Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held Spirits company in the world is celebrating their 161st anniversary by giving back to their island home with the greenest of gifts: a hundred cedar trees.
As part of the company’s global celebration of its anniversary – which it marks with an altruistic act each year – Bacardi is planting a tree for each of its employees. One hundred of those trees will be cedars in Riddell’s Bay. The remaining thousands of trees will be planted in other significant locations for the company, such as India, Nepal, Indonesia, Ecuador and Madagascar – where the company sources its raw ingredients.
The cedar tree has long been emblematic of Bermuda’s local flora, providing a crucial nesting site and source of food for birds such as the native Bluebird as well as the highly prized timber. Cedar tree restoration programmes are still an important conservation priority on the island, following the blight during the mid-20th century which saw the native tree narrowly dodge extinction. The cedar trees planted by Bacardi will help to capture Co2, boost oxygen levels and clean the groundwater and soil at Riddell’s Bay.
Bacardi Limited CEO, Mahesh Madhavan, explained his company’s focus on green initiatives: ‘As a family-owned company, doing the right thing is in our DNA, and all of us at
Bacardi share that passion for taking care of the environment. It is especially rewarding to give back to Bermuda, home to our global headquarters, as we invest in supporting the community, wildlife and nature on this beautiful island.’
Daniel and Sarah Tafur, spokespeople for Riddell’s Bay Gardens and Nature Reserve, shared that Riddell’s Bay Gardens and Nature Reserve is on a mission to create a ‘unique space for Bermudians to enjoy over 66 acres of protected land’ and they were ‘so grateful Bacardi chose to celebrate their anniversary with this generous contribution to our project and to Bermuda.’
