Winton Estate's woodchip
heating system saves some
100 tonnes of carbon every year.

Some way to go
As a rural Estate, we are well placed to make a substantial and constructive impact over what we take from the countryside and what we put back. Our record of this is improving all the time. An Action Plan based on an Environmental Audit is underway, aiming to benchmark our current environmental status and seek practical improvements, and to determine whether Winton is we already have a carbon neutral status.

Farming
The use of chemicals in farming is monitored carefully and applied sparingly to promote growth and control disease. The farms are certified by a number of schemes and we endeavour to do more than the bare minimum to comply. The latest effort in this is assisted through involvement with LEAF — Linking Environment and Farming.

Other environmental schemes have been in operation across the whole Estate for many years yield considerable wildlife benefit. These schemes frequently share the objectives of the local Biodiversity Action Plans. They have led to the creation of ponds, wetlands, wildlife field margins as wildlife corridors, an extension of hedgerows and the provision of uncropped areas, particularly as a source of food for birds through the winter. Buffer strips, fenced off from cattle, and sheep grazing along the River Tyne, have been remarkably effective in attracting wildlife. The Kingfisher is one example of a species which has returned. We also have healthy numbers of partridges,which are also 'indicator species'. Other species are detailed in the Wildlife section.

Forestry
About 1/3 of the Estate is covered in trees which provides direct employment for four, a substantial habitat resource and shelter for many species (see list) as well as contributing to the landscape. Woodland is thinned on average every 5 years after the initial establishment period, and is timed so as to accommodate game bird sport and to avoid the nesting season in sensitive areas. Regular additions to bird box numbers are made by a local RSPB member in liaison with the Head Forester along the Winton Walks.

Recycling, Energy Use and Carbon offsetting
Where possible, waste products are recycled through the local Council collection scheme. Other aluminium, glass and paper recycling projects are encouraged by both Winton employees and visiting guests, with monitoring by Henry Martin, the Estate's Green Policeman. Our energy usage is monitored, and, over time, energy efficient lighting is replacing traditional bulbs.

Based on volume, the equivalent of 36 houses use woodchips for hot water and heating. The woodchips are cut and dried from the poorest timber grown on the Estate. The chips are carbon neutral since emissions only give out as much CO₂ as is absorbed during the growth period; the tonnage of carbon saved is of the order of 100 tonnes per year. The 850 acres of forestry together with the surrounding farmland are likely to contribute to around 2,500 tonnes of carbon being absorbed from the atmosphere, equivalent to carbon emissions from 250 average households.