Congratulations to the staff of Bombay Sapphire Distillery, who have received an award for conservation work undertaken at their site in Laverstoke. The distillery, which sits on the beautiful Upper Test chalk stream, beat several international projects to win a prestigious award from the Wildlife Habitat Council, thanks in part to the efforts of our brilliant volunteers.
The Wildlife Habitat Council is a non-profit organisation dedicated to enhancing and preserving biodiversity on corporate landholdings. Businesses that voluntarily run biodiversity education or improvement activities on their land can submit them for the council's consideration. Excellence is recognised through a certification programme and annual awards.
In September 2023, Bombay Sapphire Distillery became the first UK spirits production site to attain the Wildlife Habitat Council's Silver Certification. Further progress has now seen the distillery win the council's Wetlands Project Award for 2024. The collection of monitoring data - and its application in decision making - is a key criterion for winning this category.
Distillery staff have led many initiatives on their stretch of the Upper Test, like planting wildflowers and constructing fish passes. These efforts have been complemented by the work of volunteers from the Watercress and Winterbournes scheme, who regularly check the stream's riverfly populations as part of the Anglers' Riverfly Monitoring Initiative.
As riverflies are excellent indicators of water quality, monitoring them allows us to build a detailed picture of the stream's health over time, which can then be used to inform how the habitat is managed. Our thanks go out to Nicky Nicklin, Peter Barratt, and Holly Flanders - the hard-working Chalk Stream Champion volunteers who make this monitoring possible.
Rodolfo Nervi, Vice President of Safety, Quality & Sustainability for Bacardi, said, "At Bacardi, protecting the environment and wildlife surrounding our production sites is not a choice, it’s a must. We’re incredibly proud to win this award as we continue in our commitment to do the right thing by people and planet.”
Chalk streams like the Upper Test are some of our rarest and most precious wildlife habitats. If you'd like to get involved in our work to protect them, why not become a Chalk Stream Champion too? There are lots of activities to try, from species surveys to youth education. To find out more, contact the Watercress and Winterbournes team by emailing winterbournes@hiwwt.org.uk.