We are thrilled to have been selected as a semi-finalist in the 2018 Bournemouth and Poole Tourism Awards ‘Green Initiative’ category! The awards celebrate tourism across the BH postcodes.

The ‘Green Initiative’ nomination highlights our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint as much as possible, most recently all our hot drinks containers in the Tea Rooms (which were recyclable) are now fully compostable!

Reducing & Recycling

At Upton Country Park we actively encourage, support and promote health and wellbeing for people and nature alike:

• Upton House has motion-activated lighting as well as energy-saving LED ceiling lights and chandelier bulbs.
• The main toilets have adjusted water cistern valves to reduce water consumption.
• We collect and reuse water from the splash fountain to water the lawn and flower beds in the Walled Garden.
• We monitor our water meters monthly to help identify any unusual consumption readings.
• All packaging used in the Tea Rooms is minimised wherever possible, e.g. sauce & sugar is provided in jars rather than in sachets, and biodegradable packaging is used for sandwiches and other take-away items.
• We provide dual waste recycling bins across the Country Park and in our working areas.
• We have a centralised collection service for large metal waste items.
• The Christmas Tree recycling facility for the Borough of Poole is hosted within the Country Park.
• We compost our green waste around the estate.

Working sustainably

• The Plant Centre and estate grounds are peat-free.
• The woodchips we use on footpaths and in shrub & bedding areas are all recycled.
• Our Grounds Maintenance Contract ensures pesticide use is restricted to hard standings only. No pesticides are used to eradicate weeds in any shrub or bedding areas unless by exception (e.g. management of invasive species such as Rhododendron ponticum).
• Our woodland and hedgerows are managed in a way that provide materials for screens, fencing & added value activities.
• All office paper used is either recycled or is FSC paper from sustainably managed forests, with environmentally friendly inks where possible.
• The chainsaws used in the woodlands are powered by vegetable oil rather than synthetic or fossil fuel oils.

In addition all our marketing materials promote cycling, walking, bus and train links which hopefully encourages our visitors to think twice before they jump in the car on a lovely sunny day.