DID YOU KNOW THAT:

1) From a single tiny ACORN grows this majestic Cork Tree

2) The Cork Tree has become Portugal’s National Tree since 2011

3) Cork bark has now been named the “GOLDEN BARK” due to it’s incredible characteristics and popularity

4) The oldest Cork tree in Portugal is called the "Assobiador" translated to the Whistler, and also known as the Matchmaker, received that name from a type of Romeo and Juliet love story, where the boys would come by the tree and wanting to court the girls who lived on the other side of the street, they would whistle, the girls would come and hang out under the tree until it would get dark of their parents called them back inside. .  

5) The Whistler is 234 years old—16 mt high and has been harvested 20 times, and from one single harvest yielded enough bark to produce 100,000 cork stoppers 

6) In 2016 Portugal broke the record by harvesting 135 tons of cork bark

7) Hitting an all time record of  950 million euros in exports

8) Due to the Crisis in 2009 when the wine industry doubted the integrity of the cork stopper in preserving the wine, many factories closed down.  But the industry saw an opportunity in innovating  the use of the cork bark for fashion, home, etc.

9) The Cork industry in now living their Golden Years. 

10) 637 factories in Portugal transforming cork and employing 9000 people

11) This industry has established equality between men and women and the average monthly income is 750euros + equivalent to 1100 Cad$