Eco-Friendly Holidays

Shorefield Holidays offers the perfect escape with stunning UK landscapes and eco-friendly options to build some green focused activities into your stay. Here’s a few ideas on the ‘how’:

1. Enjoy a variety of eco-friendly activities

Each of Shorefield’s parks are surrounded by stunning landscapes which offer a great way of getting closer to nature. Both Shorefield Country Park and Oakdene Forest Park are located right on the edge of the New Forest which offers plenty of scenic walking routes. Over the past few months, walking holidays have surged in popularity and Shorefield’s parks are the perfect base for your walking holiday, with access to so many scenic routes.

Alternatively, for beach vibes, Swanage Coastal Park is nestled within the Dorset coastline with Swanage Bay only a hop, skip and a jump away. Swanage is a much loved seaside hot spot where you’ll see families enjoying building sandcastles, flying kites or just soaking up some summer sun. Why not make your adventures even sweeter with a picnic of locally sourced produce from a plethora of local independent delis, butchers, greengrocers and farm shops in and around the area.

When you’re out and about or picnicking, do remember to follow ‘Leave No Trace’ principles: pack up and dispose of waste properly, stick to marked trails, and respect wildlife.

2. Travel responsibly

Opting for sustainable transport is highly effective in minimising your environmental impact. Whilst we appreciate that our parks aren’t always the easiest to get to via public transport, we do have some ideas of how you can be more eco-friendly upon arrival at Shorefield.

Ditch the car keys and lace up your walking shoes or pop into one of the nearby towns to hire a bike from one of the rental companies listed below:

• Milford-on-sea - Jaunt-E Bikes
• Brockenhurst - Cyclexperience Bike Hire
• Burley - New Forest Cycling
• Lyndhurst - The Woods Cycle

Or, if you are staying at Shorefield Country Park or Lytton Lawn Touring Park, take advantage of the New Forest hop-on-hop-off bus tours. These tours offer three routes to explore charming villages, enjoy treetop views of the National Park, and spot local wildlife often seen roaming around.

Oakdene Forest Park also offers a wide range of on-site facilities and activities, so you can leave the car parked up and stay on site. There is a convenience store, on-site swimming pool and a range of activities to enjoy - from themed events throughout the year, an escape room experience, or getting creative and messy in Woof’s Workshop, as well as a programme of live entertainment during the key holiday periods.

And for those electric vehicle owners, we have plenty of charging stations available for those of you going the extra mile and driving electric cars (if you’ll pardon the pun).

3. Respect local wildlife and habitats

At all of the Shorefield Parks, we ensure our furry, feathered and buzzing neighbours feel at home. We leave some grass areas uncut for bees and other pollinators creating a perfect playground for them. Look out for the signs that read ‘Pardon the weeds we’re feeding the bees’. The New Forest, a short trip away from both Shorefield Country Park and Lytton Lawn Touring Park, is home to some endangered species including the Nightjar and Woodlark birds to name a few.

You can help us keep this natural paradise buzzing and blooming with a few mindful actions:

• Observing quietly from a distance
• Staying on marked trails
• Don’t feed the wildlife

4. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and pack wisely - consider what you’re packing when coming to Shorefield’s parks and channel your inner eco-warrior to minimise waste

Here at Shorefield Holidays we are mindful of our impact on the environment and strive to 'be green' where possible. As you are getting ready for your summer holiday at Shorefield, here are some tips to pack like a pro and keep your green cred in check:

• Pack smarter and lighter: think of sustainable products and be mindful about consumption. Bring only what you need and opt for trusty reusable containers such as water bottles and travel bottles for toiletries
• Plan for waste management: bring recycling and rubbish bags for hikes and picnics - recycling points are also available on Shorefield’s parks to
• Eco-chic clothing: believe it or not, what you wear matters! Pack versatile, layered clothing made from sustainable materials.

When you’re shopping for souvenirs, go for local and handmade goodies that support the local economy and have a lower environmental impact. Milford-on-sea, just a stone's throw away from both Shorefield Country Park and Lytton Lawn Touring Park, is a treasure trove of independent shops for unique memento’s.

Finally, for the stuff you can’t reuse, make sure you recycle properly by following local rules, using designated bins, and disposing of electronics correctly.