It seems that site owners are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to make their properties green-compliant these days.

Anything and everything is done from careful recycling programmes, to composting toilets, to even the generation of free power from solar cells or wind turbines.

This is great pr for the caravan industry, in an age where we are increasingly told to avoid taking flights and that holidays at home are the best option for the carbon-conscious traveller.

However, I wonder if a change of approach could herald a new era in green caravanning.

 

Getting back to nature

I think that incorporating the caravans into the environment in a more harmonious way would encourage more wildlife and consequently become an active selling point for the park.

The hardest part would be toning down the white of the caravans in order to make them stand out much less.

This could be done with careful positioning, maximising a view that looks into a wood for example and then disguising the van with camoflage netting. It would of course, be important to cover the van in such a way that the view from the front window was not obstructed in any way.

If this was done harmoniously, the caravan would in effect become a very comfortable wildlife hide. Imagine drawing the curtains back in the morning to a view like the one below.

 

[tl:gallery size=460×364]

 

I’m not saying that this is an option for every site, but for some of them in particularly rich wildlife areas, perhaps they could set aside certain areas for these ‘wildlife’ viewing pitches.

They would of course have to be well away from the main amenities of the site, and cars would be left at a parking area rather than next to the vans.

But for those caravans who really want to get away from it all, and perhaps spend some time wildlife and bird-watching, this idea could really take off.