1% for Biodiversity

BrightWind has committed 1% of its annual revenue to nature based solutions for biodiversity loss, native tree deforestation and climate change.

Climate change is now a reality. And its not just climate change that is a reality. We are acidifying the oceans, losing sea ice, losing arable land and deforesting the planet at an alarming rate. Not just that, we are going through the 6th biggest mass extinction event the planet has ever faced. The last time this occurred was when a meteorite hit the dinosaurs!

But each of these problems are not the problem, they are symptoms of the problem. The actual problem is the globalised infrastructure humanity has built to rapidly convert resources into waste at a faster and faster rate.

Renewable Energy as vital and key to our future as it is, is not enough to solve these problems.

Fundamentally technology will not solve the problems that technology has created, and that’s why we need nature based solutions.

2020 – Commitment

In December 2019, BrightWind’s entire team spent a day in the west of Ireland planting native trees at Moy Hill Farm. Its important to plant the right tree in the right place. Commercial sitka spruce plantations provide poor habitat for native plants, animals and insects, and also acidify the soil.

At Moy hill farm, by integrating native trees around the farm, they will help to regulate the flow of water across the land improving the quality of the surrounding fields and will also help to clean our air, clean our water, enhance biodiversity and capture carbon.

See the whole team at the 2019 native tree planting day (video below) in the west of Ireland at Moy Hill Farm.

2021 – Commitment

In December 2020, Brightwind donated 1% of its revenue to the Burrenbeo Trust as a pioneer sponsor of the Burren Pine Project.

The native Irish pine was considered to have gone extinct 1500 years ago. In the 17th century a similar pine was introduced from Scotland, hence the common name Scots pine. In 2018, a small stand of native Irish pine was found in the Burren, and was linked through the pollen record to the old growth forests of ancient Ireland.

Our support will be used to plant trees that have been grown from seed collected from the last known stand of Irish pine across sites in the Burren.

2022 – Commitment

In early 2022, Brightwind donated 1% of its revenue to the Burrenbeo Trust Hare’s Corner project. This was generously leveraged further by the NTR foundation bringing the total combined donation to €57,000.

The Hare’s Corner project offers landowners practical support to enhance biodiversity on their land through the creation of habitats such as ponds, native orchards and mini woodlands. It offers local, tangible and achievable action to the biodiversity crisis.

Furthermore, Brightwind is promoting the Hare’s Corner project with wind farm community benefit funds to help scale this project nationally.

2023 – Commitment

In 2023, BrightWind donated its 1% to Hometree. Hometree is a nature restoration charity, based in the west of Ireland. They work to establish and restore resilient habitats, focusing on native temperate rainforests. Their approach integrates community, culture, science and natural systems. Through afforestation, conservation, restoration and education they hope to nourish the landscape and create new ways for communities to relate to nature.

Here we can see photos from a day of the whole BrightWind team out with Hometree visiting some native woodlands learning about afforestation in the west of Ireland.

2024 – Commitment

In December 2024, BrightWind donated its 1% to both the ReFarm Ireland Burren project and the Irish Agroforestry Forum.

The ReFarm Ireland Burren project is an innovative project linking private sector funding with farmers across the Burren delivering ecosystem services and working for nature based outcomes. This will be key to protecting vulnerable habitats.

The Irish Agroforestry Forum works to promote the benefits of integrating trees into agricultural and horticultural systems across Ireland. Integrating trees into these systems brings significant benefits supporting the production of nutritious, wholesome food and quality timber while delivering a wide range of ecosystem services.

Reach out if your organisation would be interested to work with us and learn how to commit 1% to biodiversity.