Willamette Valley Vineyards : Commitment to Owls

July 26, 2022 | Willamette Valley Vineyards

Willamette Valley Vineyards Commitment to Owls

Showing off dark eyes peeking from buff-colored faces, four orphaned juvenile owls recently found new homes in our vineyards as part of an 11-year partnership with Cascades Raptor Center of Eugene, Oregon.

The birds represented the 66th, 67th, 68th and 69th orphaned juvenile owls that Cascades Raptor Center has released in our vineyards to help further the center's work to protect and rehabilitate bird populations that are at risk of going extinct.

A juvenile owl seen through the opening of an nesting owl box.

The owls took up residence in nesting boxes at Willamette Valley Vineyards in the Salem Hills and at Domaine Willamette, our new sparkling winery that is opening soon at Bernau Estate Vineyard in the Dundee Hills.

The center rehabilitates owls found on farms and other locations. Once the birds are able to fly and feed themselves, the center finds locations where they can be released. At our vineyards, the birds are released into nesting boxes, or "condos," where they have a safe place to live and find food that sustains them. The boxes are partitioned so that two birds can keep each other company in a single box.

Rehabilitated barn owls and kestrels provide the vines with natural protection from gophers and voles, the primary pests in our vineyards and the birds' main source of nutrition. The birds help create a balanced ecosystem by controlling the pest populations.

Facilities Coordinator Randy Hillyer approaching an owl nesting box.

Joe Perez, a Founding Owner at Willamette and one of our long-standing American Wine Society and Oregon Wine Enthusiast members, volunteered in 2011 to build nesting boxes for barn owls and kestrels at our Estate Vineyards. This year, we moved one of his boxes to Domaine Willamette to begin the practice of releasing birds at Bernau Estate.

Through the years, Joe has maintained the annual tradition of placing barn owls into the nesting boxes. Over a decade later, these birds are now a regular part of our vineyard management and stewardship efforts.

Joe Perez, one of Willamette Valley Vineyards founding Owners holding an Owl at the Estate Vineyard in the Salem Hills.
"Not many people can say they've handled 96 owls in their lifetime," he said when asked about the ongoing commitment to releasing barn owls and kestrels. "It's something that I find a great passion in."

Establishing partnerships with organizations such as Willamette Valley Vineyards is a practical way to help the birds, as well as highlight their importance in sustainability efforts, said Julie Collins, deputy director at Cascades Raptor Center.

"Having partnerships with businesses like Willamette has many positive results for us," she said. "We are provided safe, appropriate habitats to release the birds while building lasting connections. The birds then play a critical role in the Earth's ecological balance."
Since the winery's founding in 1983, stewardship of the land has been a key principle in our winemaking and farming practices. Founder and CEO Jim Bernau believes Pinot Noir made with consideration for the environment, employees and community simply tastes better.

"Having partnerships with businesses like Willamette has many positive results for us," she said. "We are provided safe, appropriate habitats to release the birds while building lasting connections. The birds then play a critical role in the Earth's ecological balance."
Since the winery's founding in 1983, stewardship of the land has been a key principle in our winemaking and farming practices. Founder and CEO Jim Bernau believes Pinot Noir made with consideration for the environment, employees and community simply tastes better.

Founder and CEO Jim Bernau holding an owl at the Estate Vineyard located in Turner, Oregon.