We are proud to announce we have once again received a David Bellamy Conservation Award for our commitment to the environment and wildlife in Anglesey. Professor Bellamy has awarded Silver Bay Holiday Village the Gold accolade as well as the Woodlands Badge and we are now proud to call ourselves a Honey Bee Friendly Park.

But what did we do to earn this accolade? Keep reading to find out more.

What is the David Bellamy Conservation Award?

The David Bellamy Conservation Award Scheme is one of the longest running green tourism awards in the UK with the first awards being made in 1997.

All parks are regularly assessed by local wildlife experts to look at the steps they are taking to:

• Manage the land as a haven for wildlife
• Reduce the use of energy, water and other resources
• Reduce, reuse and recycle waste
• Support the local community

Three levels of excellence can be achieved and we’re thrilled to have been awarded the gold accolade. Parks in the list range from peaceful getaways to larger leisure parks but you can rest assured that your park is committed to environmental excellence and be safe in the knowledge that you made the greener choice.

Here’s how we earned the gold accolade:

Supporting and working with the local community

All our staff are local and some are recruited from Môn CF, which is a charity that provides opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Supporting and working with local/national charities

Earlier this year we became a member of the North Wales Wildlife Trust and RSPB and continue to support local charities. We’re also members of the National Trust and Red Squirrel Trust.

Energy conservation

All our main buildings are well insulated and double glazed and all our staff receive training in energy conservation. We also use LED lights throughout the park and turn them off between 1am and 7am. We have two electric buggies on site and also have two electric vehicle charging points on site. Also, we recently introduced battery powered strimmers and chainsaws which we have found to be quieter as well as using no fossil fuels.

Reuse, reduce, recycle

We make some of our outdoor furniture and decking from recycled plastic. We also have a freecycling policy if any of our owners are looking to get rid of old furniture.

Wildlife and environment activities

We’re proud to offer all sorts of activities for children during the school holidays, including woodland and gardening activities.

Food and shelter

Our park has plenty of natural habitat providing plenty of food and shelter for local wildlife. Plus we have bird feeders, bee hives, bug hotels and toad homes.

How do you become a Honey Bee Friendly Park?

In 2016, the David Bellamy Conservation Award Scheme teamed up with the British Beekeepers Association to run the Honey Bee Friendly Park Project. The aim was to get as many parks as possible to conserve Britain’s bees.

Parks that take part in the scheme commit to planting forage crops that bees need to survive, spreading the word about the importance of bee conservation, and working to give bees a home.

With the help of our beekeeper, Jonathan, we established a bee hotel on the park to create a place for our local bees to live and work. Jonathan makes sure that the colony is strong and healthy but also makes sure that it doesn’t swarm.

We also hold ‘Meet the Bees’ sessions during school holidays so our holiday home owners have the chance to meet them and learn more about them. Plus, if it’s been a particularly fruitful year, we’re able to harvest some of the honey and sell it  to the public from our reception area

Want to find out more about life here at Silver Bay? Download our brochure to find out more.