The beauty of the land surrounding The Park at Findhorn has touched many over the decades. Protecting the precious dune and maram grass landscape is a prime objective not only for Duneland Ltd. but for many individuals and groups in and around Findhorn.
The concept of zoning to preserve the wilderness area was applied by setting up two different organisations: the Findhorn Dunes Trust and the Findhorn Hinterland group.
Findhorn Dunes Trust
In 2000 Dunelands Ltd. gifted 170 acres of the estate to the Findhorn Dunes Trust, a dedicated charity made up of representatives of Findhorn Village as well as the Findhorn Foundation Community. This was an historic alliance, the first time the village and the Community came together in a joint project. This special area of wild nature is now protected in perpetuity and mutually benefits all parties on the Findhorn peninsula and its many visitors.
Findhorn Hinterland Group
This community group was founded in 2006 and draws its membership again from both the village of Findhorn and the Findhorn Foundation Community. It is dedicated to managing the hinterland as a buffer zone between the residential areas on the peninsula and the wilderness reserve. Through sensitive management of the pine wood plantation an increasingly biodiverse woodland is created. Educational programmes with several local schools bring kids to the forest to see, play and work in the big class room where squirrels run and the bird chorus enchants. The land is used for income generation to support the restoration and conservation work with projects that in turn inspire: the woodland produces firewood and some timber for buildings locally, the 4 windmills owned by the Findhorn Wind Park generate 100% of the electricity used by the ecovillage, the Green Burial site that serves the local community as well as friends further afield and the pony field which not only gives a home to lovely ponies that enchant more than just their owners but also produce manure for the local organic gardens and help with land management.
The Findhorn Hinterland Group obtain charitable status in 2015 and became the Findhorn Hinterland Trust.