Column: What will you do to cherish God’s precious gift of life on earth?

As a child, with my limited knowledge and experience of the wider world, I perhaps took for granted the beautiful landscape and the rich flora and fauna we have here in Derbyshire.

As I got older and began to travel, I began to realise how blessed we are. My appreciation of what we have has only continued to grow right up to the present day.

I think it is vitally important that we treasure our natural environment, and understand, resource and work together with those who manage and farm our land.

So, I’d like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to just a few examples of the fantastic work being done by community groups, charities, churches, councils and others to conserve the best of our county.

There are many more.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is our leading conservation charity and runs 55 nature reserves, hosting many family-friendly events throughout the year. You could build a bat box, take your children for a short walk to see new saplings, or join a group in Allestree Park for Be a Boar Day.

Or, on Wednesday, March 12, from 7:30pm-9:30pm, Swanwick Methodist Church is hosting an event with Wildlife Artist Anna-Louise to discuss her wonderful travels and adventures with animals across the world.

Meanwhile, Derwent Meadows is working with Derby City Council and Severn Trent Water to catalogue bat species in this precious woodland. It’s also home to grey herons, kingfishers.

It is inspiring to see so many sustainability initiatives underway.

Our county, district and borough, and city councils all have environmental projects underway. Many of them encourage local communities to participate. Check out what is happening near you.

I welcome this energy, enthusiasm, and bold creative vision and am delighted also to see our Church playing a full role in delivering on its sustainability commitments.

I am proud of the work of the Church Commissioners to ensure that the Church of England’s investments are responsible and sustainable.

The group signed the National Trust’s net-zero pledge to help the Government meet its environmental goals, and has committed over £250 million to green infrastructure and social impact initiatives.

Large areas of land across the country, including Derbyshire, are owned by the Church and it has made responsible forestry and agriculture a key sustainability objective.

We are committed to working in partnership with tenant farmers and learning from them – we are part of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, a group of UK farmers championing best practice in sustainable farming. The Church also runs an ‘In Conversation With’ interview series to share stories of exemplary farmers who are using agroecological techniques like no-till farming.

The Church of England’s Environment Programme is working to calculate the carbon emissions of cathedrals, church schools, clergy housing, diocesan property, and work-related travel. Our aim is for the whole Church achieve its goal of net zero carbon by 2030.

Derbyshire churches are certainly playing their part with many signed up to the A Rocha UK Eco-church scheme. Glossop parish church was the first in our diocese to achieve Eco-church gold award. And many others are following in their footsteps with the support of volunteers and their communities including local schools.

As spring begins to show her face, we are perhaps more attentive to our natural surroundings again. What will you do this year to cherish and steward God’s precious gift of life on earth?