It's been a huge and complicated undertaking, but — as land agent Edward Parsons says in the article — enormously exciting at the same time. ‘What outweighs any concerns is the excitement we feel about our ability to improve our environmental delivery,' he says.
'We are just starting out, but have had early success. The carbon-cutting toolkit we use suggests that, already, the farm’s CO2 footprint has reduced by more than 6,000 tons a year, even after including our sheep and cattle enterprises. Our understanding of how we measure biodiversity, soil carbon and other key indicators is developing rapidly and we have absolute confidence that we will continue to improve.’
Here, we take a look at some of the facts and figures surrounding the programme:
More than two million trees planted.45 new woodlands created.A flock of 3,000 sheep and a herd of 500 cattle are being established.
25 miles of new hedges planted (including four miles in 2008 alone).124 miles of field margins established.
494 acres of uncultivated land maintained as a food source for wildlife.Dersingham Bog, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is now managed by Natural England.10 wetlands created.395 acres of wild-bird cover established.
All food waste, glass, metal, plastic, cardboard and paper is recycled.The estate’s sawmill processes felled timber into fencing and firewood, as well as into wood chippings for biomass boilers. The saw is able to cut logs of 36in in diameter and up to nearly 20ft in length.
The Prince of Wales on turning Sandringham organic: 'Ecosystems will flourish as Nature intended and we'll always put back more than we take from the land'
Over the past three years, HRH The Prince of Wales and his team have converted Sandringham into a fully organic
Prince George is 'obsessed' with farming, says Prince William, as he opens up about his passion
The Duke of Cambridge has a strong interest in all things agriculture and is practising his skills at Sandringham ahead
Credit: HRH The Prince of Wales, photographed by John Paul for the Country Life Picture Library
HRH The Prince of Wales: ‘We may be the last generation fortunate enough to experience the wonderful people, skills and activities of our countryside’
HRH The Prince of Wales has guest edited the November 14 edition of Country Life. In his leader article, he
-
Queen Camilla says 'sad farewell' to her beloved Jack Russell, BethHer Majesty Queen Camilla's much-loved Jack Russell terrier Beth has died.
-
Dawn Chorus: Watching telly with The Queen, the one-bedroom wreck that fetched £2 million and our Quiz of the DayPlus a Paddington Bear hamper, an ancient tree and a house with a terrifying price tag — it's Friday's Dawn Chorus.
-
Fit for a (very small) queen — a dolls' house with running water, electricity and working liftsQueen Mary's Dolls' House celebrates its 100th anniversary with a brand new exhibition and a reimagined display at Windsor Castle.
-
Blazing summers, short winters and 15 years of erosion in a dayThe changing weather is having an impact on everything from hibernating dormice to caterpillars and calves.
-
75 things you never knew about King Charles III as he celebrates his 75th birthdayOn The King’s big day, Amie Elizabeth White reveals 75 things you might not know about our monarch.
-
Four of Britain's biggest Nature charities join the fight against 'Greenwashing'Four of the nation’s largest conservation charities have joined forces to encourage responsible private investment in Nature recovery and to combat ‘corporate greenwashing’. James Fisher reports.
-
Green Farm Commitment makes farmers see redA new ‘environmental module’ proposed by the farm-assurance scheme Red Tractor has drawn heavy criticism from farmers. James Fisher reports.
-
Remembering Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, one year onA year on from the death of Queen Elizabeth II, we remember the late monarch.
