Protect Earth partners with a boutique hotel chain creating more green

Protect Earth has partnered with a small boutique hotel group looking to improve their guests' experience by creating a greener stay. Seeing trees can boost one's mental health, and the cleaner air offers tremendous benefits, including increasing well-being.

The hotel group has more than half a dozen beautiful hotels throughout the south of England. This was a multi-site planting project that Protect Earth is thrilled to manage.

Readying to plant on-site

Protect Earth was invited to plant on three of the hotel's sites.

Protect Earth is committed to planting flora that will be received in a new site and will be a springboard for accelerating biodiversity development. This is achieved by introducing the species of trees, wildflowers, and hedges that have existed in the UK for a long time. These plants are used to the climatic conditions and have developed resilience. Native insects and animals have adapted to these plants, meaning a plant will quickly become a cornerstone of a natural neighbourhood.

However, we also consider several variables that influence what the woodland we are looking to create will look like: what the partner wants and what the conditions on-site are.

Steve the Ecologist visited the three sites our partner indicated they wanted more green. He reviewed the soil composition and moisture retention in the soil. He also consulted with our partner to incorporate any ideas they had. With the correct information about these sites, Steve outlined a plan which included the most suitable species to plant, where species could be procured from, and a window on the best planting times.

Creating new woodlands

After making our proposal to the group, they were satisfied with our plans on what to plant, which encompassed a mix of native species: Aspen, Black alder, Blackthorn, Beech, Blackthorn, Cherry, Common hawthorn, Crab Apple, Field Maple, Grey Willow, Guelder-rose, Hazel, Hornbeam, Oak, Rowan, Scots Pine, and Silver Birch.

The three sites' total size is in excess of 270 acres! Protect Earth didn't green the entire 270 acres. Instead, we planted 4,085 plants (1,650 on one site, 1,500 on another, and 925 on the third), equivalent to more than six acres of new woodland creation.

Together with volunteer staff from the hotel, we planted everything in five days. Across the three sites, we worked with 47 different team members. Working alongside private and corporate volunteers allows us to share our goals of creating, restoring, and protecting habitats all over the UK.

It gives us a chance to understand what others think about woodland restoration and continue developing friendships within the growing Protect Earth community.

The days are hard work with digging and lifting, but it's in the challenges that we see so many people shine and take pride in what they do during their time with us.

To sum up

Creating woodlands on several sites with one partner was a first for Protect Earth.

This experience is mutually beneficial for us and our new partner. Usually, planting on separate sites would require multiple contacts in charge of the individual sites. In this case, we focused on creating three new woodlands communicating with one representative. Finishing planting, we know Protect Earth has made a material gain for the hotel’s guests on those sites by adding more green to their stay.

We hope this is not the end of the partnership that Protect Earth will be invited to expand the nascent woodlands and to create more beneficial woodlands on the group’s other sites.

We would be excited to partner with other organisations that want to create a peaceful, calm environment provided by green growth. We know it works, and we'd be happy to have more people experience it.