Showcasing CSR with Cheshire Wildlife Trust
As part of our ongoing commitment to the environment and long-term partnership with Cheshire Wildlife Trust, EMS colleagues headed down to Owley Wood to clear the banks of Himalayan balsam – an invasive species that’s choking riverside habitats.
The project is part of our much larger CSR activity and pledge to work with the Trust on environmental projects, offsetting the company’s carbon emissions.
Balsam bashing
Our goal was to help clear the Himalayan balsam before it seeds. Our guide for the day was the Trust’s green-fingered Matt Allmark and his trusty companion, Stan the dog. After a short briefing we set about navigating the long and steep sections of the river corridor, pulling up the plant at its root and snapping it.
The intention is that over several years this will deplete the seed reserve within the area – giving an enormous conservation advantage that will help preserve the river banks from erosion, allowing other plants and woodland creatures to flourish.
Conservation on our doorstep
This isn’t the end of our story with Cheshire Wildlife Trust. In October we have invested in conservation work a little closer to home.
The lake opposite our offices lies close to the Mersey Estuary and is linked by a water course, making it an important wildlife corridor in what is a relatively built-up area and provides an important pit stop for birds and wildlife to feed and nest.
Working with the Trust, we have funded clearance work to be carried out on the lake. Contractors will clear out the vastly overgrown area, cutting back bushes and trees, which will be chipped and laid around the lake’s edge.
The intention is to encourage wildlife back to the area, creating a scenic spot that the whole community can enjoy. We hope that in the future, the area will be more manageable and our colleagues can help maintain the area.
Pledge to our environment
Our commitment to the environment extends throughout our business. As part of our ISO 14001 accreditation we constantly strive to ensure we consider and implement the best green practices.
This runs from the work we do with the Trust and recycling responsibilities to ensuring our exhibition trailers are as environmentally friendly as possible and investing in sustainable technology. We also insist that the actions of our suppliers are environmentally sound too.
Of course at the heart of this is our colleagues. The projects with Cheshire Wildlife Trust are a great way for us to get people participating, who aren’t directly involved in our other environmentally friendly activities, ensuring everyone across the business are aware and encouraged to act responsibly.
Matt Allmark, Reserves Manager West, said:
"The team from EMS did a great job. Balsam bashing in no easy task but they just got stuck in and what they achieved on the day has made a genuine difference at Owley Wood. It's great to work with such a fine group of volunteers - they really make a impact to the amount of work that the Trust can carry out, which in turn has positive effect on local wildlife. We're looking forward to the next time they help us out."
Visit the Cheshire Wildlife Trust website for more information on membership and volunteering.