As part of our commitment to the local environment at Granville’s Wood we continue to work hard to restore the native woodland. Making it an area of natural beauty and thriving wildlife. All of our decisions are based on making the most positive impact we can, and this philosophy has allowed our impact to reach out much wider.
How can we measure our impact?
We have used the Sustainable Development Goals, designed by the United Nations, to help us focus on the most important aspects of our environmental legacy. While we support all the Goals, there are some that are more naturally aligned to our work at Woodland Burial Company. We are proud of our progress.
What have we been doing?
Since 2017 we have been concentrating on Goal 15: Life On Land.
Our long term plan is to fully restore the woodland to its natural state. It was a commercial site, which means it has much more pine than it should. Each time we remove a pine tree, to create a bench or bird box, we allow a little more light to creep through the canopy, encouraging the smaller oaks and other trees to thrive. By sustainable management we can support this new growth and the wildlife it encourages in.
We are committed to managing Granville’s Wood for 199 years. You can read more about this in Our Promise. After that time it will move to the Woodland Burial Trust and will never be redeveloped or built on. Keeping this valuable woodland for generations to come.
We have taken action to work in the most sustainable way possible,
- using local skilled crafts people.
- keeping out any non-degradable materials.
- measuring and protecting the impact of our work on the soil, watercourse and wildlife.
In fact, our work has increased the variety of animals and plants using the woodland.
What’s the biggest impact?
Woodland Burial Company is able to offset the carbon impact from every family we work with. Whether they choose a traditional burial or cremation – because of the 11.5 acres of trees we have at Granville’s Wood. This creates just under a metric tonne of carbon offset (which we will never sell on). Granville’s Wood sits within the larger, protected, 115 acres of Walton Woods.
Part of restoring the native species means thinking about how to manage the invasive ones. The biggest problem at Granville’s Wood is the Rhododendron plants. They are beautiful but not native, and as our nooks increase we are able to remove them and use the foliage and branches in our wildlife ‘super highways’.
Much of this work also creates a positive impact on Goal 13: Climate Action.
We use sustainable suppliers where possible:
- The Green Office for stationery
- Ecosia for internet searching
- Habitat Aid for our wildflower seeds
- Local, small businesses for our supplies: Archers Crafts for Signage, FuzzFox for our images and videos, IvanBros for our clothing.
NEW!
For UK Grief Awareness Week 2020 we are releasing a range of ‘Support Sheets’ on various topics related to bereavement. This forms a useful addition to our services, and helps us meet Goal 3: Good Health & Wellbeing. Something we are keen to support our families with.
The links here mean you can download any of the free Support Sheets you feel might help. They are also available in our Friends Group on Facebook, and pre-printed on request.
We hope you find them useful for yourselves or others.
What’s next?
In 2020 and onwards we hope to become more well known,. Then we can share our ideas on the positive choices we can all 
make at the end of life. Our focus will be working on Goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production. We hope to encourage and educate people to make sustainable choices, using natural products, in all aspects of their funeral planning.
Our work on neutralising the toxicity of ashes and traditional burial supports the desire to reduce the harmful levels of chemicals found in the earth and water ways. We have also been able to challenge the idea that cremation is more environmentally friendly than burial, offering a natural alternative. You are welcome to read more on this innovative project at www.rtnsoil.com.
In 2021 we will be reviewing who we bank with, our car usage and website hosting.
We are delighted to announce we have been awarded the full 5 stars by www.supporthegoals.org
