Proud to be supporting the RSPB through 2023 and beyond
During 2022, our flagship brand, holidaycottages.co.uk, provided support for several key RSPB woodland restoration projects to help preserve these important habitats for future generations.
For every booking made with holidaycottages.co.uk over the last year, we have made a donation to the RSPB to help restore 1 square metre of British woodland. The funds raised have contributed towards projects based at three sites in the UK: RSPB Franchises Lodge in the New Forest, Gwenffrwd Dinas in Wales, and RSPB Glenborrodale in Scotland.
At this trio of sites, we have been able to restore and protect a combined 225,772m2 of woodland, and we will be continuing our support for all of these RSPB reserves in 2023.
RSPB Franchises Lodge
Our support at this 1,000-acre site in the New Forest has helped to maintain the existing broadleaf woodland, as well as continue the enhancement of wood pasture and the recreation of open heathland. Some of the land at RSPB Franchises Lodge is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and an on-site educational facility called Cameron’s Cottage has been created where school children and students can come and work via volunteer schemes.
RSPB Glenborrodale
So far, our support at RSPB Glenborrodale has helped to secure 75,000m2 of incredibly rare temperate rainforest habitat. To ensure the longevity of the rainforest’s biodiversity, crucial maintenance has been undertaken to promote the natural regeneration of butterflies, lichens, mosses, liverworts, fungi and other plants, some of which are unique to this site.
Izzy Baker, Site Manager of RSPB Glenborrodale says: “We have had a busy year at our Glenborrodale Reserve this year. Funding from holidaycottages.co.uk has helped us achieve a range of important activities across the reserve. These have included the removal of non-native species like rhododendron ponticum and Sitka spruce. These species do not support the rich and incredible biodiversity that Scotland’s rainforest is renowned for. Repair work has been carried out on deer fences to ensure we minimise the impact of herbivores on young trees too. We have also cut bracken away in areas to promote the natural regeneration of broadleaf woodland and provide habitats for rare butterflies such as pearl-bordered fritillary.
“We are really looking forward to accomplishing the project work we have planned in 2023, which includes further non-native species management and improving public access through the reserve so that it remains sensitive to this amazing woodland.”
RSPB Gwenffrwd Dinas
At RSPB Gwenffrwd Dinas, our support has helped to sustain and improve the future prospects of this rare West Atlantic oak woodland habitat. Our funds have contributed to the introduction of grazing cattle, extensive bracken and bramble clearing, and the installation and maintenance of fencing and tree guards for seedlings and saplings.
Jon Cryer, Site Manager of RSPB Gwenffrwd Dinas says: “We are hugely grateful for the funding we have received to support our work at Gwenffrwd Dinas, and as well as allowing us to deliver conservation benefits, the funding has supported our work with local contractors and is a valuable contribution to the local economy. We are looking forward to continuing our work with holidaycottages.co.uk in the future and we will continue to deliver positive actions for nature for the remainder of the financial year.”
Find out more about our support for the RSPB in 2023.
The future
We have pledged to continue our supportive partnership with the RSPB, offering donations to preserve fragile habitats and reduce their carbon footprint. For more information on the RSPB’s national initiatives to restore woodland and improve open spaces, please visit their website.
