The Cornish people proving it is easy being green

From left, Jane, Saff and Rosie at the Saltash Scrapstore are on a mission to keep useful items out of landfill

A Cornish naturalist, a couple with a passion for churchyard maintenance and a recycling project in Saltash are all in the running for a BBC Radio Cornwall Make a Difference Award.

The three nominees in the Green category all demonstrate a deep concern about Cornwall's environment - but all have different approaches to how to tackle it.

The awards, which are in their fourth year, recognise and celebrate people who genuinely make a difference in their communities across Cornwall.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Falmouth next week.

David and Jean Glasson enjoying the sunshine in Illogan Churchyard

Illogan Churchyard has become a home-from-home for David and Jean Glasson.

For almost 20 years the couple have led the volunteer team taking care of the five-acre plot; strimming, mowing, weeding and tidying up the graves.

"We enjoy coming out and we have made a lot of friends out here, which is lovely," said Mrs Glasson.

"It's a pleasure to do it, a satisfaction, especially when people come and look for graves, and we find them, that's better still."

Mr Glasson added: "The churchyard means a lot to me because you relax here."

The churchyard is part of the Living Churchyard Scheme and is an important local source of biodiversity, the sound of birdsong and insect life around the granite and slate monuments is constant.

But for Mrs Glasson there are deep emotional links to the place and to the church.

"My late father was killed in a traffic accident in 1949, he was only 37," she remembered.

"My mum was left with five girls, from eight years old to 20 months old, and the church helped us a lot with lots of things.

"Many a time of the weekend there would be vegetables on the doorstep or a bag of clothes, and I've had some personal help from people as well.

"Barbara Hepworth, the sculptor, used to send up money so mum could buy food or whatever we needed.

"I'm disappointed I never got to meet her to thank her."

The churchyard maintenance sessions at St Illogan Church are held on Thursday mornings from 09:00 to 12:00 GMT.

Viv Stratton in his "little oasis" in St Ives

It is a lifelong connection to nature, especially Penbeagle Hill on the outskirts of St Ives, that sees Viv Stratton nominated in the Green category.

What used to be his family's farm is now the St Ives Community Orchard, hundreds of trees have been planted to create a beautiful woodland for animals, insects and wild flowers.

"My passion has always been wildlife," he said.

"My interests have taken me to the Kalahari Desert, the Southern Oceans, to China, to India, Poland and North America and so on."

As well as leading nature tours all over the world, Mr Stratton has recorded and documented Cornwall's natural history for 71 years, has written a book with another on the way, and taught environmental science at Cornwall College for 12 years

But it is clear the St Ives Community Orchard has a special place in his heart.

"For nearly 50 years I just dreamt this would eventually become a reserve, become an oasis, because I could see the building going all the way round to Halsetown, this will be a little oasis that people can enjoy for ever and a day," he said.

"It's a passion, it's something that drives me, I always see beauty and peace in the countryside, I have this affinity with nature."

And a lifetime of observation has given Mr Stratton another way of serving his community, he volunteers at the local National Coastwatch Institution look-out, keeping an eye over St Ives Bay.

Rosie and John at the Saltash Scrapstore are on a mission to keep items out of landfill

The mission at the Saltash Scrapstore is to minimise the amount that goes to landfill - reduce, reuse, recycle and re-purpose is the mantra.

All the stock is donated by local people and businesses, everything from rolls of fabric and unused balls of wool to industrial power tools.

Rosie Walters founded the Scrapstore and found that providing crafting customers with their raw materials was one of the best ways of shifting stock.

"We recycle as much as possible, a lot of stuff traditional charity shops wouldn't take," she said.

"We try to recycle about 90% of what comes in to us in the shop.

Rosie added: "Why did I do it? Because I was appalled by the amount of waste you see at the recycling centre and the amount of stuff that just gets chucked.

"We've been going six and a bit years and in that time, even at our prices, it's over £300,000 worth kept out of landfill."

The winners of the BBC Radio Cornwall Make A Difference Awards 2025 will be announced at a ceremony in Falmouth in September.