Living onsite, it’s a real privilege for us to share the picturesque landscape that surrounds our small wedding venue with you, our wonderful wedding guests. For us locals and our visiting couples, much of what makes North Devon so special is its rich history of preservation and unspoilt beauty. To ensure it remains a magical place for many years to come, we’re committed to preserving and nurturing it as best we can.
At Treetop Escape, we’re keen to be green and as a business, are committed to sustaining our natural surroundings as much as possible. As well as working hard to protect nature, conserve energy and water, and minimise our waste, we have implemented several other eco-friendly practices to further reduce our environmental impact:
- Recycling and composting wherever possible
- Training employees to be environmentally aware within their role to reduce impact in all business areas
- Monitoring our environmental action plan at quarterly Green Team meetings
- Complying with relevant environmental legislation and implementing systems and procedures to assure compliance
- Consistently looking for areas to improve and encouraging our guests to be environmentally aware during their stay e.g. reminding visitors to turn the TV off standby, to organise their recycling, etc
- Involving ourselves in local community projects to help preserve the natural feel of the surrounding area
During your stay with us, we want to encourage you to enjoy the Devon landscape but above all, do what you can to help ensure it is kept safe for others to enjoy.
As well as implementing the above practices, we also try to ‘think green’ when it comes to other aspects of running Tree Top Escape. From recommending a list of local suppliers to encouraging our staff to walk or cycle to work, our eco-information below is all part and parcel of what we do here:
- Tree Top Escape is a near-passive building (high level of energy efficiency)
- All our appliances have an A+ energy rating and we prioritise durability to ensure products are as long-lasting as possible
- Throughout our properties, we use LED bulbs and timers to reduce energy waste
- Our entire estate is powered by ‘green energy’, specifically PV panels and a wind turbine
- We have a designated recycling area with separate bins, as well as a special Joseph Joseph Bin for waste separation and composting
- Our Hot Tub is always filled with hot water so it can be left on ‘Eco Mode’ (and our guests can use it immediately)
- We will ask you if you plan to use the second bedroom and will only set it up if required to minimise energy waste
- We always use eco-friendly cleaning products, e-cloths, and recycled towels during changeovers
- 50% of our staff live within a 5-mile radius and frequently walk/cycle to work
- Our recommended list of wedding suppliers is comprised of local businesses and services all within the North Devon area
- Our charming Welcome Gifts are homemade or locally-sourced
- When it comes to cafes, eateries, pubs, and activities, we encourage you to stay local
- We offer guests the opportunity to buy eggs onsite from our free-range hens
- We collect waste water to be reused for plant watering around the estate
- We use downward-facing, low energy, outdoor lighting to prevent light pollution
- If you’d like to travel to us by train, our local taxi can collect you.
- If you own an Electric car, you can use our charging station to recharge your vehicle
- To save you making an extra trip during your stay, we can organise a local breakfast hamper or local food shop delivery on arrival
We’re delighted to say that over the years, our environmental efforts have not gone unnoticed and here at Tree Top Escape, we’ve scooped 3 awards for our Eco Credentials (being part of Millbrook Estate).
In October 2017, we won the award for Enjoyed in Devon at the Debi Environmental Awards as well as bagging Gold at the Devon Tourism Awards for Sustainable Tourism. The following year in February 2018, we won Silver at the South West Tourism Awards and we couldn’t be prouder! To achieve these accolades is a real credit to us, our team, and our guests, and as a business, we will continue to place sustainability at the heart of what we do.
In addition to our own efforts, we have also teamed up with other organisations in a bid to preserve and protect the environment. Currently, we are delighted to be working with Plastic Free North Devon on their Holiday Project to encourage visitors to think about their plastic consumption when holidaying in Devon.
As guests at Tree Top Escape, here are just a handful of things you can do to cut your plastic waste when visiting:
- Bring your reusable coffee cups, shopping bags, and water bottle with you
- When shopping, reduce what you buy, reuse if possible, and recycle any packaging
- Be mindful of single-use plastic (e.g. opt for wooden cutlery instead of plastic etc.)
- Do something wonderful for the local area and take part in a #2minutebeachclean while you’re out and about visiting our stunning coastline
If you’d like to learn more about this fantastic project, Plastic Free North Devon has more great suggestions on other ways you can help to protect our stunning region during your stay for future generations to enjoy.
Thank you for playing your part in helping to preserve our magical Devon landscape.