Sustainability across the estate

We are committed to improving our impact on the environment.

Our environmental management system for St Michael’s Mount, St Aubyn Estates Holiday Cottages and Trevarthian Farms has achieved Level 5 Green Dragon accreditation demonstrating continual environmental improvements.

As well as active conservation and land management, this means reducing carbon use and implementing sustainability practices across St Aubyn Estates. We do this in conjunction with a number of partners and local stakeholders.

Green Dragon Accreditation

We’re proud to announce that in 2024, St Aubyn Estates reached Green Dragon Level 5 accreditation, the highest standard within the Green Dragon Environmental Standard framework.

This outstanding achievement highlights our unwavering commitment to reducing our environmental footprint while striving for excellence in sustainability. From carbon reduction and biodiversity conservation to waste management and sustainable land stewardship, this accreditation reflects our dedication to implementing best practices that protect and nurture the environment for future generations.

We are honoured to set a benchmark for sustainable practices and will continue to work towards a greener, more sustainable future.

St Michael’s Mount – championing sustainability

  • Our waste is sorted at a Materials Recovery Facility saving over 3kg of CO2 emissions per bin collected.
  • All waste is sorted into different material types, including plastic, glass, paper, cardboard, metal and timber.
  • 42% of all our waste is recycled and up to 600 litres of waste a week is composted. 100% of residential recyclable waste is baled for re-use in the circular economy.
  • We have removed all plastic bags from our retail outlets and significantly reduced our use of plastic packaged products.
  • As a member of ‘Plastic-free’ Marazion since 2018, we have significantly reduced the use of plastic across across our hospitality outlets.

Porthgwarra – return of the chough

Porthgwarra, the most south-westerly valley in Cornwall, has always been home to rare birds and plants, recently seeing the re-introduction of the Cornish Chough after a 150-year absence. Managed cattle grazing diversifies the soil and plants grown, helping restore chough-friendly habitats with new chicks now being born in the area.  

Stonechats, meadow pipits and skylarks dwell in the heather, while rock pipits, jackdaws and ravens enjoy improved habitats around the cliffs.

Marazion Marsh – maintaining biodiversity

Containing the largest reed-bed in Cornwall, Marazion Marsh is vital to the environmental health of the area. Home to more than 250 birds, 500 plants, 500 different insects, and 18 types of mammals, it is a notably important wintering site for bitterns. It is a regular stopover for the globally threatened aquatic warbler and spectacular starling murmurations are commonplace during the winter.

The marsh is managed by the RSPB in partnership with the Estate.

Environmental Policy

St Aubyn Estates’ vision is: ‘To be a sustainable force for growth while preserving the beauty of the landscape under our care.’ Look through our policy below to find out more about how we strive to achieve this.

Environmental Policy

Send us your ideas

We would love to hear your ideas! Whether big or small, if you have any suggestions for sustainable initiatives across any part of St Aubyn Estates including St Michael’s Mount, please share them with us using the form below so that you can be part of the change.