GREENING WISTON

We are committed to supporting our environment at Wiston. We do so by moving towards sustainable development and education. it is possible for visiting groups to follow programmes leading to John Muir Awards www.johnmuiraward.org and also for groups and individuals to help in the garden or on the estate.

The 55 acre estate belonging to Wiston Lodge is an oasis for wildlife and provides a habitat for a wide range of plants birds and animals. It is possible to see a number of birds including housemartins, thrushes, starlings , sparrows and skylarks and a variety of raptors all of which are becoming rare in other parts of Britain due to industrialised agriculture and other changes to the built environment.

Most of the kitchen waste is composted in the garden. We recycle bottles and cans and paper, and are replacing light bulbs with long-life bulbs.

The garden itself has been very productive thanks to an excellent summer so far. The kitchen has benefited from a continuous supply of salad and herbs and the Lodge is brightened up with flowers. We have been very blessed in our continued association with Redhall Gardens whose staff and trainees provide a mixture of friendship, labour and expertise. The polytunnel is in full production and we have been able to grow many delicate plants like French Beans which generally fail in our climate.

A Natural Environment

We aim to keep the estate ground as a natural environment, so our gardens are organic and we do not use pesticides or herbicides. At Wiston, we are committed to the principal of sustainable development

Wide Open Spaces

Whether you are a camper using our five-acre site, a guest in the Lodge, or a day visitor, you will enjoy the freedom to roam in safety.

Nature Trails

The estate has over a mile of woodland walks with more being planned. the variety of habitats makes the estate an ideal venue for environmental studies or simply an interesting walk.

Our Long Term Goals Include:

increased production of vegetable from our organic garden and the provision of gardening training programmes for young people.

recycling waste water through reed bed systems

conservation and development of buildings on the estate aiming for energy efficiency and reduction of resource usage

replanting the woodlands with native species

providing a resource for training the next generation of environmentally-conscious people