Churches help to preserve bird biodiversity

CHRISTIANITY and conservation have not always gone hand in hand. Yet the structures raised by Christians to exercise their faith offer tangible sanctuary to some of God’s smaller creatures. Bats, famously, roost in belfries. And, according to a paper just published in Biological Conservation, churches are also good places for birds. They are complex structures, with lots of nooks, crannies, rafters, holes and towers to sleep and nest in. Churchyards also often host a diverse collection of greenery and ancient trees.