A lifetime commitment to Merino wool and the environment has been acknowledged with the choice of Mortlake wool producers Richard and Jenny Weatherly as representative woolgrowers to accept an international eco stewardship award presented to the Woolmark company.
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The Weatherlys, from Connewarran Merino Stud, joined fellow wool producers Matt and Vanessa Dunbabin, of ‘Bangor’, Tasmania, to represent the thousands of wool growers who contribute wool to the Woolmark company and its environmental credentials.
Woolmark received the Eco Stewardship award in Milan at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia – a star-studded celebration of the sustainability, innovation and the contribution of the Italian fashion industry.
Despite being a new addition to the fashion calendar, the awards have established themselves as one of the world’s foremost sustainability and fashion events and attracted many celebrities.
The Weatherlys and the Dunbabins received the award from Australian actress Cate Blanchett.
The award highlights sustainable farm management in producing the natural fibre of Merino wool.
Woolmark is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) that is funded by wool growers through a wool levy and develops wool products and markets wool on their behalf.
In presenting the award, Cate Blanchett said the production of Merino wool had led the sustainability charge with an ambitious program of reform that set new benchmarks for the fibre.
The Weatherlys said they were “very honoured and very proud” to accept the award.
The pair said Australian wool growers had shown remarkable stewardship of their country.
As well as producing merino wool, the Weatherlys have worked tirelessly to rebuild the ecosytem on their Connewarran property during their 35 year custodianship.
They planted more than 1.5 million trees, fenced off rivers, created wetlands, and watched as bird, insect and plant numbers and diversity rebounded.
They also built the Connewarren Merino Stud from scratch into a successful enterprise that sells more than 70 rams a year along with semen to clients in Australia and abroad.
Mr Weatherly is also a noted artist, specialising in paintings of nature.
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