October 26, 2015, Louisville, KY— Woodford Reserve and The Nature Conservancy will host a volunteer workday at Woodford Reserve Distillery on November 4 as part of a multiyear project aimed at restoring important parts of the distillery to a healthier, more natural condition. Volunteers and staff from both organizations will plant over 230 native trees and shrubs.
“At Woodford Reserve, we believe that taking care of our environment and our neighbors is an important part of our community,” said Conor O’Driscoll, Production Manager at the Woodford Reserve Distillery. “This project will provide natural habitat for local wildlife and enhance water quality in Glenn’s Creek.”
The Nature Conservancy and Woodford Reserve share a common goal – ensuring that the planet’s growing population will have the natural resources to thrive while preserving the health of our lands and waters for future generations. Clean and readily available water is a vital ingredient in producing Woodford Reserve, and the distillery understands the need to protect water resources. With guidance and implementation work from the Conservancy, the distillery has planted native vegetation along Glenn’s Creek to act as a natural stormwater filter, improving water quality both in the property’s pond and downstream. Future work to replace portions of mown lawns and fields with native species will attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies and will require less maintenance and mowing, reducing GHG emissions.
“We know that nature has great value to business, and we are beginning to understand how to better account for this natural capital,” says David Phemister, Kentucky State Director for The Nature Conservancy. “This project is a clear win for Woodford Reserve, for The Nature Conservancy, and for the community. We hope this inspires other organizations to come together and craft real solutions to protect water quality, restore habitat, and preserve natural areas for future generations.”
Partnerships like this one allow organizations to leverage the unique assets each brings to the table to make impacts at greater scale; in this case, Woodford Reserve owns land along Glenn’s Creek and has committed financial resources to the project, while The Nature Conservancy brings expertise in native restoration and skilled staff with experience carrying out such projects. Protecting water quality in tributaries such as Glenn’s Creek will improve water quality of larger bodies of water that they feed into.
Brown-Forman, parent company of Woodford Reserve, and The Nature Conservancy have worked together since Sally Brown helped found the Conservancy’s Kentucky Chapter in 1975. Brown, the wife of former Brown-Forman Board Chair W.L. Lyons Brown, was a dedicated supporter and the company has been a contributor and partner for decades. The two organizations currently work together on a number of projects, and are both sponsors of a community tree planting hosted by Brightside Inc. in Louisville on November 6 and 7.
