A greener future for the Forest

As an environmental charity, the Forest of Marston Vale is passionate about being as sustainable and eco-friendly as we possibly can be. At the Forest Centre & Millennium Country Park we want to set an example for the whole of the Forest of Marston Vale to follow. Here are some of the ways that we are doing our bit towards a greener future:

Power

Nearly all of our electricity requirements are provided by renewable energy. Photovoltaic panels on the roof generate electricity for the Forest Centre, and our wind turbine generates the remainder, with enough left-over for up to 1050 homes. Our corridor lights are on a motion sensor so they are only on when necessary, and our car park lighting runs on a timer.

Water and heating

Most of our heating and hot water is generated by a biomass boiler, using woodchip from local, sustainably managed woodland. We use push button taps and dual flush toilets in the Forest Centre to reduce water wastage. Instead of providing bottled water to delegates, we provide water coolers (using filtered mains water) to minimise the use of plastic.

Woodlands

Wherever eligible, our woodlands are validated by the Woodland Carbon Code and leftover wood from the thinning of our sites is made into firewood and sold, providing a sustainable heating source and raising money for the charity.

text reading 74.5% of waste at the Forest Centre & Millennium Country Park is recycled

Waste

All staff and public areas have both waste and recycling bins. We closely monitor the amount of waste and recycling we generate - in 2016, 74.5% of our waste was recycled. Every printer cartridge we use is then recycled. Food waste is collected separately and sent for anaerobic digestion.

Catering

We regularly review our food and drink suppliers to make sure that we’re sourcing the food and drink that we serve as locally as we possibly can. Our coffee and baked goods are from Ampthill, our fruit and vegetables are from Northampton we use our local butcher in Marston Moretaine. Our cooking oil is filtered so it can be reused a number of times and waste oil is used in bio-fuel.

Social Enterprise

And of course the Forest Centre is a social enterprise, owned and run by the Forest of Marston Vale Trust (Registered Charity No. 1069229), so all surpluses go directly to creating and maintaining woodlands and green spaces throughout the Forest.

By becoming a Corporate Friend, your support enables us to plant more trees and in turn you can proudly say that you are helping create the green heart of Bedfordshire. There are loads of ways to get involved - call Robina on 01234 762605 or send her an email to get started.