This Earth Day we’re delighted to announce our partnership with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT). The ocean is at the heart of everything we do, inspiring our spirits and fuelling our taste for adventure. We recognise that we have a duty to protect the natural world, so we’re taking another step on our sustainability journey, starting at our distillery door.

Aptly named ‘the lungs of the ocean’, seagrass is the focus of our partnership with HIWWT. This collaboration will see our distillery staff transformed into Marine Champions, tasked with surveying the seagrass meadows nestled on the seabed of the Solent, just a short walk from our island home. It’s estimated that 92% of these meadows have been lost over the last 100 years, damaged by pollution, human activity, reduced water quality, disease, and the effects of climate change.

Why seagrass? The unsung hero of the seas not only provides a habit for native seahorses, fish and other marine life, it also protects our shores from erosion while filtering and improving water quality. But most impressively, seagrass absorbs and converts carbon 35 times faster than the rainforest, proving a global benefit in reversing climate change. Unfortunately, when its root network is damaged, seagrass weakens, and regrowth can be slow. Although most of the Solent’s meadows are in protected areas, there’s still work to be done to raise awareness and assist with seagrass regeneration.

HIWWT is one of 46 trusts all over the country that look after nature reserves and the wider natural landscape. With the invaluable support of volunteers and members, their vision sees nature recovering, wildlife returning, damaged ecosystems restored, and everyone benefitting from a healthier, more resilient, natural environment. The Isle of Wight Distillery is supporting the HIWWT’s ‘Wilder Solent’ initiative through beach cleans, seagrass surveys and creating awareness as ambassadors. We hope that our contribution will help the Trust move closer to its goal, and see our local environment thrive.

We’re committed to sustainability, through new relationships and old, but we know we’ve still got a long way to go. Our partnership with the HIWWT is the next step in our journey, and we step forward with an Earth Day mindset, every day.