Why is it that we have this top spot?  Three reasons:

One is that the church was recorded in the Domesday Book so it is ancient land that is relatively undisturbed and unpolluted.  

The second reason is that the church is on the top of a ridge so no water flows onto the land from anywhere else, only rain and snow water the ground.

The final reason is the recording of night life using moth traps and echolocation recorders for bats, shrews an crickets.

It's amazing how many new species of invertebrates you can find whenever you go up there and take time to slowly look around.  Yes, a camera with a microscopic function, which allows photos to be taken of 1-2mm invertebrates and identify them, is a great help!

We currently have the following totals of wildlife recorded.

154    Plants         

337    Invertebrates (not including Moths) 

351    Moths        

33      Fungi and Protista

60      Lichen

13      Bats

25      Birds

This is a remarkable record and shows just what an important place the churchyard is for wildlife.  Churchyards, as Bp Graham Usher says 'are places for the living not for the dead.'  He also says that hearing birdsong, seeing flowers and butterflies and other native wildlife can be a solace to those visiting the graves of family and friends.