Throughout 2021, holidaycottages.co.uk supported the RSPB in their woodland restoration projects across two key UK conservation sites. Protecting the natural landscapes and wildlife we're lucky enough to have in the UK is something we feel passionate about as a business; it's a key reason so many people choose to holiday in the UK each year, and we want to play our small part in helping preserve this for the future. Therefore, over the course of the last year, for every booking made with us, we made a donation to the RSPB to help restore 1 square metre (m2) of British woodland, and we're proud to say we'll be continuing this support throughout 2022.
The donations helped fund projects based at two woodland sites in the UK: RSPB Haweswater, in the Lake District, and RSPB Glenborrodale, in Scotland; at these two sites, we have been able to restore a combined 200,000m2 of woodland in 2021.
The projects focused on restoring and creating woodland in a way that enhances natural benefits for birdlife, wildlife, and plant life. The RSPB has not only planted more trees, it has also protected existing areas of woodland, planted wildflowers, and maintained open spaces. Our support of the RSPB’s work in 2021 captured in excess of 3,000 tonnes of carbon* from RSPB Haweswater alone; this amount is equivalent to the yearly energy emissions of at least 500 UK homes.*
The joint restoration projects at RSPB Haweswater and RSPB Glenborrodale ensure that the many species that live in these native woodlands continue to have a diverse habitat where they can thrive. These projects will continue to benefit nature for many years to come.
News from RSPB Glenborrodale
Restoring the woodland of RSPB Glenborrodale secures the future of these ancient trees and we have helped to protect 70,000m2 of precious woodland, preventing these carbon stores from emitting CO2 and ensuring that it remains locked in.
RSPB Glenborrodale is home to temperate rainforest, which is incredibly rare on a global level, so its preservation is vital. One way to ensure its longevity is by managing non-native species and eliminating the threat of pollution. Scotland’s rainforest is home to rare lichens, mosses, liverworts, fungi and other plants, some of which are unique to Glenborrodale. The funding from our bookings will support the RSPB in significantly achieving its goals of restoring and regenerating the rainforest at the Glenborrodale woodland reserve.
“Woodland regeneration is very important for ensuring that the habitat survives. New, young trees need successful growth to replace older trees. We work to monitor the impact that deer browsing has on regeneration and create opportunities by practising bracken management. This is done by excluding herbivores through assembling deer fencing and planting guarding saplings.” – Izzy Baker, warden
News from RSPB Haweswater
Once well-known for its resident golden eagles, RSPB Haweswater’s replanting and restoration projects have included improvements to moorland and woodlands for birds and butterflies such as the rare small mountain ringlet.
At RSPB Haweswater, we have supported the restoration of 130,000m2. By doing so, we have helped to capture up to 3,000 tonnes of carbon (based on the Woodland Carbon Code).
“We are hugely grateful for the financial support from holidaycottages.co.uk that will enable us to create upland woodland at Haweswater. Using saplings grown in our on-site nursery, the new woodland will be a huge boost to the landscape, and it will help to showcase the incredible ability of trees to help water, wildlife, and people alike. Not only will the new trees support a huge range of birds, plants, insects and mammals, but they will also help to lock up carbon, slow down the flow of water to reduce downstream flood risk and improve water quality.” - Lee Schofield, Senior Site Manager
The future
At holidaycottages.co.uk, we have pledged to continue our supportive partnership with the RSPB, offering them continued donations in order to achieve their aims in preserving important habitats and reducing the RPSB’s carbon footprint. For more information on the RSPB’s national initiatives to improve our open spaces, visit their website.
Visit the RSPB
*To calculate this figure, we used the methodology and stats from the Woodland Carbon Code to reach the estimated figure of 'up to 3,000 tonnes of carbon' and statistics from the Energy Saving Trust to show what this is equivalent to in terms of average UK household energy use.