At the beginning of spring, the Bavarian Academy for Nature Conservation and Landscape Conservation (ANL) and the church association “Preserve Creation Concretely” provide tips for a natural design of cemeteries. According to a statement from the ANL, these are not only places of silence and mourning, but also places of life.
If meadows and trees are cared for ecologically and old walls are preserved, many animals would find food, nesting places or shelter. In natural habitats there are also optimal conditions for many plants.
The brown long-eared bat, for example, lives in the cemetery and needs caves in old trees as a place to sleep. These trees should therefore be preserved. The rare ivy bark beetle, on the other hand, lives under the bark of dying ivy vines. The watering basins in cemeteries can easily be transformed into safe drinking troughs and bathing areas for birds, insects and even newts using a board to help them get out.
The brochure “Oases for plants and animals – cemeteries. Action plan for insect protection and more biodiversity” shows many other measures and practical tips for more biodiversity in cemeteries.