Green awards spotlight falls on Lancashire holiday park

Staff and the family owners of a Lancaster holiday park are celebrating after hearing that they have been short-listed for a major “green tourism” accolade.

Moss Wood in the village of Cockerham has made it into the finals of the Lancashire Tourism Awards 2016 as one of the county’s most environmentally-friendly businesses.

Now they must wait until next month to see if Moss Wood has scooped the overall title in the sustainable tourism category of the keenly contested honours.

Following another round of judging and interviews, the winner will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony at Blackburn cathedral on 10 November.

Family-run Moss Wood, established by the Wild family over 40 years ago, 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.

This year, 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 made it onto the Lancashire Tourism Awards shortlist in the sustainability category, and we’ve all now got our fingers firmly crossed!” he added.

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