NEWS FROM BANROCK STATION

Banrock Station creates the world’s first living billboard made entirely of British flowers in support of Natural England

Shoppers in London were treated to quite a sight today, as a billboard made entirely of living flowers was revealed outside the Westfield Shopping Centre.

The interactive board has been created by environmentally- focused wine brand Banrock Station to mark the launch of their new special edition wines, proceeds of which will help Banrock Station work with Natural England to preserve 2,100 acres of British wildflower meadows. The billboard, made up of over 800 native British plants and from 14 different species took over two months to grow and more than 12 hours to install.

Depicting a bottle of wine pouring out a fountain of flora; the sun, butterflies and bees have all been intricately detailed using a variety of beautiful blooms. An interactive pump features as part of the installation, allowing passers-by to adopt the brand’s ethos of ‘giving nature a helping hand’ by watering the flowers to help them grow.

The hope is that the board will highlight the crucial role wildflowers play in the eco system, providing the nectar and pollen needed by vital wildlife to prosper and in turn pollinate up to one third of the food we eat.

The brand specifically supports causes that give something back to the earth and has backed almost 100 environmental projects since 1994. Through these special edition wines, Banrock Station is giving £30,000 to Natural England who will use the funds on their National Nature Reserves to help protect and enhance wildflower meadows across Britain.

Simon Huguet, Principal Adviser for National Nature Reserves at Natural England said; “We are delighted to work with Banrock Station and thrilled at their support for wildflower meadows on our National Nature Reserves. Home to many rare plants, traditional meadows provide vital habitat for birds, bees and small animals and are wonderful places to visit. In recent years they have become a rare sight across our countryside and it is great to see these special places getting a helping hand.”
Kate Thorn, Environment Manager at Banrock Station added, “We are always keen to support projects that share our philosophy of enhancing the natural environment and giving something back to nature. ‘Good Earth, Fine Wine’ is key to our philosophy so taking care of the environment is crucial to making our great wine. We understand how small changes to our land can have a big impact upon our environment and there seemed no better way to showcase the plight of the humble wildflower than by displaying these beautiful plants directly as part of our glorious living billboard.”

The billboard shall remain on display for two weeks and, once removed, all the wildflowers will be replanted in local communities to ensure they continue to grow and flourish long after the activity is completed. The billboard structure is made of 80% recycled material and will also be reused for future projects, while the printed elements are all fully bio-degradable.


For more information about Banrock Station wines please visit:
www.facebook.com/banrockstationwine or www.banrockstation.co.uk
Banrock Station Special Edition wines are available at Morrisons for RRP £6.49

-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
About Banrock Station:
• Banrock Station is no stranger to eco-friendly deeds; since 1994 the wine brand has donated more than £2.5 million to 98 environmental projects in 13 countries. The winery uses the conservation expertise acquired from restoring the natural land of its own Australian vineyards to select which projects to support.

• 90% of UK sales of Banrock Station are from wines bottled in the UK. Analysis shows that shipping wine in bulk to bottle in the UK reduces CO2 emissions by 164g per 75cl bottle or 38% when compared against bottling at source. (Wrap: The life cycle emissions of wine imported to the UK. Mar 07)
• The Banrock Station core range uses a lighter weight glass. The impact of light weighting from the transportation stages when importing bottled wine from Australia is up to a 20% reduction on CO2. (Wrap: The life cycle emissions of wine imported to the UK. Mar 07)
• The Wine and Wetland Centre at Banrock Station uses as little energy as possible. The building is designed to catch cool breezes from the lagoon and the roof has double the usual amount of insulation to retain heat in winter, and to maintain a cool temperature during hot summers.
• For more information about Banrock Station Wines please visit www.facebook.com/banrockstationwine or www.banrockstation.co.uk
About the Banrock Station Living Billboard:
• The billboard is made of 80% post-industrial recycled material
• All plants and soil will be up-cycled to new locations once the installation is removed
• The printed elements use Bio Print products - this unique product is fully bio-degradable; the materials attract microbes from the earth allowing them to break down completely in 9 months in compost and five years in landfill.
• All elements of the water pump will be broken down and re-used in future projects

Tasting notes and serving suggestions:

Banrock Station Chardonnay

The fine wines of Banrock Station are loving crafted to deliver pure fruit expression and enjoyment.
Enjoy flavours of citrus peach and vanilla. A soft delicate Chardonnay with a light oak influence adding a touch of complexity. Enjoy served with fresh fish or chicken salad.


Banrock Station Cabernet Merlot

The fine wines of Banrock Station are loving crafted to deliver pure fruit expression and enjoyment.
A lively fruity red with flavours of ripe plum and blackcurrant. Oak influence adds a touch of delicate swe etness and complexity. Enjoy served with rich creamy pasta or blue cheese.


About Natural England:

Natural England is the government’s independent adviser on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
• Natural England establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.
• Natural England work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and advising widely on their conservation.
• Natural England run Environmental Stewardship and other green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.
• Natural England fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats.
• Natural England promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them www.naturalengland.org.uk
National Nature Reserves (NNRs) are some of the very finest sites in England for wildlife and geology, and provide great opportunities for people to experience nature. They protect the special wildlife habitats, species and geological features that occur there. These features are of national and often international importance, and many NNRs are important for study and research. Many are fully open throughout the year and free to visit. There are 224 throughout England.
Natural England manages a total of about 750ha of lowland and upland hay meadows across 25 sites. The funds will help to pay for vital survey work, restoration, public events and equipment