Saturday 16^th September 2023, All Saint’s Churchyard, Church Road, Brightlingsea, Essex CO7 0RZ

10.30am – 2.00pm  Bring packed lunch & water to drink. Meet at Lych Gate of churchyard.

Leader: Roger Tabor

Come along & help map the current distribution of a nationally scarce species in All Saints churchyard, Brightlingsea. BNA’s Roger Tabor HonFBNA first noticed & identified Lesser Calamint as being in the churchyard some years ago. Ken Adams FBNA gave his confirmation as County Recorder. It has an attractive flower and beautiful scent from its leaves. Its main distribution in the UK is in north Essex & south Suffolk. It used to exist more widely on roadsides, but now mainly can be found in churchyards,  but unsympathetic management has dramatically reduced its abundance. But not in this churchyard, where the clergy & churchwardens collaborated with Roger & the “Holy Mowers” with management targeted to support the plant and it is thriving. The aim of this survey is to map its current distribution in the churchyard. Please email essex@bna-naturalists.org if you would like to come along and help. Easy to recognise as it has already been identified, Roger will show you what to look for, its just noting down where you find it.