About Nature In Sacred Places
Nature in Sacred Places (NiSP) is a National Lottery Heritage Fund funded project to expand the accessibility and biodiversity of outdoor spaces at places of worship. It is a six-year, £6 million project combining the expertise of partners Natural England, Church of England, Bat Conservation Trust, Churches Conservation Trust and Caring for God’s Acre.
At its core, NiSP is a collaborative project to help people, nature and built heritage thrive together in churches, churchyards and other diverse sacred places.
Activities are being initially trialled in and around Birmingham and the Black Country, Wakefield, Rotherham and Doncaster and the Hereford Diocese with a focus on:
- Helping more places of worship: by working across England with an initial focus on towns and cities.
- Helping more wildlife: by teaching people how to take care of lots of different plants, animals and habitats.
- Developing new skills: by focussing on exteriors and outdoor monuments and different species.
- Making green space more accessible: by making outdoor spaces easier to enjoy for everyone.
Nature in Sacred Places is made possible thanks to National Lottery players. NiSP will focus on sub/urban areas across England not reached by Bats in Churches. Over six years, NiSP’s mix of activities, events and library of lasting resources will help people, nature and built heritage thrive together. Creating volunteering and skill development opportunities will be central in all activities and events.
From the launch, project staff will work with faith leaders and local communities to set priorities for their local area. NiSP will empower people to protect and enhance the natural and built heritage in Sacred Places across England via three work strands:
- BROADENING ENGAGMENT – fostering connections between people, nature and heritage
- SUPPORTING PRACTICAL ACTION – helping Sacred Places become havens for nature and people through hands-on restoration of built heritage, biodiversity improvements and improved interpretation
- BUILDING PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY – developing professionals’ skills and confidence to care for built and natural heritage and encourage people into related fields of work