Please keep ON the grass

Meet Iggy and Jeri!

Ludgershall's Lydia Reese explains:

"Ignatius and Jerome are Rector Tim’s sheep. They are helping St James' Church develop the new wildflower meadow on the north side of the church. This is part of our work as an A Rocha UK EcoChurch to care for God’s earth by tending the land and creatures entrusted to us, from sheep to slowworms. St James' achieved an EcoChurch Bronze Award last year, and we are working towards a Silver Award.

"The sheep are helping us in that effort by looking after the meadow over winter. Iggy is bigger and bolder than his sister Jeri, which is how you might tell them apart. They like a stroke but may try to eat your jumper! Iggy and Jeri love eating the hedge, trimming the margins, and munching down all the grass. They have really helped the other St James' churchyard workers to reduce the amount of strimming, raking, and lawnmowing required, which means we’re using less petrol, as well as saving our backs a bit.

"In addition, Iggy and Jeri help the wildflowers, which we are eagerly anticipating this spring. They do this by eating the grass over the winter, which means that the flowers will be able to have a head start in the race with the grass for the sun and available nutrients. If you see an area Iggy and Jeri have grazed more heavily than another, it’s because the grass in that spot was really thick.

"We’d love for you to visit our churchyard and say hello to the sheep and have a look at the plants which are coming up. Do you see mostly grass? Or can you find something else? See if you can spot an anthill or an interesting plant.

"Iggy and Jeri will be continuing their work in the churchyard until we start to see flowers poking up, then they will have to go back to Revd Tim’s garden, because as much as they like grass, they like eating flowers even more!"