A passion for sustainability, looking after our precious environment and giving back to our Marlborough community is second nature to the Saint Clair Family Estate team.
October 2022 was our annual “Green Month”, and an opportunity to celebrate various environmental projects that are close to our heart.
Early October saw team members visit the Grovetown Lagoons for a planting project. The Grovetown Lagoon is an oxbow lake, formed as the Wairau River changed its course in the late 1800’s and is currently being restored to enhance the natural freshwater habitats of countless native fish and birds. The Saint Clair team took their shovels, coffees, and warm layers before getting ‘stuck in’ and planted approximately 350 native plants. This event was hosted by the Saint Clair Green Team and accompanied by driven employees who spent their Friday morning planting shrubs such as Rimu, a native plant to Aotearoa.
Later in the month, our whole Saint Clair team carpooled to the Marlborough Falcon Conservation hub to learn more about the Kārearea, New Zealand’s endangered native Falcon.
This outing consisted of a personalised visit to the aviary, and an education session on rescue, rehabilitation, restoration, and the release of Kārearea falcons. Later in the visit, staff witnessed the sensational bird Fern in action, flying above the vineyards. The visit enhanced our understanding of these endangered species, and what our community can do to support their ongoing protection.
Green month is an important time for the team at Saint Clair as it creates an opportunity to reconnect with our core company values, reflecting and asking, how do we do it better? (HDWDIB). Relating to not only work practices but how we as an organisation can give back to the environment that so graciously provides for our industry.
Cellar Hand Ben with Kārearea 'Fern' on his shoulder
The Saint Clair family would like to thank all Marlborough communities that strive to care and protect our whenua (land) and especially those who permit education sessions to wider audiences. Ka pai Marlborough!
Want to get involved in future? ‘Working bees’ is a group of like-minded, do-gooders in the community to garden, plant and weed the lagoons every second Sunday. This is an open event that anyone can join. Click here (https://volunteermarlborough.org.nz/volunteer/team-opportunities/2 ) to get involved today.
