Green values

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 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 locally sourced woodchip. 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 comes from Ampthill, fruit and vegetables are from Bedford 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

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

Help us plant more trees

You can choose to just hear about our events, or our campaigns and the work that we do locally. The more people that get involved, the quicker we'll be able to plant 5 million more trees and that can only be a good thing. Not just for the local area but for the planet.

Latest

Gardeners corner - activities in May

Our Gardening Volunteers do a terrific job of keeping the garden areas at Millennium Country Park looking their best in every season - here's what they've been up to in May.
Simple ways to help tackle climate change at home - Part of Great Big Green Week

This month, we are celebrating The Great Big Green Week, a week-long annual celebration to inspire action to tackle climate change and protect nature. In addition to getting involved in activities in the local community, there are plenty of things you can do at home in your own garden to help wildlife and tackle climate change.
The Great Big Green Week 2023

We are getting involved in The Great Big Green Week to show our support for taking action to protect the planet and, more importantly, to invite you along to join us!!
Plant a wood, leave your mark, Grow your Roots

Trees for Climate is a five year, multi-million-pound woodland creation programme that offers landowners and community groups the opportunity to transform their land through tree planting. Creating a wooded area is more than just planting trees, it’s about the benefits they bring for wildlife and future generations.

Conferencing

Set within the beautiful Millennium Country Park and less than 10 minutes from Junction 13 of the M1, the Forest Centre offers purpose-built conference spaces for groups as large as 105 or as intimate as two.
Team building

Offering an exciting range of fun activities and practical tasks, and set in the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside, the Forest of Marston Vale is the natural place for your team building event.