Family’s holiday park honoured in Lancs green awards

One of Lancashire’s top three environmentally-friendly enterprises has been named as Moss Wood caravan park in the village of Cockerham near Lancaster.

The family-owned business came under the spotlight at this winter’s Lancashire Tourism Awards as it took honours in the sustainable tourism category of the keenly-fought contest.

Moss Wood was the only holiday park to appear among the top three finalists of the awards for which thousands of businesses across the county were eligible.

The announcement was made at a glittering awards ceremony at Blackburn cathedral, and stepping up to receive the accolade was park owner Henry Wild.

Moss Wood was established by the Wild family over 40 years ago, and provides around 200 pitches for holiday homes, touring caravans and motorhomes.

Its many initiatives to protect the natural environment led to its being presented once again this year with the prestigious David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.

The world-famous botanist praised the raft of measures taken by the Wilds to safeguard the park’s thriving fauna and flora, and to minimise its carbon impact.

Highlighted by Professor Bellamy has been the planting of hundreds of native trees and shrubs in the grounds of Moss Wood, and the creation of many wildlife habitats.

It also has a spring-fed lake which acts as a magnet for birdlife, dragonflies and a host of other different aquatic species, and is stocked with fish from sustainable sources.

The park also harvests rainwater for plant irrigation, makes extensive use of recycling, and arranges wildlife events, such as bat walks, for holiday guests and local schoolchildren.

In 2016, Moss Wood also planted a 3000 square-foot wild flower wilderness with high nectar-bearing blooms which provide vital foraging for honey bees and butterflies.

Henry Wild said everyone was delighted that the park was now considered to be in the premier league of green tourism businesses in the county:

“Our family has lived and worked for many years in this beautiful part of Lancashire, and we’ve always tried to make the park a perfect fit to the natural environment,” said Henry.

“We also tend to attract holidaymakers who share our views on the importance of protecting wildlife, and they are very supportive of our conservation work.

“It’s fantastic to have been honoured in the Lancashire Tourism Awards, and I’m sure this will act as a spur to even more sustainable projects in the year ahead!” he added.

There is more information about Moss Wood Caravan Park at www.mosswood.co.uk