Drinks giant Bacardi Limited is celebrating its 161st anniversary by planting 100 cedar trees in Riddell’s Bay Gardens and Nature Reserve to help protect the biodiversity of the island.

The plantings are part of a global initiative by the largest privately held spirits company to plant thousands of trees in locations that form part of the business and sourcing of botanicals and raw ingredients, including Bermuda.

More than 95 per cent of Bermuda’s once dense forests of its endemic cedars, Juniperus bermudiana, began to disappear in the early 1940s following an insect blight, leading to a huge decline in the Bluebird population and the extinction of the endemic Cicada, over a ten-year period.

The cedar trees planted by Bacardi contribute to the island’s efforts to reforest these important trees, as well as helping to capture CO2, boost oxygen levels and clean the groundwater and soil at Riddell’s Bay.

Bacardi Limited CEO Mahesh Madhavan said: “It is especially rewarding to give back to Bermuda, home to our global headquarters, as we invest in supporting the community, wildlife and nature on this beautiful island.”

Douglas Mello, managing director of Bacardi in Bermuda said: “To mark our 161st anniversary we are planting thousands of trees around the world, and while we focused on locations where we source our raw ingredients, it was incredibly important to us to include Bermuda in our celebrations, too.”

Daniel and Sarah Tafur, spokespeople for Riddell’s Bay Gardens and Nature Reserve, said: “Our goal is to reforest the site with endemic and native plants and trees and we are so grateful Bacardi chose to celebrate their anniversary with this generous contribution to our project and to Bermuda."

Bacardi is also planting trees in India, Nepal, Indonesia, Ecuador, and Madagascar, to represent its thousands of global employees, with 11 different species carefully selected to maximise the benefits to each location and community.

The “Bacardi forests” will capture a combined 2.5 million kg of CO2 during the trees’ lifetime, the company said.

On Saturday, Bacardi celebrates 161 years since Don Facundo Bacardí Massó founded the company in Santiago de Cuba.