BIRDS, bats and butterflies have helped a Looe holiday park to wing its way to victory in a major environmental award scheme.

Oaklands Park has won a David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level, described this month by the botanist as "a wildlife wonderland".

For the past seven years, manager Mick Clegg and his team have worked to ensure that the top-rated park provides VIP treatment for both wildlife and human guests.

David Bellamy praised the park's extensive planting of flowers with high pollen-bearing blooms which attract a wide range of butterflies, including both common and less familiar species.

He also applauded the successful efforts of Mick and his team to maintain the park's long banks of traditional Cornish hedging, alongside of which a wildlife corridor has been established.

Oaklands currently comprises 125 luxury caravan holiday homes and 27 timber-built lodges.

All of the homes on the park make extensive use of energy and water-saving features and rainwater is harvested throughout the grounds in water butts for irrigating plants.

Prof Bellamy also commended Oaklands' use of down-lighting which minimises light pollution plus the extensive recycling facilities on the park.

Holiday home owners are additionally encouraged to make use of public transport to visit nearby attractions, and the park also has a buy local policy when it comes to employing building contractors and other services.

David Bellamy made his award to the park after it had undergone an independent audit from wildlife and conservation experts who highlighted its exceptional achievements.

Oaklands is one of a ten-strong group of parks owned by the Nation family who have been operating both holiday and residential park developments in the West Country for over 50 years.

The park is also an active member of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust which hopes soon to carry out an extensive audit of the flora and fauna at Oaklands.