Eco-friendly holidays in Cornwall

Carbon Neutral Breaks

We take our commitment to the environment seriously and have pledged to do as much as we can to preserve and maintain the natural environment ever since we bought the park, over 15 years ago. We are proud to be carbon neutral, even with visitor journeys to us included in our footprint.  Electric car drivers now have the convenience of a rapid AV charging point on site. Exploring Cornwall from our amazingly central location is easy and green.

Green Tourism Gold

• Supporting staff, community, health and well being, equality, diversity and inclusivity
• Customer experience, biodiversity, supporting local businesses, using local suppliers, sustainable travel
• Sustainable and responsible sources of energy, systems to reduce use of energy and water, a responsible carbon footprint, use of natural and environmentally friendly products.

Find out more about the Green Tourism Award by clicking here

David Bellamy Gold Award

Until recently the David Bellamy Conservation scheme Gold Award was seen as the highest level of recognition for environmental practices. They no longer give this award but do help businesses begin their journey in being sustainable. We were proud holders of their Gold Award every year since we came to Tehidy and thank them for their support in our Green journey.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Tehidy is proud to support the wonderful work that the Cornwall Wildlife Trust carry out. They are committed to creating places where wildlife can thrive and people can enjoy.  As well as being Corporate sponsors of the Trust we also raise funds for them through our ‘recycled beach equipment’. In reception we have a variety of beach equipment that has kindly been donated by guests, it can be used by future guests for free, all we ask is for a donation in a charity box. Last year we raised £300 for the Cornwall wildlife Trust and RSPB through this scheme. We see it as a great way to reduce landfill, make a visit to the beach more affordable and support wonderful charity work. It’s a win win!!

See more on our awards by clicking here.

Eco friendly holidays in Cornwall – why is it important?

The answer to this question is simple – it’s healthy for our environment, good for nature and great for our visitors.

People come to Cornwall, because of its natural beauty so we aim to keep it that way as much as we can. We like to think you can have your cake and eat it – as long as you choose the right ingredients…

What we do

• Cornish hedging – made with soil and stone creating a wonderful habitat for plants and insects. Some of our hedges are over 350 years old.
• Hedging and trees – a wide range of hedging and trees, great for birds and insects. Hedges act as windbreaks, naturally manage groundwater levels and are good for wildlife. Removed trees and branches can be used to make beautiful carvings, seats or wood piles.
• Bird, bat boxes and feeders – many different types of birds use our nest boxes. A nest box camera operates in reception, and we follow generations of blue tits. Feeders support our birds all year round and allow guests to enjoy some bird watching too.
• Flower borders – flower borders allow rain to soak in and keep ground water levels needed for healthy plants. Stone used in the borders is locally sourced and the spaces between stones create a great habitat for plants and insects.
• Wild borders – wild flowers flourish in areas especially set aside for them. We hand pick out brambles and nettles from areas where people have access. Our lovely bee hotel helps overwintering insects, including many types of pollinators.
• Wild areas – nature is abundant in these wild spaces, we manage them on a 3 yearly cycle to allow regeneration and diversity. Woodpiles create perfect homes for animals including hedgehogs, voles and insects.
• Orchard and wildflower area – bees, butterflies and birds love this area with wildflowers and fruit trees which provide us with a beautiful year-round back drop. The apples make great cider in the autumn too.
• Eco hard stands – traditional gravel hardstands and ‘green’ tracked grass hardstands are permeable letting rain soak into the ground and reducing water runoff.
• Energy – electricity is 100% green energy from renewable sources like wind and solar. Appliances are ‘a’ rated; we use low energy lighting, and communal indoor rooms are fitted with occupancy sensors to reduce usage. Our cottages are super insulated to northern European standards, which is twice that of the UK and have super-efficient heating systems. Solar thermal heating provides hot water for our camper’s shower facilities.
• Low light pollution – our outdoor lighting is designed to minimize light pollution to help you enjoy the night sky.
• Recycling and waste – over 40% of our waste is recycled. We have an easy-to-use recycling system in all areas of the park
• Cleaning products – eco friendly products are used where possible that are kind to people and nature.
• Plastic alternatives – plastic products are being phased out, even the trusty loo brush is now a wooden alternative. We bulk buy and refill containers where plastic is used. Please help by recycling. Use reusable water bottles instead of plastic – available in reception. Fill up for free.
• Our office and reception – products are chosen to be eco friendly. Recycled paper, recycling used ink cartridges, using emails to save paper. Reception was once the blacksmith’s forge for mining ponies and dates back to 1650.
• Water – communal areas have push taps. WCs are also fitted with ‘hippos’. Water butts catch rain from gutters, we use this for our planters. ACO drains catch surface water and divert it to soakaways to maintain ground water levels. Car parks are gravel to allow water to soak in and reduce run off.
• Stream and pond – our small pond is a home for newts and frogs as well as many types of insects such as dragonflies. It shows a pond doesn’t have to be big to benefit wildlife. The stream bank is a corridor for birds and animals, such as kingfisher, dippers, fox and deer.