is Silver!
Our island Church has been awarded a Silver Eco Church award in recognition of local efforts to care for the churchyard
St Nicholas' is at the centre of the island and is an important symbol of Tresco's past but also a dynamic space still at the centre of community today. The hard work and dedication of steward Rachel Young as well as weekly sermons from visiting priests ensure that a healthy congregation of locals and visitors is maintained. At Easter and Christmas, St Nicholas' is at the centre of island life and throughout the year, the space is integral to the Tresco & Bryher school children amongst many others.
Therefore, it is with great joy that we announce this sacred space has been deemed an Eco Church!
Jilly Halliday - resident beekeeper - alongside Abbey Gardener Brett Haythorpe and other locals have come together to create a beautiful church yard complete with wildflower meadow and subsequent creatures, both great and small. It has brought the Church and surrounding area to life and has made it an even more tranquil, reflective and picturesque place.
Jilly and Bret sowed the seeds for the meadow back in May and now it is a thriving environment improving the biodiversity in the area. Bees are frequent visitors as well as other insects and birds. In fact, Dr Ian Beavis - an expert on pollinators who has been carrying out etymological surveys on the islands since 1975 - visited the island a couple of weeks ago to carry out a survey of the area. His hands on and up-close approach is so engaging and deeply fascinating. There were lots of people present including local children and St Mary's chaplain Elizabeth Burke, and everyone learnt about the wealth of wildlife that is present here. Ian visits the churchyard every year and said the wildflowers have significantly changed the environment. What's more, this year Ian witnessed a species never before seen on the islands! The Soldierfly was found down by the Great Pool and it was a very exciting discovery.
This fantastic environmental work will hopefully pave the way for more rewilding on Tresco. Thank you to everyone involved!
