Stop 1 Sycamore

Look up into the tree and you will see bunches of sycamore seeds

Sycamore seeds are dispersed by wind. The seeds have wings that cause them to spin through the air like helicopters, which delays their fall and helps them travel far from the parent tree. This allows the seeds to spread out and have more space to grow.

 This is an effective form of seed dispersal. As you walk around how many sycamore trees can you see? Sycamore trees can be a problem as they take up space where native trees could grow.

If you see a sycamore seed on the ground drop it and see how far it travels and if you can get it to spin like a helicopter.

Stop 2 Wild Arum Lilies Arum maculatum

Do not touch: poisonous

Although poisonous to us, the berries and roots of this plant are  a good food source for birds. One of the common names of this plant is fairy lamps. Legends tell of its power to rouse bears from hibernation and how its pollen glows at night giving it the name of 'fairy lamps'.

Stop 3 Ivy Flowers

Ivy is particularly important to many insects before they go into hibernation. Some of the main insect species which forage on the nectar and pollen of ivy are bees, hoverflies and common wasps.

It is an important food plant for some butterfly and moth larvae such as holly blue, small dusty wave, angle shades and swallow-tailed moth.

Many rare insects are attracted to ivy flowers, including the golden hoverfly.

Stop 4 Horse Chestnut

If you look at the leaves of this tree you will notice they are brown unlike the others trees in the churchyard. This tree has the disease leaf blotch

Leaf blotch is an infection of the leaves of horse chestnuts caused by the fungus Phyllosticta paviae (syn. Guignardia aesculi), which causes irregular brown blotches, often with yellow margins. You're most likely to see attacks in summer.

The fungus was introduced accidentally into the UK from North America in the last century.

Stop 5 Rowan tree

In Celtic mythology, the rowan tree is known as the Tree of Life and symbolizes courage, wisdom, and protection. 

Some believe that planting a rowan tree near your house will ensure a happy home.

The rowan's berries have a tiny five-pointed star or pentagram opposite their stalk, which is an ancient protective symbol. 

The rowan's bright red berries are associated with magic and witches, as red was considered the best colour for fighting evil. 

The Druids believed that rowan trees protected the spirits of the dead, and they are often found near stone circles or ancient burial sites

Stop 6 Log Pile

Do not touch

If you look closely at the log pile you will see evidence of many animals which have made their homes here.

A small pile of logs can support a multitude of different insects, provide a refuge and hunting ground for small mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and shelter for over-wintering and hibernating wildlife.

Fungi, wood-boring insects, woodlice, beetle grubs and wood wasps all find homes and food in the logs. These are prey for other animals too: like spiders, frogs, toads, hedgehogs and birds. A simple pile of logs can very quickly become a flourishing wildlife community.

Stop 7. The Variegated Holly

If you look at the bark of the tree you can see the tree has been damaged. If you look at the base of the damage you can see the possible cause : nails. Despite this, the tree has recovered and continues to provide food and homes for wildlife in the church yard.

Holly trees will eventually become hollow with age, the cylinder shape makes them strong and provides  an ideal roosting site for bats.

Stop 8 Lichens

Lichens are often the very first life forms to colonize freshly exposed rock surfaces. Lichens are actually made up of two or more different organisms. These exist in a mutually beneficial relationship called symbiosis. So you can think of lichen as a successful partnership, between: a fungus and an algae and/or cyanobacteria.

The fungus element requires carbohydrate as a food source. The algae or cyanobacteria, on the other hand, require shelter. As the algae/cyanobacteria are photosynthetic, they provide the food for the fungus in return for the shelter. It's a partnership that works.

Stop 9 Tutsan Hypericum androsaemum

In some cultures, Tutsan is associated with superstitions and was used to ward off evil spirits. It was named "St. John's Wort" because it often blooms around St. John's Day (June 24th).In the summer it has yellow flowers and now you can see its shiny black berries which will provide food for birds.

Sometime you can see these being used in flower arrangements.  H. androsaemum is a medicinal plant used in folk medicine. For example, it is used as a diuretic, to treat sciatica and gout, and to stem bleeding and accelerate healing from burns and minor wounds.