Candid cameras ready as park's wild guests check in
A top Lakeland holiday park is planning to use its security camera system for a sneak survey of guests using its facilities during the winter months.
Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in Ambleside, which closed for the season in November, believes the project will show a fascinating glimpse of the grounds' hidden wildlife.
Red squirrels, badgers and red deer are among the indigenous animals which re-claim their right to roam over the 130-acre park when its human guests depart.
According to park director Henry Wild, they are encouraged out by Skelwith Fold's winter feeding programme which is based on eight dedicated feeding stations.
Nuts, corn and grain are among the foods regularly replenished at the stations to sustain wildlife which normally hides deep in the park's broadleaf and pine woodlands.
Now Henry hopes that the park's motion-activated CCTV cameras will capture the scenes he and his staff have often spotted of multiple species feeding together.
The cameras will be trained on selected feeding stations which will transmit live footage to the reception building as well as recording the scenes both day and night.
"It's an amazing spectacle to see a powerful stag alongside a group of diminutive red squirrels, and scores of birds of different types all in one spot," said Henry.
"It's sometimes possible to glimpse our wildlife during the rest of the year, but the feeding
programme shows just how rich and diverse our guest-list is during the winter!" he added.
At holiday times, said Henry, Skelwith Fold regularly has upwards of one thousand people on the park - but this figure drops to just half-a-dozen employees for three months every year.
All staff are members of Skelwith Fold's conservation team which has helped the business achieve a number of prestigious environmental accolades over the years.
These include the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level, and a letter of praise from Prince Charles for the its success in re-establishing colonies of red squirrels.
Pictures from the nature watch will be posted on Skelwith Fold's website (www.skelwith.com), and Henry thinks that holiday guests will be surprised by what they see:
"Within days of our closing each year, the animals begin to re-assert their presence - and we turn from a busy holiday centre into a bustling wildlife park," said Henry.
"It does give us plenty of extra mouths to feed, but the sight is a delight!" said Henry.
ends
More press information from Henry Wild on 01539 432277
or PR consultant Jon Boston on 01768 895225