We care for the forest today and tomorrow
Nature conservation is a critical component of our business. Thanks to our forest-centred approach, we commit to ecologically sensitive decisions that protect and enhance the forest for all. It’s not just a holiday in a forest, but a holiday that’s good for you and the planet too.
We believe it’s our responsibility to care of Britain’s forests, provide favourable conditions for wildlife to thrive, and enhance the environment around us. This means designing our locations to be in harmony with the forest, managing them in an environmentally friendly way, taking active steps to protect and enhance the forest and our planet, and educating our teams, customers and visitors so that they can play their part too.
Our Environment goals
We’re carrying out work to significantly reduce our demands on the environment and increase our positive impact:
- Using a science-based target and pathway, we will reach Net Zero Emissions across all our operations and locations by 2030 for Scopes 1 and 2; and by 2050 for Scope 3, against aFY22 baseline.
- Become Zero Waste to Landfill by 2028, working with suppliers, team members and guests to minimise the waste we create and maximise reuse and recycling.
- Establish long-term targets in FY24 to reduce water usage in relative and absolute terms through efficiency, innovation and stakeholder engagement.
Our cabins in the forest
Our cabins gently blend into the forest thanks to a forest-centred approach to development, design and integration which uses extremely low impact and ecologically sensitive methods and techniques. This helps to retain and enhance the woodland, its wildlife and their habitats.
We’re committed to building sustainable locations that protect and promote the UK’s forests and wildlife. We believe in sustainability by design and follow guidance set out by BREEAM (Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method). We build in a unique way with a pioneering design which fits around the forest, using a technique which allows cabins to be carefully assembled between the trees and raised on steel piles. This process protects the forest floor, ensures that nearby trees are unaffected, soil movement is minimalised, and rainwater drains into the forest floor naturally.
We’ve further revolutionised the way we create the foundations for our cabins by using new piling technology. A lightweight micro pile system, which mimics a tree root system, is installed with simple portable tools, making it extremely low impact and ecologically sensitive.
Managing the forest
It’s perhaps easy to think that nature should just be 'left alone' but many forests need to be actively managed to enhance their biodiversity. Forest management must take a long view and our commitment spans decades.
Cutting down trees is a normal part of forestry management. Rachel Giles, National Education Officer for Forestry England, explains why it's important to understand the huge scope of their work.