Globally the role of graveyards is changing, allowing these once sombre places of reflection to turn into thriving ecological utopias which support a host of flora and fauna

In the small Cornish village of Crowan, a quaint granite church is surrounded by green fields. Its modern cemetery sits outside of the original 15th-century churchyard walls. It’s a quiet place, with a manicured lawn and neat rows of stones. But next to it, the old churchyard is a mass of colour – swathes of ox-eye daisies lean lazily against lichen-crusted headstones, buttery primroses peek out from clumps of grasses that surround the graves as birds titter from the branches of old oak trees. This is just one example of how in recent years, there’s been a shift in the way that burial grounds are managed, with a focus being placed on their life-giving qualities. Traditionally associated with death, many cemeteries are now providing a home for nature and a space for wildlife.

Many people are aware of the climate crisis that the world is facing but with the direct threat to human survival often taking precedence in discussions, it’s sometimes easy to overlook how the Earth’s environments are suffering, and biodiversity – the variety of species with which we share the planet – is falling. Last year’s State of nature in the EU report revealed that 39 per cent of birds and half of amphibian populations were struggling, and over a third of habitats were in poor condition.