Sustainability | CoaST
and GTBS | What we do | Wildlife | How
you can help us | Useful Links
 Cornwall is a special place: truly amazing coast, beautiful landscapes,
diverse in wildlife, rich in flora and fauna, and with a unique culture.
At Higher Menadew, we care about the environment and long-term sustainability.
We believe that it is important to act responsibly to preserve and
maintain both the global and more immediate environment so that it
can be enjoyed by future generations.
Preserving our beautiful environment in Cornwall while, at the same
time, running a business that encourages and welcomes visitors is
a challenge and a responsibility.
Being aware of the effects of our actions on the environment enables
us all, both here at Higher Menadew and you as our visitors, to minimise
the “footprint” we make. Taking small steps and continually
questioning the way we do things will produce positive results.
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| Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project (CoaST) and GTBS |
 Recognising that solutions are best found collectively we are members
of the Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Project (CoaST) with the Green
Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS)
CoaST has been working for some time with tourism businesses in
Cornwall to help make tourism as sustainable as possible - benefiting
the environment, the economy and the people.
We have joined the GTBS and were graded in July 2008. We are delighted and extremely proud that we achieved a Gold Award, the highest grading. The GTBS is now the main sustainable tourism certification scheme in the UK and we were assessed against a rigorous set of environmental impact and sustainable criteria. The Gold Award indicates that we are working in the right direction!
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 As a family run business we care about our environment and long-term
sustainability and aim to make Higher Menadew as environmentally
friendly as possible.
We use environmentally friendly cleaning products that do not contain
phosphate.
We ask our guests to help us by recycling newspapers, magazines,
glass, cans, plastic bottles and cardboard using the green wheelie
bins provided. We also recycle or reuse many other items including
printer cartridges, electronic equipment, linen and furniture.
We have Green Cones for use by our guests that “digest” all
food waste both cooked and uncooked: this further reduces our waste
going to landfill.
Water butts harvest rainwater for use in the gardens.
We use recycled paper in the office and for toilet rolls; and, our
refuse bags are recycled and degradable.
All our cottages have efficient, instant heat, combi boilers; radiators
fitted with thermostats; double-glazing; and, low flush cisterns.
Our swimming pool water is primarily heated by saving heat from
the dehumidification process using a heat recovery system.
Low energy lighting has been installed wherever possible and the
games room also has movement sensors controlling the lighting.
When purchasing we try to buy local. We have linked up with Food4myholiday.com so
that guests can have some of the best local produce delivered directly
to their cottage.
We now monitor our energy and water consumption and are on a Green
Energy tariff for our electricity.
Our information files in the cottages and our website Out & About section have loads of local information on what to do, where to go and where to eat close to Higher Menadew. Realistically, we cannot completely eliminate the need to travel by car for most of our guests but there are lots of ideas for “more or less” car free days and details of trains, ferries and other public transport.
We are committed to continually improve our environmental efforts while at the same time as maintaining a high quality, countryside cottage holiday.
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As farmers the countryside and its’ wildlife is very important to us; it is part of what we are. Ancient, traditional hedgerows that are rich in biodiversity enclose our fields and we have several acres that are part of one of Cornwall’s County Wildlife Sites.
 At Higher Menadew we try to look after the natural environment. We have an environmental stewardship scheme in place on our farm and we are always looking at ways of doing things better. For example, in 2005 we reinstated our meadow and are managing it to produce wildflowers; we are making steady progress – nature will not be rushed on these things! We know that Barn Owls are frequenting this area so we plan to install a nesting box on top of a disused telephone pole. Making the large nest box it is one thing getting to the top quite another!
In addition, to help preserve the fantastic scenery and wildlife of Cornwall we support, and are members of, Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Click here for more information on the fantastic work of Cornwall Wildlife Trust and how we do our bit to help them.
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We hope that you will feel that you can help make Higher Menadew
environmentally friendly.
5 small steps that have a big impact are:
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Say no
to packaging you don’t need. At Higher
Menadew we work hard to recycle all we can and you can help us
by using the recycling system that we have in place. |
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Stay Local, Eat Local, Buy Local, See Local. Buy
food, souvenirs and gifts from local producers and artists. This
also helps the local economy. Cornish food produce is deservedly
getting a great reputation so seek out farm shops, get local
produce delivered to Higher Menadew and try some quality pubs,
restaurants and local food retailers in our area – please
see our Eating Out and Local Food section
of our website. |
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Reduce traffic: walk, cycle or use public transport. Walking,
cycling and riding are great ways of seeing Cornwall without
adding to traffic. Let the train take the strain and take a journey
on one of Cornwall’s branch lines. Try exploring close
to Higher Menadew, there are some fantastic places right on your
doorstep. Please see our Out and About section. |
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Chill out – switch off! You can see
the stars at night in Cornwall! Help us reduce light pollution
and energy use by switching off lights and all those standby
buttons when you don’t need them. Help us reduce water
consumption by using just the water you need e.g. please don’t
leave the tap running while you brush your teeth. At Higher Menadew
we use water butts for the gardens. |
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Follow the Countryside Code. The countryside
code reminds us all to protect, respect and enjoy: look after
plants and animals; take litter away; leave gates and property
as you found them; and consider other people and users when in
the countryside. |
We welcome any feedback on how we can improve and be even more sustainable.
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sustainable and efficient use of energy.