Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Jun 22

What is the fun in making a whole load of rules about the countryside?

The Countryside code is something that people rarely ever read – and this is for 2 main reasons. Either the people being shown the information are too rude and selfish to consider what might be best for the countryside itself and everyone else sharing in it’s beauty, so they have no interest in being ‘told what to do’.

Or they already know the code inside-out as it is all common sense to the the eco thinker!

I mean how more obvious could it be to anyone that dropping litter isn’t a great way to keep the countryside healthy! If you drop litter here today – what do you expect it to look like tomorrow?

The basic principles of the Countryside code are really just the exact same things as we see everywhere else in our lives – but maybe with sheep instead of hamsters, and oaks instead of rose bushes.

Would you leave the door to your friends hamster cage open after you put something inside? Would you start pulling roses off your neighbours bushes because you wanted a closer look at the leaves? Would you hit your dog waste under a hedge with a stick and into the school playground? While looking around a shop, would you start opening all the doors just to see what’s on the other side?

Strange. Because that is just what people expect to be able to do in the countryside.

How Are They The Same?
Unfortunately, because the countryside (and beaches and woodlands and mountains, moors and marshes) are all free to visit – some people assume that they have no value. And so they treat them as such.

For example, Family A travel to a small village for a visit and decide to wander off up a footpath as it is sunny. As they have not ‘done this before’ they may well ‘lose’ their way, find the path turning the ‘wrong’ way or come across a huge muddy puddle.

photo credit: robertsharp

Rather than thinking that the footpath goes another way for a reason or that the place they want to go might be private anyway – they say to themselves: ‘Well, we can see where we want to go – so if we just jump this fence, we can walk across this dry field and get there anyway’.

Now if you went around your friends house for a visit, walked to the end of their garden and saw a beautiful lake across someone else’s garden – you wouldn’t just bunk over your friends fence and trample your family across somone else’s garden to get to the private lake, would you?

So what makes it OK when it is just a farmers field?

All Are Welcome:
The countryside is usually ‘free’ to enter as many charities and private owners alike want people to experience to wonder and amazing character of the open countryside.

They do this by opening up for private business, extending their existing footpath and bridleway network to allow great freedom of the visitors and by making their land as easy to access and walk through as possible.

However, at any time they can revert to the bare minimum of access for walkers and riders. And repreated trespassing and vandalism will only bring this about sooner.

For example, shops that find large numbers of children encourage thefts restrict the number of children they allow in to their stores. Private Houses and Gardens open to the public often put barriers around precious items, flower beds and lawns and even close of certain rooms – usually due to past visitors damaging or breaking something with their carelessness.

The same could be true for your favourite areas of the countryside.

Imagine if all footpaths were fenced in; Open Access land was restricted back to the by-ways and gardens and houses were closed of?

Imagine also that due to the cost of repairs and alterations due to damage by visitors was placed on future visitors.

I remember a whole host of places that used to have ‘free parking’ or ‘free entry’ all year round – and churches that were left open all day.

That is not always the case anymore. More and more landowners, farmers, clergymen and charities are finding that unquestioning hospitality and generosity just are not traits that keep things ticking over.

Times are changing, but hopefully people can too!

Please pass on the Countryside Code to whoever you take out with you on your eco adventures. Pass on the reasons – not the rules – and hopefully you can change a few yourself.

posted by Catherine on May 24

As part of the ‘Making Wildlife Watching Easy’ series: Swifts, Swallows and Martins

These summer arrivals in Northern Europe offer a great aerial spectacle! Hardly landing anywhere, they glide, swoop and screech over our heads across the summer sky picking out all the little insects floating past!

But with them so high in the sky – usually in silhouette as the sun shines in your face added to their fast flying – how can you tell them apart?

Well the answer is ‘easily if you know what to look for’.

So, what is the difference between swifts, swallows and martins? It’s all down to the shape of their wings and tail to start, then you can use their colour if you are close enough.

The pictures in this article aren’t the best – but this shows how tricky they are a catch a glimpse of visually – that’s why their key features and their flying habits are so important.

The most easy to spot in the sky without any problems is the swift with its long curved-back wings – so it looks a bit like it has a boomerang strapped to it’s back!

photo credit: Michael Woodruff

Once you can spot this – that is the swift out of the way – then it’s down to the swallow and the different martins.

Visually, there are key things to look out for and can easily be seen on a photo – but in flight, this is easier said than done!

If we start with the swallow, then at least we can eliminate it from the list early on with 1 key feature: long tail ‘ribbons’.

In flight, these birds have a clear pair of much longer tail feathers coming off each fork of their tail. These aren’t so clear from a distance or in juvenile swallows – but if you can see them – then you know you have a swallow not a martin or swift!

photo credit: Mostly Dans

Swallows also have a white body in flight – as do the martins – but if they are close enough to you or perched, you can clearly see their reddish chin and blue neck-band.

However, the 2 most common martins in Europe are the sand and house – and are a bit tricky to tell apart in flight unless they obligingly fly close by you and you can see their colouring clearly: the house martin is blue with a noticable white rump (as shown below); and the sand martin is brown without the white rump.

photo credit: ahisgett

I know this sound obvious in writing, but observing it as the birds flip and flap around the swarm of insects they are feeding on is a little tricky!

But saying that – house martins nest on houses and sand martins nest in banks of sand – usually in large groups and on tall banks of around 5-10 meters in height. So if it flies up into the eaves of your roof it won’t be a sand martin, and if it is flying around a steep-sided river bank in groups it probably is a sand martin!

photo credit: zakwitnij

And if you aren’t sure – take a load of pictures; as even if they are distant or blurry you will still be able to see which they are on closer inspection!

Especially true if you are in southern Europe or elsewhere around the globe – as there are around 83 species of birds in this ‘family’ that it could be!

Another days bird-watching done!

posted by Catherine on Feb 8

If you see ‘poisonous’ Ragwort alongside a footpath – would you destroy it?

After all, Ragwort is known for it’s toxic nature – and is always destroyed on equestrian land and is generally unwanted on cattle grazing land and in hay meadows.

Eating it over a period of time will usually cause permanent liver damage, but this is very, very rare in reality. However, some walkers take it upon themselves to snap off the ragwort stems as they pass them by – for reasons only known to them.

However – I bet it didn’t oocur to them that the land owners or reserve wardens may in fact be actively encouraging the ragwort to grow there.

photo credit: MGSpiller

Who’s Land Is It Anyway?
Many countryside walkers assume that the land is unchecked, not cared for and little visited by the owners – but they would be wrong in nearly all cases.

All land is ‘owned’ by someone and they would either look after it themselves or have someone else look after it for them (usually with some financial incentive).

And if you studied any biology or geography in your life you would know that there is a natural pattern of succession in the plant world, starting with bare rock or dried riverbed, leading up to mature forest.

(If you are one step ahead of me now you will know what I am about the say.)

As a result of this natural pattern – if land wasn’t tended to or ‘controlled’ by somebody – then the very grassy patch or field where you just snapped that ragwort in half in wouldn’t actually be grassy – or even have any ragwort in. It would be a mature forest.

And as with your own land (generally just your garden) – even if it looks a bit messy and you are at work 5 days a week – you really wouldn’t want someone to walk through it while you were out and then take it upon themselves to cut down your only tree and uproot your rhodedenron bush.

Understand Nature’s Way:
By cutting down young or densly growing trees down to create a glade, or patch of open grass in the middle of a woodland can be a fantastic haven for dozens of butterfly and moth species – and some of them just love Ragwort!

The day-flying Cinnabar Moth (a bright red medium-sized moth) is most renowned for this association and has bright yellow and black striped caterpillars that feed on the ragwort plants. Many other moths also use the plant for parts of their lifecycle.

photo credit: MGSpiller

And strangely enough – bearing in mind how horrible the plant tastes – sheep tend to love an appetiser of Ragwort amongst their normal grasses and flowers. It is believed to kill off internal parasites for them!

Woodlands all over the country are managed to a certain extent – even though they tend to take care of themselves most of the time – but if you want to attract any birds, mammals or insects that don’t live in woodlands, then you need to cut them down.

And that is just what happens throughout the year on the very land you are walking on.

Some plants are best cut down at certain times of the year – and of course you can’t disturb a nesting bird over the spring – so rather than taking on the role of dangerous plant destroyer (ivy cutter/squirrel scarer/dead wood clearer/or anything at all that isn’t agreed in advance with the land-owner) – just walk on by.

If you have anything you would like to share with them about their land, then contact them in the appropriate fashion rather than just sabotage their property.

So, when you are out exploring the countryside – think of their trees as you would of your garden fence; their plants as you would of your rosebush; their gates as your own front door.

Would you want someone to leave your front door open, break down your fence and snap your rosebush in half?

I didn’t think so…….

posted by Catherine on Dec 10

Have you ever seen your local woodland or riverbanks coated in the morning frost?

We all love walking in the woods, on the Downs, through the valleys, on the moors, along the coast and beside the rivers – but have you done it first thing on a winters morning?

There are some scenes you just won’t see in the normal run of things out with the kids or walking the dog – you need to make the effort to get out there really early for a people-free, wildlife-filled and weather dependant great view.

Being first up on top of a frosty hillside and seeing the low clouds rolling over the sides is priceless.  And watching herons feed in the misty waters first thing could make you see your local walk in a new light.

Local Tours:
There are always local organisations and charities offering winter walks at this time of year – and many of them are themed so you can choose the one that most appeals. 

For example some are about the wildlife, some about the landscapes and some about the history surrounding us – some are even one-offs like a festive wreath walk, where you get to cut your own holly and ivy etc, and then are helped to create your own designs for your home!

And needless to say, these walks are great in 2 main respects; the first being that they are run by an expert.  You won’t just be wandering around the usual footpaths with a group of people aimlessly – you will be led to all the main features and given specific information about plants, animals, people and the past.

These guides will be well aware of everything in local area and will be able to answer most of your questions there and then as they would have a passion for it – otherwise they wouldn’t offer to do the walk in the first place!

photo credit: maxim off

Secondly, they will be able to take you to places that you might not have been to before – such as on to private land, through farms and fields that the general public don’t have access to.  For example, there are huge areas of land that are owned by wildlife trusts which are kept free from the everyday general public as essential work is carried out or sensitive areas where animals are being surveyed/preserved/introduced.

Taking a tour with these charities or groups that have agreements with local landowners and farmers can allow you a new view of the same landscape - or access to rare or protected habitats.

Feel Encouraged:
Of course, noone really wants to get up in the dark on your day off – but if you have signed up to one of these walks or are aware of it – then you are more likely to get up and out.

The photo opportunities on these walks are huge as well as the possible wildlife sightings.  I mean you may well be there before all the morning dog walkers – so you are more likely to see some of the more shy native wildlife – and even hungry owls hunting for those few extra hours in the cold.

If you are a duvet diva – make sure you arrange to get a lift off someone or pick someone else up on your way - that way you can’t talk yourself out of it when the alarm goes off!

posted by Catherine on Sep 12

My Eco Adventures Review:  A Visit To Pulborough Brooks – West Sussex – Late Spring

I decided to visit this reserve after reading a lot about the RSPB and having known the lower parts of the River Arun for some time – but having never explored the higher water.

It was also summer and there were enticing stories about adders mating and butterflies galore on the website. And a new area of heathland being developed on site too.  So we packed a nice lunch and headed off.

My Walk:
Arriving in the ample carpark, we settled into the shade and gathered our bits together before heading into the main building.

There was a spacious shop inside as well as loads of information about the site and a delightful looking restaurant – however, we headed straight out into the reserve – heathland first.

So heading back out across the carpark, we followed a short footpath to a viewpoint overlooking the pine plantation and some barren looking land.  It was a sunny day, so we were hoping for plenty of reptiles and butterflies – but instead found young roe deer, messy squirrels and nesting wrens!

Circling a large area of fenced in plantation we found many plants – but it was all very same-same and very close to the road – so we headed up over the hill-fort remains and back into the main reserve.

Through the main building again and off towards an open area with a small church and houses to the side.  Inside the tiny churchyard we found orange-tips all over the place as well as meadow flowers knee-deep.  A great spot for lunch!

The short walk with full tums toward the flood plains was filled with butterflies – dozens of them everywhere, from painted ladies to large whites – and the sun was really shining now!  We sat next to the Highland cattle field with their ‘white’ calf for a while listening to bird song and practising butterfly identification ‘on the wing’.

Down into the dingly dangly dell was filled with passerines and cheeky jays as we headed towards the first hide.  We were virtually there all by ourselves as we scanned the horizon filled with shelducks, Canada geese and a few young herons!

Then came some people (!) so that was that for the waterfowl!  We headed back up onto drier land still with birds and butterflies all around – we really were making very slow progress here with so much to see!

By the time we got around to the ‘adder alley’ to see the sparring males – it was way past 3pm and the sun wasn’t so warm.  Maybe we should have come here first – or faster!

So after scouring the ground and the low gorse very closely we found none – but did view plenty of evidence of the large herd of deer that live around here!  And at the next hide we found the footprint makers!  About 50 of them all relaxing on the other side of the marsh!  What a site – apparently they were a domestic herd that escaped and found living here quite to their liking!

We headed back to the centre totally exhausted and thrilled with our sD card filled to the brim with great shots!

Site Name: Pulborough Brooks – SSSI – RSPB
This reserve is located in West Sussex just to the west of Pulborough village on the A283 and is on the River Arun (and tidal).

It costs £3 (or larger donation) per adult to visit the centre although there are plenty of free footpaths and bridlepaths leading from the carpark – and you can visit the restaurant without having to pay the entrance fee.  It has plenty of toilets, the store and membership desk.

The carpark is huge and the reserve is well signed from the road and there is a bus stop outside and Pulborough train station is a longish road walk or cycle away!

posted by Catherine on Aug 12

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My Eco Adventures Review:  A Visit To Woods Mill – West Sussex – Summer 2010

Woods Mill is the Head Quarters of the Sussex Wildlife Trust and is based at the foot of the South Downs.  I went for a visit here as I love the Downs and chalkland wildlife – and I am on a mission to learn to identify more local plants and animals. 

And Woods Mill in summer has plenty to offer!

My Walk:
Arriving at the reserve was easy and there was ample parking when I arrived – and clean toilets after a long drive are always a bonus!

The reserve is free to all visitors and entry to the site is over a lovely old bridge with views of the historic water mill that gives the reserve its name.  There are already enough insects here to keep me busy with the ID guide!

There were damselflies and dragonflies everywhere – although I still can’t really tell them apart unless they come close!

A Male Ruddy Darter?

The reserve is criss-crossed with man-made waterways – both wet and dry – where in the past the mill was working and the landowner wanted to make a feature of the land.  There are large concrete areas cutting up the coppiced woodland as well as some delightful ‘ruins’ from a long forgotten folly meant to adorn the site!

There is however, a very well stocked large lake close to the entrance as well as a smaller dipping pond – which is currently filled to the brim with newts!  Both are surrounded by lush vegetation humming with insect life.

Needless to say there were school groups making the most of this varied nature reserve.  The SWT run educational groups from reception through to Adult Education on site.  Whether it’s pond dipping, woodland walks, wildlife surveying courses or photography – it’s all here! 

There aren’t many flowers in the shaded areas on site (apart from the bluebell woods), but the many woodland paths and willow structures certainly add something at every turn.  Rows of tree-trunk seating for story telling, and bug houses and composting too.

Live Willow Building

Coming out the other side there is a large meadow with plant life to suggest a wet past!  There is currently a very small but very deep river gully cutting through it’s centre and a whole host of swallows and swifts feeding high up above.

There is a small secluded bluebell woods to the side – but it is currently ‘out of bounds’ to visitors – however the owl box to the front shows that there is no shortage of wildlife in it!

Across the top is the man-made feeder stream directly to the mill – although it is virtually dried up here due to lack of incoming water from the Downs.  On the other side is a grass meadow, with wildflowers reaching up to knee-height and hedgerows filled with calling birds – including the locally common nightingales!

As we had brought a packed lunch, we found a bench by the lake and enjoyed being in the middle of such a peaceful habitat and surrounded by insects and birds!

I certainly wore out the insect and plant guide books during our 4 hour stay – and the camera didn’t have a quiet day either!

Definitely worth another visit!

Site Name: Woods Mill Nature Reserve – Sussex Wildlife Trust
This reserve is located in West Sussex just to the south of Henfield in Small Dole on the A2037.  It is located at the foot of the South Downs and inside the South Downs National Park boundary and is in the Adur Valley.

It is free entry for everyone, the car park is easy to find and access – and the site has nice clean toilets!

posted by Catherine on Jul 8

Is it about getting the great shot – or about the welfare of the animal itself?

There is hot debate at the moment in the world of wildlife photography that some ‘wild’ animals are being farmed in captivity to make for ‘better’ wildlife shots!

It is sadly true that there are cages and cages of foxes, wolves, pumas and lynx all just pacing back and forth waiting for someone to pay to see them ‘running free’ in an enclosure.

The irony of it!

So, are there some wildlife guidelines you can follow to make sure that your are not scaring or stressing the wild animals you are photographing – the most obvious being: Don’t pay an established animal farm to use their wildlife for photography unless you completely approve of their housing and handling!

But if you want to keep it natural out in the field, try a few of these tips:

Treat Them As Wild:
The animals you are trying to get an amazing picture of are wild and are therefore potentially dangerous to humans – especially if they are mating or have young close by.

Therefore the best practice here is to get yourself a very long lens and watch from a distance!  Of course you can stalk out the animals in advance to find out where they will be and when to get yourself in position.

Getting To Close:
Just because an animal is letting you get really close – it doesn’t mean that it wants you there.

A very hungry animal may remain near it’s meal while you creep closer and closer because it has tried to catch a meal for so long.  It won’t give it up easily – but it will eventually if you hound it for long enough!

Same goes for mothers with young or an injured animal – they don’t really want to have to move so will let you get closerthan normal – but they will still be very stressed about the whole thing.

If an animal is staring at you – then you have disturbed it or got too close – either way, it knows you are there.

Any Closer And I Could Spoil The Meal

The Wider Angle:
Don’t forget that animals and birds don’t just live in the one spot you just saw them in – they need the wider environment to be successful.

So, don’t thunder through the woods or fields to get to your ‘best ‘spot as you may well have disturbed all your animals prey species out of the area for the rest of the day!  Or scared a predator right into the face of your target species!

Breaking branches, trampling plants and moving things around ‘for a better shot’ can also affect the very animals you have come to see!

The Results:
Well, there are some great cameras out there than can reduce the distance between you and the wildlife to such a great extent that you needn’t disturb wildlife at all.  I know they may cost more than a normal camera but it can be the easiest way of getting a great shot without causing the animal itself any stress.

And by staying away, you can appreciate the wider environment too.  I have found that sitting still is a great way to get animals to come closer to you as you become part of their landscape rather than marching through it.  They will feed and act as normal within feet of you if you were there first!

Great for some perfect wildlife moments!

posted by Catherine on May 13

There is a very unusual evening event taking place across the UK – but are you too squeamish?

This event focuses on those sometimes scary and often unwanted nighttime moths – but if you read more about them, you will find that they have much to offer your garden and the environment.  And you may even get to like them after this!

The event has been running since 1999, and takes place on a date where the conditions should be best for moths to be out hunting.  This year is falls on the night of May 15th – and there are events all over the country that you could become a part of.

The Event:
Run by the Butterfly Conservation Trust (BCT), this annual event allows you experience the world of moths when they are at their best, and to help the trust to identify species distribution and any new arrivals in the country – for example in 2008 a species was found in Ireland that hadn’t been seen in the UK ever before!

However 62 moth species became extinct in Britain during the 20th century – so it’s not always good news!

This year though, is the first time that the BCT are teaming up with the Bat Conservation Trust (confusingly also the BCT – so BatCT for this article).  As bats are also found hunting at night (mainly the moths you are trying to record!), it seemed the best use of resources to get the people who were already out at dusk counting moths to record and bat activity they saw at the same time.

This extends the nighttime adventures you could have!  Whether you are aiming to just watch from inside you home at the creatures who fly up to your lights, whether you want to head out into the woods and set overnight (live) traps or whether you want to join a group bat watch and get to use their specialised equipment to hear their communications.  It’s up to you!

There are 16 species of bat to be found in Britain – and they all feed on moths!

Habitat Change:
However, as the bats feed on the moths and other insects, they are just as much at threat to land use changes.  This includes your gardens and local parks and woodlands. 

If plants are cleared for driveways and decking replaces grass, there is less food for the insects and less nesting sites for their young – like caterpillars.  Caterpillars need to eat plants when they are growing – and they eat a lot, so rather than only having delightfully ornamental plants in your garden for your own pleasure – make sure there are some local plants still around that they can use to grow and breed.

That way, when they start to eat through young plants, you won’t be tempted to use chemical to keep them away.  And their prefered plants are often fast-growing native plants that can be planted away from your favourites!

The same goes for ponds and other waterways.  Bats are commonly associated with water as well, as many insects lay their eggs in or around water and as they hatch – along come the bats for a feast!

Counting Them:
Take a look at the event website for details on local events or how to make your observations count – and how to download your photos of the event.

You don’t need to buy any special equipment to take part – unless you are very enthusiastic – but there are some easy home-made ways to trap moths of all sizes.  And some are truly beautiful to look at – not all of them are brown or grey!  Take the Elephant Hawk Moth – it’s pink and lime green and a good size!

photo credit: Wm Jas

There are obviously many tips on how to make the night a success – and you never know, you may well find a new species along the way!

posted by Catherine on Sep 30

Staying on a working farm that promotes wildlife has got to be good!

I recently stayed in a holiday cottage in the Weald in Sussex, England for 2 weeks, more out of urgent necessity than anything else (we needed to move in tonight!)

Therefore, my eco wants and needs were rather pushed to one side with the need for somewhere to sleep in the south-east of England with Internet access!

We called one place that looked adorable but was full for most of the 2 weeks, but the owner very thoughtfully and totally of no gain to herself, recommended a friend of hers that was just starting out so would no doubt have spaces! 

I called them hesitantly, knowing that my first concern was the Internet, then availability then price.  In that order.  (Some of the cottages are so highly priced that even if they came with free food the whole time you were there and a complimentary pony, it wouldn’t be worth it!)

Anyway, I called up a friendly man who answered all my questions and gave me his website address to view the cottages.  We had been viewing others and had found that a great many were just large sheds in some-one’s back garden – not ideal really in terms of the freedom to wander about and come and go as you please without the curtains twitching!  However, his cottages were in the middle of the countryside and a delight to look at, so we called back and said we’d be there by 5!

The Cottage:
It turns out that these 3 cottages are part of a rescued 150-year-old barn on the farm (now a fully functioning equestrian center), and had been very thoughtfully renovated up to a high standard and carefully furnished.

They all had a countryside feel to them, with paintings and pictures or the local art and landscapes.  The inside was spacious and showed the beams of the roof space and had a mezzanine bedroom on top.

There were some eco features including a half-bath, reclaimed furnishings and furniture and all modern appliances including an efficient microwave, condensing boilers, gas stove, nicely they had limited electronics but plenty of books magazines and board games instead!

And it turns out that the cottages aren’t the only thing that the landlord thinks are important.

Nature Comes First!
Since taking over the farm, the owner has focused on keeping it preserved.  Based in the Weald – an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) – and with centuries and centuries of history behind it, there was a good basis for him to start from.

His ancient hedgerows divide his 80 acres of pasture and woodland, and many were almost 1000 years old from my estimations of noticeable species present (oak, hawthorn and ash to name a few).  He also leaves a good 6 feet of untreated land on each side of the hedges to promote their use as a wildlife haven and hasn’t removed any of them at all – I found his farm on a map from 1880 and they were all still there today.

He had also banned hunting on his land – which has got clear traces of pheasant farming and many a spent shot gun cartridges from the past.  In fact he does the opposite – he helps release animals back into the countryside from his farm. 

He has already released whole families of badgers and hedgehogs, has re-homed a flock of battery-farmed chickens (of which he gave us plenty of tasty eggs from) and has re-homed 2 lovely dogs and 4 feral cats into his clan!  However the 2 owl boxes in the main barn haven’t yet been used permanently – but the pair of tawny owls in the woods make up for that!

A Work/Life Balance.
Being a working farm, he has of course, got plenty of farm machinery all about the place and no doubt his isolated location brings many large vehicles some distance from towns to run a successful business – but I think it is worth it.

Most guests here no doubt never traipse around the countryside like we do, and so all of his land hardly gets disturbed by man – and how frequently we saw fallow deer and how close we were able to get to them before they crashed off through the woodland shows that they are at home here – they like it here!

He has created a veritable British wildlife reserve here, and so what if he hasn’t got composting toilets or a wind turbine?  He has ‘saved’ this little piece of the countryside for the next generation, creating a safe corridor for wildlife travelling around this area which include Ashdown Forest to the north and the South Downs National Park to the south.

And anyway, does ‘eco’ have to mean completely self sufficient?

If you are in this area and want a great place to stay for wildlife and peace and quiet in a beautiful landscape then use this link to get more information on this farm stay.