Biodiversity and Forest Management

Center Parcs is a champion of biodiversity.

Biodiversity means the natural variety of living things.  Biodiversity conservation is vital for:

• Ensuring the continuity of natural evolution of species.
• Conserving and, where needed, restoring the proper function of natural ecological systems.
• Maintaining known and new sources of useful material for medicine, agriculture and other human endeavour.
• Preserving species which people value for their own sake.

The natural forest environment has always been a fundamental part of Center Parcs' philosophy.  Center Parcs sites were specifically chosen in areas with low or damaged biodiversity with the result being a significant enhancement of the biodiversity on all villages.  Center Parcs has and will continue to design and conduct its operations to maximise natural biodiversity across all its villages.

In accordance with global and national initiatives for biodiversity conservation, Center Parcs is committed to:

• Maintaining and enhancing the wildlife and habitats in the Villages, taking full account of characteristic biodiversity of the local area.
• Ensuring that their operations do not conflict with other local biodiversity action outside the Villages.
• Participating in local, national and wider initiatives for biodiversity conservation.
• Training and educating our staff in biodiversity conservation.
• Disseminating information on natural biodiversity conservation to our guests and the wider public.
• Purchasing materials from living sources such as wood, plants or composts only when they have been shown to be harvested or grown in a sustainable manner.
• Monitoring and reviewing our performance against developing local and national standards, updating our actions as necessary.
• In order to achieve this, Center Parcs have developed a corporate Biodiversity Action Initiative, with the following key components
  • Forest Management Plans (Action for Biodiversity) for each village setting out key targets and the means for their achievement.
  • Links between the Management Plans and day-to-day management of the Villages.
  • Specific programmes for biodiversity education and awareness of guests at the villages.
  • Formal involvement in partnerships with local and national bodies taking part in Biodiversity Action.

Each of the Center Parcs' UK Villages has its own individual Forest Management Plan which is reviewed and updated every 5 years to take into account the health and vitality of the forest.  The Forest Management Plans are independently inspected and evaluated according to strict environmental, social and economic principles and criteria as agreed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

The plan reinforces the integration between Center Parcs' landscape management objectives, those of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and the local biodiversity Action Plan in a framework of sustainable forestry.

Center Parcs are accredited with the Wildlife Trusts' Biodiversity Benchmark for Land Management.  This is a nationally recognised standard for commitment to biodiversity, demonstrating responsible land management.  It provides a framework to ensure continual biodiversity protection and enhancement in our forests.