WORCESTERSHIRE'S churchyards are to take a more active role in promoting nature conservation.

The move is part of a new initiative announced by the Worcester Diocese and Worcestershire County Council.

Living Churchyards aims to promote, advise and carry out management of churchyards in a more environmentally aware way.

Churches taking part so far include St Peter's in Cowleigh and St Matthias' in Malvern Link.

"Churches and churchyards have provided a haven for God's creation for centuries," said the Rev Canon John Willis, agricultural chaplain for the Worcester Diocese. "This latest project allows the churches to maintain a careful stewardship of the natural gifts entrusted to us by God."

The project was launched in May when representatives from the County Council's Countryside Service outlined the programme of work and workshops that will be taking place in the forthcoming year, as well as the opportunities that exist to help carry out management.

Covering 15 parishes it is run in partnership with Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and the Council for the Protection of Rural England.

In July and August, there will be a series of workshops to show people involved what to do and how to go about it.

"There's no particular start date," said Canon Willis. "It's up to individual churches when they begin. It's not just a Church of England thing, it's open to all faiths and all denominations."

"The Worcestershire Living Churchyards project aims to encourage and advise churchyard managers on the best way to manage their grassland for the benefit of rare plants and animals," said Adrian Roper, the county council's countryside projects officer.

He said it would also advise on a range of other habitats found in the churchyard, such as those surrounding walls, headstones and trees.