New Initiative Identifies and Empowers Female Leaders in Environmental Sustainability
SANTA MARIA, CA – October 9, 2018 – Cambria Estate Winery, the seminal winery in Santa Maria Valley known for its single vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, today announced the launch of its ‘Stewards of the Land’ environmental sustainability grant program in partnership with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF). LDF has worked on environmental issues globally for the past 20 years and pulled from their broad network of leaders and organizations in the space to nominate the women for this new grant program.
The Cambria ‘Stewards of the Land’ grant program identifies and empowers female leaders who are making meaningful contributions to environmental and community-based causes. In partnership with LDF, Cambria Estate Winery’s co-proprietors Julia Jackson and Katie Jackson selected two recipients who will each receive a $25,000 grant to further their mission as Stewards of the Land. The inaugural grant recipients, Calla Rose Ostrander and the Women’s Empowerment Program of Amazon Frontlines, were selected for their demonstrated commitment to environmental conservation and excellent stewardship of our natural resources, in California and around the globe, respectively.
“Our ‘Stewards of the Land’ program is not only focused on identifying inspiring female leaders in important environmental causes here at home, but the program seeks to extend its impact and reach to places around the globe that are not normally in our day-to-day conscience, like the Amazon,” said Julia Jackson, co-proprietor of Cambria and Family Ambassador for Jackson Family Wines. “We’re very excited to support Calla Rose Ostrander’s work to improve carbon capture and regeneration, and the Women’s Empowerment Program of Amazon Frontlines for its dedication to protecting over 5 million acres of rainforest that is vital to worldwide oxygen supply and sequesters vast amounts of carbon.”
Calla Rose Ostrander is an activist and organizer in the environmental movement with a focus on advancing carbon farming, compost production, and climate beneficial material economies in California. She brings together philanthropists, government leaders and businesspeople to build new climate-beneficial social and economic structures. Calla Rose is currently working to scale the healthy soils movement from California to the rest of the United States, with collaborators such as John Wick of the Marin Carbon Project and the philanthropist Jena King.
The Women’s Empowerment Program of Amazon Frontlines aims to support indigenous women and strengthen indigenous families through the formation of community-led enterprises and women’s associations that focus on income-generating socio-agricultural projects, as well as the recovery of plant medicines and traditional healing systems. Amazon Frontlines, with the support of Ceibo Alliance, provides women across dozens of indigenous communities the support they need to become leaders, advocates and entrepreneurs, creating sustainable economic alternatives for their families and communities.
“We are excited to use our vast network of environmental change makers to help Cambria Estate Winery identify and champion women who are leading impactful efforts to protect the health of our planet,” said Leonardo DiCaprio Executive Director Justin Winters. “The inaugural grant recipients, Calla Rose Ostrander and the women from the Women’s Empowerment Program of Amazon Frontlines, are incredible examples of the type of thoughtful, innovative and collaborative leadership that we believe is the key to ensuring a vibrant our future.”
“We are proud to partner with LDF to help bring worldwide attention to environmental stewardship,” said Katie Jackson, co-proprietor of Cambria Estate Winery and Vice President of Sustainability and External Affairs for Jackson Family Wines. “We are supporting innovative initiatives that will have a real, lasting impact on improving soil health, while also empowering women to become environmental leaders in their own communities.”
Throughout its history, Cambria Estate Winery has taken serious, continuous steps to preserve and protect the land, take care of its employees, and support the local community. Every aspect of the winery’s operations, from the cellar to the estate vineyard, practices sustainable farming and winemaking techniques. This includes planting over 5,500 trees on the estate and working in partnership with resource agencies on habitat restoration and endangered species protection. In the cellar, the winery recycles its process water for reuse as vineyard and landscape irrigation. The winery also has a 504 kW photovoltaic (PV) solar array which helps reduce Cambria’s carbon footprint by offsetting 52% of the winery’s annual electricity use from onsite renewable power. These efforts have resulted in Cambria Estate Winery completing its sustainability certification through Sustainable in Practice (SIP) and the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. To further demonstrate the winery’s commitment to sustainability, a selection of Cambria’s wines will showcase the California Certified Sustainable logo starting with the release of its 2017 vintage releases.
To learn more about Cambria’s Stewards of the Land program and its partnership with LDF, visit https://www.cambriawines.com/stewards-of-the-land
About Cambria Estate Winery
Cambria Estate Winery is one of Santa Maria Valley and Santa Barbara County’s most iconic, storied wineries dating back to 1986 when it was founded by wine icon Jess Jackson and his wife Barbara Banke. Today, the winery remains family-owned and operated, with daughters Julia and Katie Jackson serving as co-proprietors. The winery produces exceptional Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that are the truest expression of its single vineyard sourcing from its eponymous Julia’s Vineyard and Katherine’s Vineyard. Every wine bearing the Cambria name is 100-percent sustainably grown, produced and bottled on the estate. Cambria celebrates its 32nd harvest in 2018.
Learn more at www.cambriawines.com.
About the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
Since 1998, Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) has been on a mission to protect the Earth’s last wild places, implementing solutions that restore balance to threatened ecosystems, and ensure the long-term health and wellbeing of all its inhabitants.
Through grant making, public campaigns and media initiatives, LDF brings attention and needed funding to three areas: protecting biodiversity, ocean & forest conservation, and climate change. The Foundation works in close collaboration with a broad network of environmental leaders and experts, effective organizations, and committed philanthropists to identify and support innovative, results-driven projects in the world’s most wild and threatened ecosystems. LDF has supported over 200 high-impact projects around the world. For more information visit: www.leonardodicaprio.org
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is a registered 501c3 not for profit organization. Its EIN is: 81-2932097.
