Woodland Holiday Park is taking part in the David Bellamy ‘Blooming Marvellous Pledge for Nature’ under the heading ‘Home Sweet Home’. This means we are committed to give our wildlife a helping hand by setting up a range of new houses for them around the park. These will be a mixture of bird and bat boxes.
Our Nestbox bat boxes are fully weather-proof, made from 100% recycled plastics, and tailored to the four different bat species in Norfolk. Bats like to live high up in trees (up to five meters!) so you might not be able to see their boxes from the ground. Keep a look out at sunset when our furry friends leave their home to hunt for food.
You will be able to see the many bird boxes around the park to house our local bird species*. Several of our bird houses have already been used. A family of blue tits have moved in one, and some tree creepers have also made themselves comfortable in a new house. Some of our bird boxes are made from recycled timber from the park – we think that’s pretty cool!
Feel free to put up your own bird houses around your holiday home.
At Woodland Holiday Park, we have been planting trees for years. Some of our older plantings have really started to take off now. In 2021, we continued to add new trees to the park. We planted over 1000 new trees, including, hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, flied maple, guelder rose, plum, crab apple, and dogwood. This mix of native trees will attract all sorts of wildlife to the park as well as provide a stunning show of colours in all seasons.
Did you know some of our trees have edible fruits and flowers? In late spring, the elder tree produces sweetly scented flowers, which are used to make elderflower cordial*. We also have a number of fruiting trees, which, in time, will produce enough fruit to make jam.
We love to see birds darting around to nibble at seed. During cold winters, birds can find it hard to gather food. To help our little friends, we have stocked our bird feeders with sunflower seed hearts, wild bird seed mix, and fat balls. The feeders are squirrel-proof so the birds can eat in peace. But don’t worry, those cheeky gritters are still on clean up duty on the ground.
Over autumn and winter, you can feed birds as normal. Just make sure that any food in the feeder is dry and clean. In spring, avoid seeds but try mealworms for the chicks instead. In late spring and summer, you can remove your feeder and clean it with hot water. There should be plenty of food for the birds to manage on their own.
We have planted insect-friendly trees, flowers, and plants that provide nectar for a range of insects, including butterflies, hoverflies, dragon and damsel flies, as well as a range of different bee species. Pollinators are hard at work around the park to make sure we get wild and cultured flowers, which make our park a haven for many different types of insects. Let’s see how many you can count!
If you want to create a garden at home where bees and insects can thrive, planting lots of bee-friendly flowers would be a great start. You can also let some areas of your garden grow wild so the bees have a safe place to rest. Sugar water is a great way to help a tired bee back on its feet (or wings!). Bees are an essential part of the pollination process, so anything you do to help the bees will benefit wildlife at large.
Fun fact: Only queen bumblebees live longer than the summer months. They hibernate over winter and look for a new nest that is warm and dry in spring. They produce only a few new queen bees each year.
In loving memory of our founders, Edward and Jill Harrison, we have decided to design and landscape a memorial garden for everyone to enjoy as a place for reflection, solitude, or gatherings to remember loved ones.
The garden plans include a raised decking and pergola area with seating, as well as a (insect-friendly) British wildflower meadow, raised planting beds for a mixture of Edward and Jill’s favourite plants, a sensory/herb garden, and an orchard with fruiting trees.
The garden will be situated next to the fishing lake and is accessible through the same walkway or through the end of Rome Meadow on the Nature Trail.
We have worked hard to collate wildlife information for our brand-new nature trail signs. You’ll find there are additional pictures and information on wildlife around the park. You can still gather the letters and unscramble them before bringing them to reception at the end of the trail.
The Nature Trail takes around 45 minutes at a leisurely pace. It is unsuitable for buggies and those that are less able due to a very steep section of the walkway. Only part of the walkway is shaded; if you are susceptible to heat stroke, we would advise you to wait until it’s cooled down before embarking on the trail. Dogs are welcome, but please keep them on the lead throughout the trail.
Dark skies are important for people to get a good night’s sleep but also for wildlife to thrive. Lights shining at night often draw in bugs such as moths, and other small flying insects. This makes it harder for bats and other nocturnal feeders to catch their food and contributes to their decline.
Unnecessary light at night contributes to light pollution. ‘Light spillage’ is one of the most prolific and recent types of pollution. It is also the easiest to reverse, but many people do not recognise its environmental impact.
You can still use outdoor lights, but make sure they are a warm light of <3000K and facing downwards. You can also use a timer to ensure lights are switched off overnight or turn off lights manually when they are not being used.
We are currently undergoing training in collaboration with the Norfolk Coast Partnership to become a Dark Skies Friendly site. This would allow us to host educational events and spread awareness about the importance of dark skies.
At Woodland Holiday Park, we have four types of bins: dry mixed recycling, general waste, food waste, and glass recycling.
The food bins are in the bar and restaurant bin compound. Everyone is allowed to dispose of their food waste there. More food bins will be added if the current ones are used well. The other bins can be found in every compound on park.
