We have always cared for the environment and this is core to our business philosophy. Lets take a look at what we do and don't do to minimise our impact on the environment and make your stay even more comfortable.
the forest
From day one we set about protecting our forest by restricting the number of trees cut down during construction to an absolute minimum. The wood from the trees cut down has been used to create furniture, fences and log wall art installations. Thus keeping much of the carbon taken out of the air and soil to grow the trees stored in the wood. We are now growing saplings to replace the ten or so trees cut down. They will soon be planted out in the wild, this will be an ongoing project to not only off set our impact but because we love growing trees!
The forest isn't just trees though, there is a diverse range of flora and fauna in the Taiga (this giant forest in which we live). Just within Foxfires boundaries we have identified many different plants and animals, from 4 different types of woodpecker to six different mammals to frogs and lizards. We have also cataloged fourteen different wild edible plants at Foxfires which is really cool! Some of which we forage and if you are staying with us you might just get to try some of our hand picked berries at breakfast. The bilberry is the most common and we can collect upwards of 20kg every summer. We also have lingonberry and shhhhh.... cloudberry too! Good cloudberry locations are closely guarded secrets here in Lapland. We care for our forest by mostly leaving it alone and see it as a safe haven for all the forests creatures.
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the buildings
When we build new structures we aim for zero waste. When it's unavoidable we dispose of it correctly, recycling where we can. The buildings are made of wood and waste wood has been used to make all sorts of things around Foxfires. Privacy screens, the signs by the road, furniture, even an entire store shed, all build from waste materials left over from our and other building sites in Levi. We really don't like to see things go to waste! We will continue to use waste wood wherever we can.
your rooms
With the rooms and cabins we have also tried to do our best to enhance the environment within which you stay. We want our rooms and spaces to be as pure as the Arctic environment outside. Our buildings and furniture are made from wood from sustainable sources. Paul has made pieces of furniture at Foxfires from recycled wood too. When we have sourced furniture, light fittings and other items we have ensured it is as local as possible. We do our best to buy from the Nordic or Baltic region whenever possible. A good night sleep is really important and the luxurious Joutsen bedding in your rooms is as comfortable as can be. It is filled with sustainably sourced down meaning you can sleep even more soundly.
In our rooms and spaces we want the air quality to remain as pure as possible so reducing man made materials and chemicals is important. Lapland has the purest air in the world and that should be the case in your rooms too. So it's important to us that we use natural products whereever we can. The toiletries we use are organic and from Finland so the product mileage is as short as we could find, whilst still keeping the quality high.
keeping it clean
In 2024 we moved away from chemical cleaning products. The products we use are just water and specifically designed fabrics that mechanically remove dirt and germs from surfaces leaving them clean and free of forever chemicals. This is something we are very proud of. Obviously, as we all should, we do our best to avoid single use plastics at all costs. We also think about the waste we do have to dispose of. We recycle as much as we can. Here in Lapland that means we have to separate the waste and take it to the recycling points ourselves. There are no doorstep pick ups here in the Arctic. We make sure our guests can also do their part by providing recycling bins for them to use. And remember our water is some of the cleanest and purest in the world, so there is no need to buy bottled water, you can drink straight from the tap.
Our electricity is renewable wind and hydro power from here in Finland. Finland is also energy self sufficient not needing to buy in energy from other countries.
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There is so much more we can do of course and we are always willing to lean and do better.
Let's all help Mother Nature and keep our planet clean and healthy.