32 | Tees Business
SABIC staff with the
swift birdboxes at RSPB
Saltholme.
WATCH THE
BIRDIES
R
SPB Saltholme has unveiled a unique
way to mark more than ten years
of support from SABIC with the
installation of ten swift bird boxes dotted
around the reserve’s visitor centre.
The popular Teesside nature reserve
installed the boxes, sponsored by the
chemical company, which is one of its
biggest corporate donors, to welcome this
year’s influx of the popular bird from Africa,
which began to arrive on site from late April
and can be spotted throughout the summer
months.
RSPB site manager Chris Francis said:
“It’s a special moment to be able to
celebrate ten years of partnership with
SABIC, which has given us the opportunity
to deliver significant projects on the
reserve, creating a habitat which has
allowed nature to flourish in this uniquely
industrial setting.
“The birdboxes will provide much-needed
homes for the swifts, which sadly are on
the decline due, in part, to the loss of nest
sites. The boxes will help provide these
wonderful birds with a long-term UK home
they can return to year after year.”
With sites at Wilton and North Tees,
A swift celebration
highlights SABIC’S
decade of Saltholme
support
SABIC has supported RSPB Saltholme via
various means throughout the last decade,
through their corporate membership,
holding annual nature and industry visits
with school children, planting trees and
helping to rebuild the cockleshell islands.
SABIC also made a significant financial
contribution to the nearby £16m Greatham
Creek Flood Defence project, which has
improved and protected the adjacent
habitat.
SABIC’s most significant contribution to
RSPB Saltholme, however, is the donation
of water, which sees them annually pump
enough water to the reserve to fill 100
Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The donation, which involves pumping
fresh water through underground pipes
from the company’s North Tees site, saves
Saltholme around £80,000 a year and helps
them manage the reserve’s water levels
for wildlife. It has played a significant role
in making Saltholme the world-class centre
it is, home to a unique variety of birds and
other wildlife including water voles and
otters.
Speaking about their support, SABIC’s
Teesside site director Daren Smith said:
“We have been delighted to reach this
important milestone in our support of RSPB
Saltholme, both as a corporate member and
in the completion of several projects.
“Environmental protection is one of
the top priority areas for our corporate
and social responsibility programme.
It’s wonderful that on Teesside we have
developed long-standing relationships
with our partners and stakeholders in this
way, not just to protect but to significantly
enhance the local environment in which we
operate.”
Chris Francis added: “Our corporate
sponsorships not only allow us to continue
our ongoing habitat and conservation efforts
but allows employees and their families
the opportunity to enjoy nature up close
through a range of activities, including
visiting our newly refurbished Pools Hide,
which allows visitors to see Saltholme from
a whole new angle.”
Entry-level business membership is
available for all RSPB sites, and packages
start from just £1,000-plus VAT. For
more information, contact the corporate
partnerships team at corporate.
[email protected].