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Volunteers help distillery to achieve environmental certification

Restored chalk stream at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery in Laverstoke © Chris Cotterell

Bombay Sapphire Distillery has achieved Wildlife Habitat Council certification, thanks in part to the efforts of volunteers from the Watercress and Winterbournes scheme.

Congratulations are in order for the Bombay Sapphire Distillery, as it becomes the first UK spirits production site to achieve Wildlife Habitat Council Conservation Certification. The distillery, which is located in Laverstoke, has achieved Silver Certification - the second of three possible tiers.

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.

For Bombay Sapphire Distillery, this includes adding bat access tiles, building bee nesting boxes, and planting wildflower areas. The site is also home to a stretch of the Upper Test, and this precious chalk stream has been enhanced by the addition of several fish passes.

Sarah Cooney (Chalk Stream Champion) monitors riverfly populations at Bombay Sapphire Distillery

Sarah Cooney (Chalk Stream Champion) monitors riverfly populations at Bombay Sapphire Distillery

These efforts have been supported by volunteers from the Watercress and Winterbournes Landscape Partnership Scheme, who regularly monitor the stream's riverfly populations as part of the nationwide Anglers' Riverfly Monitoring Initiative.

Our thanks to these volunteers - Sarah Cooney, Peter Barratt, Nicky Nicklin, and Holly Flanders - for their hard work in conducting the riverfly surveys. This data provides great insight into the health of the stream, which is crucial to its protection.

If you're passionate about our globally rare chalk streams, why not get involved in the Watercress and Winterbournes scheme? There are a wide range of volunteering opportunities, from riverfly monitoring to youth education.

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