How Green Is Our Wood?
Whilst we nurture the next generation of Field Archers, we also nurture the environment we are surrounded by. Our woodland is a special home to many animals, we share their space on their terms. We have Red Squirrels, Pine Martin, Ground Nesting Bees, along with Badger, Fox, Deer and Voles. The woodland carpet is littered with many different species of plants, Mushroom and Toadstool, the trees are a haven for many birds and insects. This is a commercial woodland, we rent it and nurture it in the hope that we can save this space for as long as possible. Occasionally we may have to close a Zone because nesting or animal activity is happening in that area. In the Bowhunter Woods the animal comes first and we give them space and safety to continue doing what they do best. We have many cameras dotted around the woods to capture our abundant wildlife.
We are off grid. That means when you visit us, please don't expect electricity. We use solar panels to provide minimal lighting in our cabin, we cannot charge your phone - or your car. We don't have access to mains water. All water is brought in from local suppliers. We can provide you with fresh drinking water, however we don't use single use plastic so please bring your own cup or water bottle. We can provide a reusable Bamboo cup or a biodegradable, compostable paper cup. We ask everyone to take their own rubbish home, however we provide clearly marked bins for Plastics, Paper, Mixed Recycling.
Our toilets are Portable toilets. We are still trying to persuade the welfare operators who empty them to use formaldehyde free products. Unfortunately, this is out of our hands as there are no other options available to us at this time as we are not allowed to build an Eco-friendlier option. Any antibacterial cleansers we use are all environmentally friendly; the soap at the Tip-The-Tap Handwash Stations, is safe for humans and safe for our planet.
We are still making changes - in fact every week we introduce another... and another. We already repair and maintain our equipment, so it is used time and time again - all the while we ensure it is 100% safe for you to use. Even our targets are a part of this cycle, if a 3d model is facing the end it gets remodelled into a new target. The paper targets are biodegradable.
We have a small shop on site. Archery equipment is very specific so by stocking essential items we help other archers to shop local. We also do bulk orders so they can all put in their requirements thus reducing the number of deliveries.
Recently a local bus service (No.11) has started to run between Nairn and Ardersier, passing our very door! We are very happy to send out bus times and assist anyone on foot to access our activities,and our new addition of a cycle rack means those cycling to us can lock up their bikes whilst they enjoy some Woodland Activities.
Staff are part of our Commitment to Climate Change. They understand the importance of the Woodland to us and how important the Planet is to all. So whilst we nurture the Next Generation of Field Archers, you can be assured we are also committed to Nurturing our Nature.