UK churchyards are havens for rare wildlife, finds conservation charity

Arnos Vale cemetery, Bristol, is rich in history and full of wildlife. Photograph: William Tait/Alamy

Churchyards are vital havens for rare wildlife including dormice, bats and beetles, according to an extensive audit of burial grounds around the UK.

The conservation charity Caring for God’s Acre mapped out 20,325 cemeteries, with 800,000 wildlife records submitted and more than 10,800 species recorded.