About Us
A long-term approach to land, nature and community
St Aubyn Natural Capital forms part of St Aubyn Estates, a long-established family estate in West Cornwall.
For generations, the St Aubyn family has taken a long-term approach to the stewardship of land, property, communities and the natural environment. Today, the Estate encompasses a diverse portfolio of agricultural land, woodland, coastline and other important habitats alongside businesses operating across tourism, hospitality, construction and heritage.
At the heart of the Estate is St Michael’s Mount, the iconic tidal island in Mount’s Bay which has been the home of the St Aubyn family since the 17th century.
That continuity brings with it a long-term perspective. We are not creating habitat banks with a view to a short-term investment horizon. The land on which our biodiversity units are delivered forms part of an Estate that we expect to continue caring for long after the statutory 30-year BNG period has ended.
St Michael’s Mount
Stewardship across generations
St Michael’s Mount is both one of Cornwall’s most recognisable landmarks and a living, working community.
In 1954, Francis St Aubyn, third Lord St Levan, gifted a substantial part of St Michael’s Mount to the National Trust, together with a significant endowment to help secure its long-term conservation. The St Aubyn family retained a 999-year lease of the castle, ownership of several buildings and other parts of the island, including the gardens, and the right to open and show the historic rooms to visitors.
The arrangement created an enduring partnership between the St Aubyn family and the National Trust. The Trust plays an important role in the preservation and conservation of the historic fabric of the Mount, while the St Aubyn family continue to live on, manage and operate the island, maintaining a connection and responsibility that stretches back to the middle of the 17th century.
Today, the Mount remains the St Aubyn family home and a living, working island community. Around twelve families live permanently on the Mount, with island life supported by a wide range of roles, from operating the boats to caring for the gardens and welcoming visitors.
Together, the St Aubyn family, island community, dedicated permanent and seasonal staff, and the National Trust maintain the unique character of the Mount, ensuring that it remains a vibrant place where people live, work, and welcome visitors.
Environmental Responsibility
Turning stewardship into measurable action
Environmental stewardship has long been part of the Estate’s approach to land management, but we also recognise the importance of measuring performance and holding ourselves accountable.
St Aubyn Estates, including St Michael’s Mount, has achieved Green Dragon Level 5 accreditation, the highest level of the Green Dragon Environmental Standard, and retained that accreditation in 2025.
The Estate operates an Environmental Management System aligned with the principles of ISO 14001, providing a structured framework through which environmental impacts are identified, measured and reduced.
Our wider sustainability programme has included work across:
- carbon measurement and reduction;
- biodiversity enhancement and habitat management;
- waste reduction and responsible resource use;
- sustainable land management;
- local and responsible procurement;
- energy efficiency;
- environmental education; and
- collaboration with conservation and environmental organisations.
Environmental performance requires continual improvement, and we continue to review how our land and businesses can contribute positively to nature, climate and the communities around us.
St Aubyn Natural Capital is a natural extension of that work: using our land, management capability and long-term outlook to deliver measurable improvements for biodiversity while helping enable sustainable development elsewhere.
Social Value
Supporting the communities around us
Our responsibilities extend beyond the land itself.
The St Aubyn Foundation is the charitable arm of the St Aubyn family and supports organisations making a positive difference to communities, particularly in West Cornwall.
Its work includes support for organisations and projects addressing homelessness, food poverty, domestic abuse, health, education, gardening and culture, alongside support for significant charitable appeals across Cornwall.
Over a recent five-year period, the Foundation awarded grants to 45 local charities and community organisations.
The Foundation also funds the Learning Hub at St Michael’s Mount, providing educational programmes for schools and community groups. During the 2024/25 academic year alone, more than 7,000 young people participated in learning experiences on the Mount.
We believe successful land stewardship should create environmental, economic and social value together.
Governance and Accountability
A partner organisations can rely on
For developers and organisations purchasing biodiversity units, the organisation standing behind those units matters.
BNG creates obligations lasting at least 30 years. Buyers therefore need confidence not only in the ecological quality of the habitat being created, but also in the governance, resources and long-term commitment of the landowner responsible for delivering it.
St Aubyn Natural Capital benefits from the established governance, professional management and operational resources of St Aubyn Estates.
Our habitat banks are supported by professional ecological advice, detailed Habitat Management and Monitoring Plans and long-term legal agreements, with delivery monitored over the lifetime of the scheme.
This provides our clients with:
Long-term ownership and stewardship
Our habitat banks sit within a wider Estate managed with a generational rather than short-term investment horizon.
Professional governance
Natural capital projects are managed alongside established Estate governance, professional advisers and specialist ecological expertise.
Measurable environmental outcomes
Habitat creation and enhancement is defined, managed and monitored against agreed ecological objectives.
Transparency and traceability
Clients can understand where their biodiversity units are being delivered, the habitats being created or enhanced and the management commitments supporting them.
Responsible business practices
Our wider environmental and social programmes provide organisations with confidence that their BNG procurement sits alongside genuine and established commitments to sustainability and community.
A credible counterparty
We have the land, people and long-term presence necessary to stand behind the environmental obligations associated with the units we sell.
More than a biodiversity unit
For some organisations, BNG procurement is simply about satisfying a statutory planning requirement. For others, the provenance of those units forms part of a much wider commitment to nature, ESG, responsible procurement and social value.
By purchasing units from St Aubyn Natural Capital, clients are investing in professionally managed habitat creation and enhancement on land cared for by an established Cornish landowner with a wider commitment to environmental stewardship and the communities around it.
For organisations requiring further information for ESG reporting, responsible procurement, supply-chain due diligence or internal governance approvals, we are happy to provide supporting information on our habitat banks, environmental management, governance and long-term delivery arrangements.