As a parish priest, supporting the spiritual development of the children and families in our community is at the heart of everything I do. That desire aligns so naturally with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s aim of fostering a deep connection to nature. Nurturing a sense of awe and thankfulness when spending time in the natural world is vital for all of our spiritual health – whether we are conventionally religious or not.

Over the past year, across our four churches (St Edmund's and St Nick's in Allestree, St Matthew's in Darley Abbey and St Paul's in Quarndon), we have been looking at how we can put our faith into action for nature. Guided by the Church of England's fifth mark of mission – to protect the environment and care for the earth – our partnership with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has helped us bring our community and grounds to life in wonderful ways.

Taking Toddler Steps into Allestree Park

Our journey began when Andy Honman from the Trust reached out to invite us to participate in Tree for a Tee, which led to our toddler group leader, Caroline Audley, and I completing the Inspiring Nature Connection in the Early Years training.

We already ran a weekly baby and toddler group in our church hall on Thursdays, but we realised moving outdoors once a month would be a fantastic way to enrich what we already offer to preschool children. With the help of a grant from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and hands-on setup support from Andy and Matt at DWT, we launched Nature Tots in Allestree Park. The team even helped us secure a nearby lock-up shed so we don't have to haul equipment back and forth every month, and four of our team have now completed Outdoor First Aid training.

Caroline is truly the driving force behind making Nature Tots happen each month. She welcomes everyone, ensures everything runs smoothly, plans creative themes, and leads our story and song time with brilliant nature-focused books like Owl Babies. While I act as an adult helper most months, I step in to lead stories during Christian festivals like Christmas, Easter, and our upcoming Harvest celebration.

We are also so lucky to have an incredible volunteer team keeping sessions warm and welcoming: Michèle and Alwyn bring delicious drinks and snacks every time, while Andrew is a huge help in setting up the sessions. With a new pond under construction nearby, Andrew and Caroline have both completed pond-dipping training so we can add water habitats to our upcoming sessions!

Each month, rain or shine, Andy or Matt raise a silk parachute to create a cosy woodland story room. We set out a mud kitchen, water play, and wooden blocks for creative play. It has been delightful to see the children growing in confidence as they explore – wellies are an absolute must, as many of them love exploring the little stream and getting messy with parents close by!

We're now seeing families travel from further afield specifically for an outdoor group. It is clearly meeting a real need as parents recognise how vital outdoor time is for growing children.

Join Us for Our Upcoming Sessions

If you have preschool children, you are so welcome to join us:

• Nature Tots in Allestree Park: Meets next 12^th November. Click here to find out more.

Caring for Sacred Spaces: St Edmund’s Groundforce

St Edmund’s sits on a site with around 900 years of history, and we are blessed to be the home of the oldest yew tree in Derby. Maintaining a historic, closed churchyard means balancing heritage, grave access, and local council guidelines with wildlife conservation.

Our Groundforce team, led by Jane and Steve, met with Andy and Emily from DWT to look at how we could enhance the churchyard for wildlife. Groundforce acts to complement Derby City Council's maintenance by adding real value for biodiversity:

• Wildflower corridors and islands: We have left wildflower borders along our northern and southern boundaries (where graves permit) and created wildflower island areas around dead tree stumps.
• Habitat piles and composting: Cuttings, deadwood, and leaf debris are transformed into habitat piles and compost heaps to shelter insects and small mammals.
• Badger welfare and deterrence: When badgers began foraging near paths and grave structures, Andy connected us with the local Badger Group. They installed trail cameras to identify their entry route at Church Walk, allowing us to safely try to dissuade them without harming the local population.
• Ancient yew preservation: We took part in national initiatives like Love Your Yew Tree Week, sponsored by Caring For God's Acre, to protect our ancient yew as a focal point for nature and community alike.
• Bells for Birds: Earlier this year, our Groundforce team joined churches across Derbyshire by ringing our church bells at the start of a Saturday session to celebrate the return of migrating swifts.

Groundforce aims to keep our churchyard tidy and respectful for visitors, while allowing wild areas to flourish for the benefit of all creation in the heart of Allestree village.

Are you a community group, school, or faith group? Let us know how you're creating space for nature on your patch! Check out Wilder Chesterfield to get involved.

To learn more about how your local group or parish can partner with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, get in touch today – enquiries@derbyshirewt.co.uk.