Best wildlife practices for accommodations

Enjoyment of the countryside, the landscape and the plants and animals that live there are all factors of great interest to many visitors. Businesses should take active measures to preserve, conserve and enhance their habitats, aiming to increase diversity and attract more wildlife. This in turn will attract guests who are care about the environment they are visiting. It is also important to be aware of your impact on the habitat and where possible reduce any intrusion on your surroundings.

Protect local wildlife – turtles, whippets, whatever
Example: Cessation of turtle harvesting on the island has led to us hosting good populations of both Green and Hawksbill Turtles - Turtle volunteering in the Seychelles

Reintroduce native species – plants and animals
Example: We are trying to re establish water that will encourage the stocking of indigenous species of fish such as yellow fish - Farmstay accommodation in Drakensburg, South Africa

Do not encourage introduced species – goats, rats, Japanese knotweed
Example: The property used to be a wattle plantation – an alien species which has swiftly strangled the natural vegetation. The de-wattlefication of the area is an ongoing process - Garden Route luxury accommodation

Plant gardens/grounds with wildlife and insect-friendly vegetation – read advice from Birdwatch Ireland
Example: Our ongoing project of aforestation of indigenous trees helps maintain a good soil balance and we are planting fruiting and flowering trees to encourage greater wildlife - Tiger camp in Kanha Reserve

Encourage birds to visit and nest – read advice from the RSPB
Example: The Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, has designated the hotel as a 'Bird Friendly Resort' after a professional survey - Negombo beach hotel in Sri Lanka

Educate guests, and locals about the surrounding habitat
Example: Through free classes of painting, drama, photography, and other disciplines, we can teach our students about the environment, children's rights, and how they can play an active role in the improvement of their community and beach - Nicaragua surf lodge

Use environmentally friendly cleaning products; don’t use garden chemicals and don’t put down poisons – herbal cockroach killer is available and you can even make your own non-toxic cleaning kit
Example: Cleaning is done with environmentally-friendly cleaning agents - citrus cleaner and vinegar and water being among our favourites - Blue Mountains retreat, Katoomba

Osa Peninsula rainforest wildlife lodge, Costa Rica

Create a native species nursery
Example: Joel is creating a nursery of native species of trees. He wants to reforest the Peninsula and he will! - Osa Peninsula rainforest wildlife lodge, Costa Rica

Encourage guests to plant a native tree
Example: We encourage every guest to plant a Shola tree.. the indigenous trees of this area after educating them about the other trees that are planted like Eucalyptus and Watel which are causing large scale depletion of natural ground water - Tamil Nadu hill accommodation

Work to retain heritage seeds and plants
Example: We actively work to retain heritage seeds and plants from our valley - Wanganui accommodation; self catering & camping

Offer bikes for guests to use rather than their cars
Example: The use of vehicles is discouraged and bicycles are provided free of charge for visitors - Self catering cottage, Yiannis

Use wood from sustainable sources, whether for furniture or fires
Example: We heat with wood that we cut from our own land using sound timber management to maintain a healthy and vigorous forest for our long term use and future use as well - Pinasca accommodation, Piedmont, Italy

Think about how the building itself blends with its surrounding environment – use sympathetic materials, colours etc
Example: There is a commitment to eco-principles rather than traditional building methods so that the accommodation has minimal effect on the natural environment. Lodges have been built on the lowest part of the site and screened using existing indigenous trees and shrubs to blend in with the natural environment - Yorkshire Dales self catering accommodation

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