“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”
JRR Tolkein
We have been passionate about the environment for years . It led us to build our Eco home over 10 years ago. It was pioneering in its use of passive solar in the UK at the time. Something we are pleased to say is becoming better understood today.
We have taken this same concern into our development of every aspect of the farm. In our post Why a Forest Garden we share something of our devotion for planting trees and how they are critical to the planet. We have since owning our farm in 1998 planted over 2,000 trees on it.
All the electricity used on the farm comes from renewable sources. This is either from our own solar PV cells or from our green electricity supplier.
Needless to say our feelings for the environment were key in our design right from the start of our glamping business here in beautiful Dorset.
When you book a stay at Dorset Forest Garden we want you to be assured that we take an active interest in the environment and our impact on it.
“I want you to act as if the house is on fire, because it is.”
Greta Thunberg
What we’ve done:
All our electricity, whether in your accommodation or ours is renewable, either generated by us or from other renewable sources.
We not only use local skilled crafts people, we also restore vintage furniture for our glampsite. The staddle stones under Grace were made by a local stone mason just 10 miles away and quirky fun items have been sourced from local auctions and lovingly restored to ensure minimal waste.
Food Hampers contain all local produce celebrating the wonderful local producers we are so blessed to have around us.
The hand soaps we supply are hand-made from goats milk in the New Forest (and smell divine)
We have been using Who Gives a Crap toilet paper for several years for both our home and the glamping accommodation. For more on them go to our Giving back blog
Environmentally friendly cleaning products like Ecover are provided for your use and are used during change over.
A recycling crate and food waste caddy are supplied for each accommodation to make it easy for you to sort your waste.
We are involved in both the Beaminster Area ECO Group and regularly open our home for the Dorset Open Eco Homes. We have also provided talks to students of permaculture.
We reinvest both in charities we support and in adding trees to the Forest Garden every year. Your visit helps this to happen.
Laundry is done by us in a modern A+++ rated machine.
Some things you can do that make a difference:
Sort your waste as you go using the recycling container provided. There is also a general bin for things that really can’t be recycled.
Think about the wood you are burning. Wood is a carbon store; we offer all the kiln-dried wood you need, but please think of the environment when using this resource.
We are surrounding by a wonderful range of local businesses that truly care about Dorset. Within 5 miles there are at least 5 award winning places to eat and drink and Beaminster has some wonderful independent shops. By buying from local independent businesses whilst you are with us you are making a big difference to the local economy.
We have a network of bridleways and footpaths starting from our gate. Take the opportunity to explore on foot. With our rolling hills you can have some amazing vistas that cannot be seen except on foot. This will also keep your carbon footprint low.
Enjoy yourselves doing carbon neutral activities such as star gazing, wildlife watching and playing board games.
Leave your accommodation tidy!
